MRI Wrist & Hand in Delhi: Scaphoid Fracture, TFCC Tear & Cost — 2026 Patient Guide

You fell on your outstretched hand weeks ago. The X-ray was called normal, you were told it was a sprain — and the wrist still hurts every time you turn a key or push yourself up from a chair.

That exact story is one of the most important in hand medicine, and it is why MRI of the wrist exists. Some of the most consequential injuries in the wrist are invisible on an X-ray in the first days after they happen — and one of them, if missed, can quietly ruin the joint over the following year.

This guide explains what an MRI wrist and hand actually shows, which problems it settles and which it is the wrong test for entirely, the practical details nobody mentions until you are lying on the table, and what it costs in Delhi in 2026.

The quick answer

An MRI wrist or hand is a radiation-free, high-resolution scan of a small and very complex area — eight carpal bones, the ligaments between them, the TFCC, the flexor and extensor tendons, the nerves, the cartilage and the bone marrow. It is the definitive test for a suspected scaphoid fracture with a normal X-ray, for TFCC and ligament tears, for early inflammatory arthritis, and for tendon and soft-tissue problems. It takes about 20–30 minutes, needs no fasting and usually no injection. In Delhi it generally costs in the region of ₹4,000–₹7,500. One side is scanned at a time, so the prescription must state right or left — and whether it is the wrist or the hand, because those are two different studies.

The injury X-rays miss: the scaphoid fracture

If you fell on an outstretched hand and have pain in the thumb-side hollow of the wrist — the small dip at the base of the thumb known as the anatomical snuffbox — this section is for you.

The scaphoid is a small carpal bone with an unusual blood supply: blood enters it from one end and travels backwards through the bone. When it fractures across the middle, the far portion can be cut off from its blood supply. A scaphoid fracture is also notoriously difficult to see on an X-ray taken soon after the injury — a significant proportion simply do not show initially.

The consequence of missing it is not a longer recovery; it is a different outcome altogether. An untreated scaphoid fracture can fail to unite, and the deprived fragment can undergo avascular necrosis, leading to collapse and early arthritis of the wrist over the following months and years. Treated promptly, the great majority heal.

MRI settles the question within days of the injury, showing both the fracture line and the bone marrow oedema that surrounds it, long before an X-ray would. This is precisely why an orthopaedic surgeon will order an MRI on a “normal” X-ray when the clinical examination points at the snuffbox. If that has happened to you, the scan is not an over-investigation — it is the standard of care.

Is MRI even the right test for your wrist?

Sometimes it is not, and knowing this before you pay is worth more than any discount.

Your symptoms	Usually the right first test
Numbness and tingling in the thumb, index and middle fingers, worse at night	NCV (nerve conduction study) — this is carpal tunnel syndrome, and it is a nerve function problem, not a structural one
Fresh injury, obvious deformity or severe swelling	X-ray first
A visible soft lump on the back of the wrist	Ultrasound is often enough for a typical ganglion
Fall on outstretched hand, snuffbox tenderness, X-ray normal	MRI — occult scaphoid fracture
Persistent ulnar-sided (little-finger side) pain, clicking on rotation	MRI — TFCC tear
Multiple small joints swollen and stiff in the morning	Blood tests plus MRI or ultrasound for early erosions
Pain and numbness travelling down from the neck into the hand	MRI cervical spine — the problem may be the neck, not the wrist

Two rows there deserve emphasis. Carpal tunnel syndrome is diagnosed by a nerve conduction study, not by MRI. MRI may be added if a mass or an unusual anatomical cause is suspected, or before revision surgery — but for the classic night-time numbness, an NCV is the correct and considerably cheaper test. And a hand that tingles because of a compressed nerve root in the neck will show nothing at all on a wrist MRI. Ask your doctor to be explicit about which of these they think you have.

