WRIST CONDITIONS

WHAT CONDITIONS CAN AFFECT THE WRIST?

Several types of conditions can cause pain in the wrist. These include:

• Osteoarthritis
  Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative arthritis, causes the cartilage that surrounds the bone to wear away, decreasing the protective space between the bones. This causes stiffness, swelling and pain, and is most common in people over the age of 50.
• Rheumatoid arthritis
  Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects joints in various parts of the body, including the hands, wrists, knees and shoulders. The disease causes the lining of the joints to swell and then break off, causing pain and stiffness.
• Post-traumatic arthritis
  Post-traumatic arthritis occurs after an injury, such as a dislocation or fracture.
• Trauma
  Trauma to the wrist, such as falling and landing on the wrist or having something blunt and hard strike the wrist, can cause fractures of the bones around the wrist joint or sprains of the ligaments.
• De Quervain's tenosynovitis of the extensor tendons
  This condition affects the tendons in the thumb, namely the abductor pollicis longus (APL) and the extensor pollicis brevis (EPB).

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF WRIST CONDITIONS?

Symptoms of wrist-related conditions include:

• Wrist joint pain
• Wrist stiffness
• Deformity
• Swelling of the wrist

HOW ARE WRIST CONDITIONS DIAGNOSED?

Like any other medical condition, problems around the wrist are diagnosed through a thorough clinical and radiological assessment. As part of the clinical assessment, orthopaedic surgeons look for swelling, bruising, decreased movement and pain in the wrist. The radiological battery of tests may include x-rays, ultrasound and/ or MRI scans depending on the suspected condition.

WHAT ARE THE TREATMENT OPTIONS

Non-operative treatment consists of rest, applying splints, anti-inflammatory medication, cortisone injections and rehabilitation.

If that fails, Dr Pirjol will recommend minimally invasive surgery according to the latest and most successful techniques, such as arthroscopic surgery.