Carpal instability is a condition in which an injury – such as a fall on an outstretched hand which may occur in football, basketball, or hockey – has distorted the alignment of the wrist bone, whether through a sprain, fracture, dislocation or the presence of rheumatoid arthritis.

Symptoms include weakness of the wrist, tenderness and a clicking or snapping noise upon certain movements. Early treatments include occupational and physical therapy, immobilizing the wrist or ligament repair; older and more severely disabling instances of the condition require arthroscopically assisted reconstructive surgery.