What an MRI wrist and hand shows

Bone

• Occult fractures — scaphoid above all, but also the hook of hamate and other carpal bones that hide on X-ray.
• Bone marrow oedema — the earliest sign of stress injury, fracture or inflammation.
• Kienböck’s disease — avascular necrosis of the lunate bone, which MRI can show at a stage when X-rays are still normal.
• Non-union of an older fracture, and whether the fragment still has a blood supply — which determines what surgery is possible.

Ligaments and cartilage

• TFCC tears. The triangular fibrocartilage complex sits on the little-finger side of the wrist and stabilises the forearm bones. Tears cause ulnar-sided pain, clicking and weakness on twisting — opening a jar, turning a doorknob — and MRI is the main non-surgical way to see them.
• Scapholunate and lunotriquetral ligament tears, which lead to carpal instability and, untreated, to a predictable pattern of wrist arthritis.
• Cartilage wear and early arthritis within the wrist joints.
• Ulnar impaction syndrome, where a relatively long ulna grinds against the carpal bones.

Tendons and soft tissue

• De Quervain’s tenosynovitis — thumb-side tendon inflammation, very common in new mothers and in anyone doing repetitive gripping.
• Flexor and extensor tendon injury, tears, and trigger finger.
• Ganglion cysts, including the occult ones that cause pain without a visible lump — a genuinely satisfying diagnosis, because it explains a pain that looked like nothing.
• Giant cell tumour of the tendon sheath and other soft-tissue masses in the hand.
• Dupuytren’s disease and its extent in the palm.

Inflammation and infection

• Early rheumatoid arthritis — MRI detects synovitis and bone erosions months to years before they appear on X-ray, which matters because early treatment changes the long-term outcome.
• Psoriatic arthritis and other inflammatory patterns in the small joints.
• Septic arthritis and osteomyelitis, where MRI shows the extent of infection in bone and soft tissue.

Wrist or hand — and which side?

These sound like pedantic questions at reception. They are the two commonest causes of a wasted appointment.

Wrist and hand are separate studies. A wrist MRI centres on the carpal bones, the TFCC and the ligaments, using a small field of view for high resolution. A hand MRI centres on the metacarpals and fingers. Some clinical questions need both — and that is usually billed as more than one study, because it is more scanning and more reporting. If your prescription says “MRI of hand and wrist”, confirm what is intended before you arrive.

And the side matters. The prescription should say right or left, and it should match the side that actually hurts. Check it yourself before travelling; wrong-side prescriptions do happen, and correcting one after the scan means doing the whole thing again.

The small practical things nobody tells you

• Rings must come off. Every ring on the hand being scanned has to be removed — metal in the field of view distorts the images in exactly the area being examined. If a ring has not moved in years, start working on it a day or two beforehand with soap or cold water, or have it cut and resized rather than losing the appointment. Tell the centre in advance if it genuinely will not come off.
• Position is either comfortable or optimal, rarely both. A wrist can be scanned with the arm by your side, or held above the head in what radiographers call the “superman” position, which places the wrist in the centre of the magnet and gives better images. The second is harder to hold still for twenty minutes. Tell the radiographer honestly what your shoulder can manage — there is usually a workable compromise, and it is far better discussed before the scan than abandoned during it.
• A small joint demands more stillness, not less. The images are very high resolution over a small area, so even slight movement blurs them. Being comfortably padded and supported at the start is what makes stillness possible.
• Bangles, kada, watch and bracelets all come off too, along with anything else metallic.

Plain MRI, MR arthrogram or contrast?

• Plain MRI — no injection. This covers the majority of wrist and hand scans, including most suspected scaphoid fractures.
• MR arthrogram — dilute contrast injected into the wrist joint before the scan, which distends it and outlines the ligaments and TFCC. Requested when a subtle ligament or TFCC tear is suspected and the plain scan may not be conclusive, and in previously operated wrists. It costs more and takes longer.
• Contrast (CEMRI) — gadolinium into a vein, used when infection, inflammatory arthritis or a soft-tissue mass is the question. Our contrast MRI (CEMRI) guide explains the safety checks in full.

Your prescription decides which one, confirmed by the radiologist against the clinical history.

