Clinical Features and Treatment of Wrist Joint Injury:

Wrist Joint is a common carpal dislocation and can lead to severe disability of the wrist function.

Mechanism of injury

This is due usually due to fall on the out-stretched hands. It can cause late carpal instability and arthritis. Hence, prompt and correct treatment is mandatory.

Clinical Features

• Patient presents with pain
• Swelling
• Tenderness
• Loss of wrist movements.

Radiograph

• In radiograph of the lateral view, normally lunate forms a half-moon shape, which is lost in this dislocation.
• Moreover, in the anteroposterior view the normal rectangular profile is lost.

Treatment


Problems

• This may cause compression of the median nerve.
• If left untreated it may cause permanent palsy, hence, reduction should be carried out as an emergency procedure.

Methods

• If seen early, reduction is easy and immobilization for 3 weeks with wrist in slight flexion usually gives good results.
• If seen after 3 weeks, open reduction is done.
• If lunate cannot be reduced by open reduction, resection of the proximal carpal bones or arthrodesis of the wrist may be necessary.

Alliance Hand Therapy is currently providing care throughout Northern Virginia from our clinics located in Alexandria, Fairfax, Springfield and Woodbridge. Call today at: 703-205-1919

http://www.alliancephysicaltherapyva.com