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Ulnar Styloid Impaction Syndrome

What is ulnar styloid impaction syndrome? Not exactly a household word. But certainly one that patients with ulnar-side wrist pain become familiar with rather quickly. First of all, ulnar-sided wrist pain is located on the little finger side. Ulnar styloid impaction refers to a condition causing that pain because there is a short ulna (one of the two bones of the forearm) and a long styloid.The styloid is a piece of bone at the end of the ulna that makes the ulna look longer on one side compared...

Hand Surgeons Review Evidence for Treatment of Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex Tears

In this case report, hand surgeons from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (Department of Orthopedic Surgery) use the patient example of a 49-year-old man with a triangular fibrocartilage complex tear (TFCC) to discuss current concepts of treatment for this condition. The patient had chronic wrist pain for seven months. Conservative (nonoperative) care did not relieve his pain.Surgery was a consideration but the surgeons had questions whether the surgery would give any better result...

Advice From a Hand Surgeon on Wrist Fractures

No one knows better than a surgeon who specializes in hand surgery the difficulties of repairing some wrist fractures. In this article, distal radial fractures are the focus. In particular, the surgical treatment of comminuted distal radial fractures is discussed and demonstrated.The radius is one of the two bones in the forearm. Distal radius refers to the end closest to the wrist (rather than the top of the bone closest to the elbow). Comminuted tells us the bone is broken into many tiny piece...

Finding New Ways to Treat Kienböck Disease of the Wrist

Kienböck disease is a condition in which one of the small bones of the wrist loses its blood supply and dies, causing pain and stiffness with wrist motion. In the late stages of the disease, the bone collapses, shifting the position of other bones in the wrist. This shifting eventually leads to degenerative changes and osteoarthritis in the joint. While the exact cause of this uncommon disease isn't known, a number of treatment options are available.In this study, surgeons treating Kienb&ou...

Review of a Wrist Fracture Called the Galeazzi Fracture

There are several different types of fractures that affect the wrist. This article is focused on fractures of the joint between the two bones of the forearm (the radius and the ulna). Those two bones meet at the elbow and at the wrist. That particular joint at the wrist is called the distal radioulnar joint or DRUJ. A fracture that disrupts the DRUJ is called a Galeazzi fracture.In this article, orthopedic hand surgeons present a review of Galeazzi fractures from top to bottom. They begin with a...

Understanding Scaphoid (Wrist) Fractures That Don't Heal

The wrist is made up of two rows of small bones. One row of bones articulate (move) against the two bones of the forearm. The second row lines up with the base of the fingers and thumb. A fracture of any of the carpal (wrist) bones in these two rows can create problems -- especially if the bone doesn't heal. That's called a fracture nonunion.In this Canadian study, a surgeon from the University of Toronto Hand Program reviewed the charts of 96 patients with nonunion fractures of the scaphoid bon...

Patients Satisfied After Total Wrist Replacement

The wrist with its double layer of bones and ability to turn and twist in all directions is a challenge to replace. For many years, anyone with severe wrist pain, deformity, loss of motion, and loss of hand function were offered only one treatment option: arthrodesis (fusion). But today, thanks to modern technology and improved surgical techniques, a total wrist replacement is possible.In this study, the results are reported for 21 patients who received the Universal 2 Total Wrist Implant System...

High Rate of Failure with Wrist Replacement

People with severe wrist arthritis (usually from rheumatoid arthritis) find themselves in a bit of a bind -- literally. With pain, swelling, and loss of wrist motion it becomes increasingly difficult to perform even the simplest task.Most often both wrists are affected -- not just one. Personal hygiene can become a huge problem. Whether in the bathroom, bedroom, or kitchen, even a few degrees of motion can make a big difference in function. What can be done to help these patients?Conservative ca...

Results of Wilhelm's Wrist Denervation Technique

Patients with severe wrist pain limiting function who don't improve with conservative (nonoperative) care may benefit from surgery. In this study, hand surgeons performed the Wilhelm's wrist denervation on 54 patients and report the results.Wilhelm's wrist denervation is a surgical procedure used to cut tiny branches of the sensory nerves to the wrist and hand. By cutting these nerve pathways, pain signals to the brain can be stopped. Since motor nerves are not disturbed, there's no loss of moti...

Best Treatment for Wrist Fractures in Older Adults

What's the Best Treatment for Wrist Fractures in Older Adults? Wrist fractures among older adults are on the rise and expected to continue in that trend. Active Baby Boomers who are likely to live longer will top the list of those who experience this injury. Surgeons are taking a closer look at how this injury can be treated for the best results.In this study, a group of researchers from the University of Michigan took the time to review studies done from 1980 to 2009 on the outcomes of treatme...

Case Number Seven of Wrist Osteochondritis Dissecans

There are only six cases of osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) reported in the medical literature. Oops, make that seven with this report from South Korea. With so few cases of any condition, surgeons are at a disadvantage for knowing what treatment is optimal.In this study, two surgeons report on the results of osteochondral autograft transplantation or the OATS treatment for osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the wrist. In particular, the scaphoid bone of the wrist is affected. The scaphoid is th...

A Surgeon's Look at Wrist Arthritis

In this article, Dr. R. J. Strauch from the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City presents an update on the treatment of two causes of wrist arthritis. Both types involve the scaphoid (wrist) bone. The scaphoid is a key player in wrist arthritis because of its location. It sits in the center of the wrist.Any trauma, injury, or other disease process that affects the scaphoid can also potentially affect the other bones and ligaments in contact with...

Three Things to Know About Wrist Ganglions

So you have the telltale bump on the back of your wrist that comes and goes. It hurts when you move your wrist as far as it will go into extension. Any movement that puts pressure into the palm (like doing a pushup) aggravates it. The surgeon says it's a wrist ganglion.A ganglion is a small, harmless cyst, or sac of fluid, that sometimes develops in the wrist. Doctors don't know exactly what causes ganglions. How do you know for sure that's what you have instead of something more serious like ca...

New Treatment Option for Wrist Instability

There's a new kid on the block and his name is distal radioulnar joint or DRUJ. In plain English that means a replacement of the wrist joint. More specifically, we're talking about the place where the radius (forearm bone on the thumb side of the wrist) connects to the ulna (forearm bone on the little finger side).What's so special about this guy? Well, his predecessor (the joint replacement used before this one was designed) failed too many times -- the previous prosthesis (replacement device) ...

Wrist Fracture: Experts Say to Take Vitamin C

Clients with distal radial wrist fractures were found to have a lesser incidence of CRPS "complex regional pain syndrome" if they took a 500 mg suppliment of oral vitamin C. It is suggested that a Yosemite Physical Therapy patient with this type of fracture, while being immobilized, should take the time to read this study and consult with your doctor about whether it is appropriate to take the Vitamin C supplements (for some people, vitamin C would be contradicated) in order to prevent CRPS.

Kienbock's Disease: Staging and Treatments

Suffering from a sore wrist? This article describes the rare condition of Kienbocks disease, where the blood supply to the lunate bone is cut off, and the person presents with symptoms which mimic a sprained wrist. Staging of the disease is done by radiographs, and a patient of Yosemite Physical Therapy that is diagnosed wtih Kenbocks disease would be interested in the information compiled in this review article.