Injuries, Symptoms & Treatments

Wrist

Get a grip on your wrist pain.

They’re made of an incredible network of bones, cartilage, nerves, connective tissues and joint fluid — all working together to perform some of the strongest and most intricate movements on a daily basis. And yet, they’re surprisingly delicate. When your wrists hurt — whether from carpal tunnel, a sprain or worse — it often seems like you can’t focus on anything else.

 

Wrist pain can be caused by overuse, traumatic injuries, or arthritis and other diseases. Some issues can be treated at home with anti-inflammatory medications and hot or cold treatments, but you should always be checked out by a hand doctor first. Depending upon the severity of your condition, orthopaedic care may be needed to avoid long-term complications. Your treatment may range from physical therapy to corticosteroid injections to surgery.

 

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Use the convenient search tool to find information on orthpedic conditions and treatments offered by our practice.. his assures that the information you are researching has been confirmed by Dr. Bellapianta as well as The American Academy of Orthpaedic Surgeons.

Diseases/Conditions of the wrist 

Conditions of the Wrist
Fracture of the Wrist
Wrist Sprains
Arthritis of the Wrist
Elbow Bursitis
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Ulnar Tunnel Syndrome
De Quervain's Tendinosis
Ganglion Cyst
Kienböck's Disease
Conditions of the Wrist

Conditions of the Wrist

 

Our wrist is a complex joint made up of eight small bones arranged in two rows between the bones in your forearm and the bones in your hand. Tough bands of ligament connect your wrist bones to each other and to your forearm bones and hand bones. Tendons attach muscles to bones. Damage to any of the parts of your wrist can cause pain and affect your ability to use your wrist and hand.

 

 

Injuries

 

Sudden impacts. Wrist injuries often occur when you fall forward onto your outstretched hand. This can cause sprains, strains and even fractures. A scaphoid fracture involves a bone on the thumb side of the wrist. This type of fracture may not show up on X-rays immediately following the injury.

 

Repetitive stress. Any activity that involves repetitive wrist motion — from hitting a tennis ball or bowing a cello to driving cross-country — can inflame the tissues around joints or cause stress fractures, especially when you perform the movement for hours on end without a break. De Quervain's disease is a repetitive stress injury that causes pain at the base of the thumb.

 

 

Arthritis

 

Osteoarthritis. This type of arthritis occurs when the cartilage that cushions the ends of your bones deteriorates over time. Osteoarthritis in the wrist is uncommon and usually occurs only in people who have injured that wrist in the past.

 

Rheumatoid arthritis. A disorder in which the body's immune system attacks its own tissues, rheumatoid arthritis commonly involves the wrist. If one wrist is affected, the other one usually is, too.

 

 

Other Diseases and Conditions

 

Carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel syndrome develops when there's increased pressure on the median nerve as it passes through the carpal tunnel, a passageway in the palm side of your wrist.

 

Ganglion cysts. These soft tissue cysts occur most often on the part of your wrist opposite your palm. Smaller ganglion cysts seem to cause more pain than larger ones do.

 

Kienbock's disease. This disorder typically affects young adults and involves the progressive collapse of one of the small bones in the wrist. Kienbock's disease occurs when the blood supply to this bone is compromised.

Content by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 

Fracture of the Wrist
Wrist Sprains
Arthritis of the Wrist
Elbow Bursitis
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Ulnar Tunnel Syndrome
De Quervain's Tendinosis
Ganglion Cyst
Kienböck's Disease

Wrist Fracture

A fracture of the distal end of the radius - the end nearest the wrist -is one of the most common types of fractures. It may be part of a complex injury that involves other tissues, nerves and bones of the wrist.

De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis

This condition, also called stenosing tenosynovitis of the first dorsal compartment of the wrist, is an inflammation of the sheath that wraps around the tendons at the thumb side of the wrist.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Pain, numbness and tingling in your hand may be from carpal tunnel syndrome. It happens when the area around the main nerve to your hand is too tight.

Kienböck's Disease

Kienbock's disease is the death and deterioration of the lunate, one of the small bones in the wrist. It usually occurs in young adults and causes wrist pain, weakness, and loss of motion. 

Common Treatments of General Orthopedics 

Wrist Arthroscopy
De Quervain's Tendinosis
Kienböck's Disease
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Distal Radius Fractures
Wrist Arthroscopy

Wrist Arthroscopy

 

Arthroscopy is a surgical procedure used to diagnose and treat problems inside a joint.

 

Arthroscopy utilizes a small fiber optic instrument called an arthroscope that enables the surgeon to see inside the joint without making large incisions into the muscle and tissue.

 

The wrist is a complex joint with eight small bones and many connecting ligaments. Arthroscopic surgery can be used to diagnose and treat a number of conditions of the wrist, including chronic wrist pain, wrist fractures, ganglion cysts, and ligament tears.

