Hand & Wrist

Overview:

Arthritis is a general term for conditions that cause inflammation, stiffness, and pain in one or more joints. It affects the cartilage, the smooth tissue that cushions the ends of bones where they meet to form joints. Over time, arthritis can lead to joint damage, reduced range of motion, and functional limitations. Arthritis can affect people of all ages but is more common in older adults. Risk factors include genetics, age, obesity, joint injuries, and repetitive joint stress.

Overview:

Carpal tunnel syndrome happens when a nerve in the wrist gets squeezed. This can cause pain, numbness, or weakness in the hand and fingers. It is common in people who do the same hand movements over and over. It can also be caused by other health problems.

Overview:

Cubital tunnel syndrome is a condition caused by pressure or stretching of the ulnar nerve, which runs along the inside of the elbow through a tunnel called the cubital tunnel. This nerve controls sensation in the ring and little fingers and helps control some hand muscles. When the ulnar nerve is compressed or irritated at the elbow, it can cause pain, numbness, and weakness in the forearm and hand.

Overview:

Radial tunnel syndrome is a condition caused by compression or irritation of the radial nerve as it passes through the radial tunnel, a narrow space near the elbow. This nerve controls movement and sensation in parts of the forearm and hand. Radial tunnel syndrome often results from repetitive forearm movements, trauma, or prolonged pressure on the nerve, affecting people who perform repetitive tasks like typing, using tools, or playing sports.

Overview:

Tendinitis occurs when the tendon, which connects muscle to bone, becomes inflamed or irritated commonly caused by overuse or sudden injury. This condition is most likely to develop in the shoulder, knee, elbow, heel, or wrist, tendinitis. It’s often caused by repetitive motion required to perform a certain task at a job or in sports like tennis, golf, or basketball. In severe cases, tendinitis may lead to surgery due to ruptured tendon.

Overview:

Tendinosis is a chronic condition involving the degeneration of a tendon’s collagen due to long-term overuse or repetitive strain. Unlike tendinitis, tendinosis does not involve significant inflammation but rather wear and tear or microscopic damage to tendon fibers. It typically develops gradually and may take longer to heal. Tendinosis most often affects tendons in the wrist, elbow, shoulder, or ankle and is common in individuals who perform repetitive movements, such as athletes, laborers, or office workers.

Overview:

Texting thumb, also known as De Quervain’s tenosynovitis, is a condition affecting the tendons on the thumb side of the wrist. It happens when the tendons that control thumb movement become inflamed, often due to repetitive motions like texting, typing, or gripping a phone for long periods. This inflammation causes pain and swelling near the base of the thumb and wrist, making thumb movement uncomfortable or difficult.

Overview:

Trigger finger, or stenosing tenosynovitis, occurs when a finger or thumb gets stuck in a bent position and then suddenly snaps straight. This happens because the tendon that bends the finger becomes irritated or inflamed, thickening and making it hard to glide smoothly through its sheath. Often caused by repetitive gripping or forceful finger use, it’s more common in people with conditions like diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis. The ring finger and thumb are most frequently affected.

Overview:

Crush injuries occur when a body part is subjected to extreme pressure, damaging skin, muscle, nerves, and blood vessels. These injuries can cause severe bleeding, swelling, and tissue death, sometimes leading to systemic complications such as crush syndrome (toxic muscle breakdown). Immediate treatment is essential to prevent permanent disability or life-threatening complications.

Overview:

A dislocation occurs when one or more of the bones are forced out of their normal position at a joint, often due to trauma such as a fall, sports injury, or direct blow. This injury disrupts the alignment of the joint and can damage surrounding ligaments, tendons, and nerves. It most commonly affects individuals involved in high-risk activities or occupations and older adults who are more prone to falls. Dislocations can occur in almost any body joint, but the most affected ones are the shoulder, finger, knee, elbows, hip, and jaw joints.

Overview:

A fracture involves a break or crack in any bone in the body. These injuries are often caused by falls, direct impacts, sports injuries, and other traumatic injuries. Fractures can range from small hairline cracks to more severe breaks that shift the bone out of alignment or break it into multiple pieces. Anyone of any age can sustain a bone fractur, but they are especially common in children and older adults.

Overview:

A ligament injury involves damage to the strong, fibrous tissues that connect bones at a joint. These injuries occur when a ligament is stretched beyond its normal range or torn, often due to sudden twisting motions, overextension, or direct impact as the result of a fall, sports injury, or accident. The wrist and hand are frequent sites for ligament injuries. While anyone can suffer a ligament injury, athletes, active individuals, and older adults with balance or bone density issues may be at higher risk.

Overview:

A tendon injury occurs when the tough, fibrous cords that connect muscles to bones in the hand or wrist are overstretched, torn, or ruptured. These injuries are often the result of trauma; overuse or repetitive strain; or sudden, forceful movements. They can happen to anyone but are particularly common in athletes, manual laborers, and individuals with underlying inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.

Overview:

Injuries to nerves can happen after accidents, falls, surgery, or pressure on a nerve. When a nerve is damaged, a part of the body may feel weak, numb, or painful. Some nerve injuries can heal on their own. Others may need care from a nerve and spine specialist. Types of nerve injuries include:

• Brachial plexus injuries
• Traumatic neuromas / Amputation neuromas
• Brachial plexus avulsion pain
• Axillary nerve injury
• Radial nerve injury
• C5 palsy
• Peroneal nerve injury
• Sciatic nerve injury

Overview:

Sprains and strains are common soft tissue injuries that affect the muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the body. A sprain involves the overstretching or tearing of ligaments, which are the tough bands of tissue that connect bones at a joint. A strain, on the other hand, involves injury to a muscle or tendon, the fibrous tissue that connects muscle to bone. Both injuries often occur during sports, physical activity, or accidents that force a joint or muscle beyond its normal range of motion.

Overview:

Claw hand is a deformity where the fingers are abnormally bent into a claw-like shape. This posture involves hyperextension at the knuckles and flexion at the finger joints, giving the hand a curled appearance. The condition impairs normal hand function and can significantly affect grip and dexterity. Claw hand is typically caused by ulnar nerve damage, which affects many of the small muscles in the hand. Other causes include congenital defects, trauma, nerve compression, or neurological diseases.

Overview:

Ganglion cysts are noncancerous lumps filled with a jelly-like fluid. They most commonly develop along the tendons or joints of wrists or hands, but they grow on the ankles and feet as well. Ganglion cysts develop when fluid accumulates in the joint or tendon, as the result of injury, trauma, or overuse. The cysts are round or oval and vary in size, often getting larger when the joint affected engages in repetitive motion and can cause pain if the cyst begins to press on a nerve.