Ligament Injury of the wrist Discussion
Ligament injuries of the wrist are a difficult problem for which there may
be no satisfactory solution. Complete tears will not heal and result in
alteration of the alignment of the wrist bones which can cause painful
instability and degenerative arthritis. Stiffness and loss of motion are
common. Treatment options include surgical repair of the ligaments,
ligament reconstruction with a graft, or partial wrist fusion. These are
all major surgical undertakings, and require prolonged immobilization, hand
therapy, and lengthy recovery times. On the average, following surgery,
half of the normal range of wrist flexion and extension is lost.
Degenerative arthritis can occur even after corrective surgery, and
additional surgery may be required. In patients with congenitally lax
ligaments, it may be impossible to determine the extent of instability due
to injury. Patients who voluntarily produce a dramatic painful physical
finding related to wrist instability should be managed with the same degree
of caution as patients with voluntary shoulder instability.
Discussion Home Page