 

 

Description

 

The surgeon makes small incisions (called portals) through the skin in specific locations around a joint.

 

These incisions are less than half an inch long. The arthroscope, which is approximately the size of a pencil, is inserted through these incisions. The arthroscope contains a small lens, a miniature camera, and a lighting system.

 

The three-dimensional images of the joint are projected through the camera onto a television monitor. The surgeon watches the monitor as he or she moves the instrument within the joint.

 

Probes, forceps, knives, and shavers at the ends of the arthroscope are used to correct problems uncovered by the surgeon.

 

 

Diagnostic Arthroscopy

 

Diagnostic arthroscopy might be used if it is not clear what is causing wrist pain. It might also be used if wrist pain continues for several months despite nonsurgical treatment.

 

Before arthroscopic surgery, your doctor will do the following.

 

  • Perform a physical examination of the hand and wrist
  • Learn more about past medical conditions or concerns (medical history)
  • Perform tests that locate the pain (provocative tests). These tests involve moving the hand in order to reproduce the pain.
  • Secure images of the hand and wrist. These may include x-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, or an arthrogram (an x-ray taken after a dye is injected into the joint).

 

Usually, arthroscopic surgery requires only that the hand and arm are numbed (regional anesthesia). A sedative may be given to further relax the patient.

 

Two or more small incisions (portals) are made on the back of the wrist. The arthroscope and instruments are inserted through those portals and the joint is observed through the camera on the end of the arthroscope.

 

After the surgery, the incisions are closed with a small stitch and a dressing is applied. Sometimes a splint is used.

 

 

Arthroscopic Surgical Treatment

 

Arthroscopic surgery can be used to treat a number of conditions of the wrist.

 

  • Chronic wrist pain. Arthroscopic exploratory surgery may be used to diagnose the cause of chronic wrist pain when the results of other tests do not provide a clear diagnosis. Often, there may be areas of inflammation, cartilage damage, or other findings after a wrist injury. In some cases, after the diagnosis is made, the condition can be treated arthroscopically as well.
  • Wrist fractures. Small fragments of bone may stay within the joint after a bone breaks (fractures). Wrist arthroscopy can remove these fragments, align the broken pieces of bone, and stabilize them by using pins, wires, or screws.
  • Ganglion cysts. Ganglion cysts commonly grow from a stalk between two of the wrist bones. During an arthroscopic procedure, the surgeon can remove the stalk, which may reduce the change that these cysts will return.
  • Ligament/TFCC tears. Ligaments are fibrous bands of connective tissue that link or hinge bones. They provide stability and support to the joints. The TFCC is a cushioning structure within the wrist. A fall on an outstretched hand can tear ligaments, the TFCC, or both. The result is pain with movement or a clicking sensation. During arthroscopic surgery, the surgeon can repair the tears.
  • Carpal tunnel release. Carpal tunnel syndrome is characterized by numbness or tingling in the hand, and sometimes with pain up the arm. It is caused by pressure on a nerve that passes through the carpal tunnel. (The carpal tunnel is formed by the wrist bones and a thick tissue roof.) Pressure can build up within the tunnel for many reasons, including irritation and swelling of the tissue (synovium) that covers the tendons. If the carpal tunnel syndrome does not respond to nonsurgical treatment, one option is to repair the area surgically. The surgeon would cut the ligament roof and enlarge the tunnel. This would reduce pressure on the nerve and relieve symptoms. This can sometimes be done using an arthroscope.

 

 

 

After Surgery

 

For the first 2 or 3 days after surgery, the wrist should be elevated and the bandage should be kept clean and dry. Ice may help keep swelling down. There are exercises that can be used to help maintain motion and rebuild your strength. Although pain after surgery is usually mild, analgesic medications will help relieve any pain.

Content by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 

De Quervain's Tendinosis
Kienböck's Disease
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Distal Radius Fractures

Carpal Tunnel Release

This surgical procedure treats the pain of carpal tunnel syndrome. It relieves pressure on a nerve that travels through your wrist. This nerve is called the "median" nerve.

Wrist Arthroscopy

This minimally invasive outpatient procedure allows the surgeon to evaluate and treat injuries and disorders of the ligaments, cartilage, and bones of the wrist.

Distal Radius Fracture Repair

This procedure uses a metal implant to stabilize a fracture in the radius near the wrist. The radius is the largest of the two bones of the forearm.

Wrist Fusion

This surgical procedure relieves pain and corrects deformities of the wrist caused by injury, trauma, arthritis, or genetic defect. The procedure fuses the radius, the carpal and metacarpal bones.

Experience the latest in orthopedic care 

We offer the latest in non-invasive treatments including Regenerative Cell and Platelet Rich Injections.