MRI wrist and hand cost in Delhi

Indicatively, an MRI wrist or MRI hand in Delhi in 2026 generally costs about ₹4,000–₹7,500 for a plain study of one side. The main things that change it:

• Wrist or hand or both — separate studies, separately priced.
• One side or both sides — each is its own scan.
• Plain, arthrogram or contrast — an arthrogram costs considerably more because of the joint injection and guidance.
• Scheme rates — if you are covered under CGHS or another empanelled scheme, the applicable rate may apply. Ask at booking and carry your card and referral.

These are indicative market ranges, not a quotation. Pricing across other body parts is in our MRI scan cost in Delhi guide. As with any small-joint study, be wary of an unusually low quote — wrist MRI depends on a dedicated coil, a small field of view and careful positioning, and a shortened protocol on a general coil may simply not resolve a TFCC tear or an early erosion.

How to prepare

• No fasting for a plain wrist or hand MRI. Eat and take your medicines normally.
• Carry the prescription with the side and the region clearly marked, plus previous X-rays, ultrasound or MRI films and reports — comparison genuinely helps, especially after an injury.
• Remove all rings, bangles and a watch from the arm being scanned, and wear clothing without metal.
• Declare all implants and metal — pacemaker or cardiac device, cochlear implant, aneurysm clip, neurostimulator, metal fragments in the eye, and any plates, screws or wires in the hand, wrist or arm from earlier surgery. Bring the implant or operation details. Metal near the wrist can distort local images, which the radiologist needs to know about in advance.
• Mention pregnancy or possible pregnancy.
• If your wrist is acutely painful, say so — positioning and padding can be adjusted, and ask your doctor whether your usual pain relief beforehand is appropriate for you.
• If you are claustrophobic, mention it at booking. Depending on the position used, a wrist scan can mean much of your body is inside the scanner. An open MRI is considerably more comfortable for many people — see our open MRI vs closed MRI guide.

Reading your report sensibly

A wrist or hand MRI report is usually available within about 24 hours. Two things are worth holding in mind when you read it.

First, not every finding is the cause of your pain. Small degenerative changes, minor TFCC signal change and tiny ganglia are found in wrists that have never hurt, and become more common with age. A finding on paper still has to match your symptoms and your examination.

Second, the report is not the treatment plan. Whether a TFCC tear needs surgery or a splint, whether a scaphoid fracture needs a cast or a screw, depends on the pattern, the timing, your age and what you need the hand to do. Take the report and the images to your orthopaedic or hand surgeon rather than deciding from the impression line.

Get your MRI wrist or hand done at Edge Imaging & Diagnostics, West Delhi

Edge Imaging & Diagnostics is a NABH-accredited diagnostic centre in West Delhi offering MRI, CT, ultrasound, digital X-ray, NCV and EMG, pathology and image-guided procedures under one roof, with all studies reported by experienced radiologists. Small-joint imaging is reported in the detail a hand surgeon needs — fracture line and marrow oedema, ligament and TFCC integrity, tendon and synovial change — because a vague report on a wrist helps nobody. An open MRI option is available for patients who find conventional scanners difficult.

Because we also perform nerve conduction studies, we can tell you honestly if your symptoms point towards carpal tunnel syndrome rather than a structural wrist problem — which is a different, and usually cheaper, test. We also perform MRI knee, MRI shoulder and MRI spine studies, and serve patients across Paschim Vihar, Punjabi Bagh, Rajouri Garden, Moti Nagar, Janakpuri, Tilak Nagar and nearby areas.

📩 Send your prescription on WhatsApp  |  Call 9555999960

Frequently asked questions

How much does an MRI wrist or hand cost in Delhi?

A plain MRI of one wrist or one hand in Delhi generally costs about ₹4,000–₹7,500. Wrist and hand are separate studies, each side is a separate study, and an MR arthrogram costs more because contrast is injected into the joint first. These are indicative market ranges, not a quotation — send your prescription on WhatsApp or call 9555999960 for our current price.

