Western Orthopaedics - Wrist and Hand

The wrist is a hinge joint that also rotates, allowing for many of the activities that we perform with our hands. The wrist is comprised of the end of the ulna and radius bones, which can fracture in sporting injuries and falls. The radius and ulna meet with multiple small bones in the base of the hand, called the carpal bones. These small bones can flex and rotate on each other, adding to the motion at the wrist joint, but can also be beset with arthritis. A ligament that crosses the carpal bones can compress the median nerve to the fingers, causing numbness, tingling, and clumsiness in grasping (carpal tunnel syndrome).

The hand is one of the most unique parts of the human body. The wrist joins with the long metacarpal bones of the hand, which in turn join with the long bones of the fingers and thumb. A complex array of muscles and long tendons allow prehension (grasping and manipulating) and when these tendons rupture or are cut they often require repair to restore the hand's function. The tendons travel in complex sheaths with "pulleys" which can become tight, causing locking and catching of the fingers with movement.

To learn more about the wrist, hand and digits, please feel free to visit the links below.

Common Conditions of the Wrist and Hand:

Doctors that specialize in this area:

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

  Carpal tunnel syndrome results from pressure on the MEDIAN NERVE at the wrist.

• Fractures of the bones of the Finger/hand (broken bones)

  The bones of the hand consist of the METACARPALS and PHALANGES.

• Ganglion Cyst

  Ganglion cysts are fluid filled sacks that arise from the tissue (synovium) that lines the joints and tendons.

• Injury of the Wrist Ligaments

  There are three main ligaments of the wrist. These are the SCAPHO-LUNATE LIGAMENT, the LUNO-TRIQUETRAL LIGAMENT and the TRIANGULAR FIBROCARTILAGE (TFCC).

• Tendon Lacerations

  Tendons are the tissue that connect the muscle to the bone. As the muscle contracts it pulls on the tendon which then pulls on the bone moving the joints.

• Trigger Finger

  TRIGGER FINGER is a common cause of FINGER PAIN. Many times the affected finger(s) also catch or click with motion.