My wrist X-ray was normal but it still hurts. Should I have an MRI?

Very possibly, particularly if you fell on an outstretched hand and the pain is in the hollow at the base of the thumb. A scaphoid fracture frequently does not appear on an X-ray taken soon after injury, and MRI shows it within days. A missed scaphoid fracture can fail to unite and lead to arthritis, so this is one situation where the scan genuinely matters. Ask the doctor who examined you.

Is MRI the test for carpal tunnel syndrome?

Usually not. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a nerve function problem, and the standard test is a nerve conduction study (NCV), which is also less expensive. MRI may be added if a mass or unusual anatomical cause is suspected, or before revision surgery, but for classic night-time numbness in the thumb, index and middle fingers, NCV is the correct test.

Can an MRI detect a TFCC tear?

Yes. MRI is the main non-surgical way to assess the triangular fibrocartilage complex, the usual cause of persistent little-finger-side wrist pain with clicking and weakness on twisting. For subtle tears, an MR arthrogram is sometimes requested because it outlines the structure more clearly.

Do I need to remove my rings for a hand MRI?

Yes, all of them from the hand being scanned, along with bangles, bracelets and a watch. Metal in the field of view distorts the images in exactly the area being examined. If a ring will not come off, work on it beforehand or have it professionally resized, and tell the centre in advance.

Do I need to fast before an MRI wrist?

No. A plain MRI wrist or hand requires no fasting and no injection. Fasting may be advised only when a contrast study or an arthrogram is planned — confirm at booking.

How long does an MRI wrist take?

Usually 20–30 minutes of table time, plus registration, changing and the safety check. An MR arthrogram takes longer because of the injection beforehand.

Are the hand and the wrist scanned together?

They are separate studies with different coverage and positioning, so they are usually priced separately. Some clinical questions need both. If your prescription says “hand and wrist”, confirm what is intended before you arrive so there is no surprise at the counter.

Can an MRI show early rheumatoid arthritis?

Yes. MRI detects synovitis and small bone erosions in the wrist and hand months to years before they become visible on X-ray. This is clinically useful because early treatment of inflammatory arthritis changes the long-term outcome. It is used alongside blood tests and examination, not instead of them.

Can I have a wrist MRI if I have plates or screws from previous surgery?

Usually yes, but declare it first with your operation details. Most orthopaedic hardware is MRI-safe, though metal causes local image distortion around itself, which the radiologist adjusts for and takes into account when reporting.

Will I need to hold my arm above my head?

Sometimes. Placing the wrist overhead puts it at the centre of the magnet and gives the best image quality, but it is harder to hold still and is not suitable for everyone, particularly with a painful shoulder. Scanning with the arm by your side is often possible. Discuss it with the radiographer before you lie down.

The bottom line

The wrist packs an unusual amount of anatomy into a small space, and much of what goes wrong in it is invisible to X-rays — which is exactly the gap MRI fills. If you fell on an outstretched hand and the X-ray was normal but the snuffbox still hurts, do not accept “just a sprain” without asking about a scaphoid fracture; that single question is the most valuable thing on this page. Equally, if your symptoms are night-time numbness in the fingers, ask about a nerve conduction study before booking a scan — you may need a different, cheaper test entirely. Get the right test for the right side, and a twenty-minute scan will tell your surgeon what your hand actually needs.

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MRI, CT, ultrasound, digital X-ray, NCV and EMG, pathology and image-guided procedures at Edge Imaging & Diagnostics, West Delhi — a NABH-accredited diagnostic centre — are performed and reported by experienced radiologists. This article is general patient information only. It is not a diagnosis and does not replace examination by a qualified doctor; whether you need an MRI of the wrist or hand, which side, and whether a plain scan, an arthrogram or a contrast study is appropriate, is decided by your treating doctor together with the reporting radiologist. Treatment decisions depend on your symptoms and examination, not on imaging alone. Costs mentioned are indicative market ranges for Delhi and are not a quotation — please contact us for current pricing. Last updated: 2026.