A sprain is an injury to a ligament. Ligaments are the connective tissues that connect bones to bones; they could be thought of as tape that holds the bones together at a joint.
Wrist sprains are especially common due to falls and sports activities. The wrist is usually bent backwards when the hand hits the ground, such as when someone slips or trips and falls. These injuries also frequently occur during sports such as football and snowboarding. After injury, the wrist will usually swell and may show bruising. It is usually very painful to move.
The most common ligament to be injured in the wrist is the scapho-lunate ligament. It is the ligament between two of the small bones in the wrist, the scaphoid bone and the lunate bone. There are many other ligaments in the wrist, but they are less frequently injured.
Sprains can have a wide range of severity; minor sprains may have minimal stretch of the ligaments, and more severe sprains may have complete ruptures of the ligament(s).
Occasionally fractures occur along with wrist sprains. These may require additional surgery to repair the fracture with metal pins, screws, or plates. Cartilage damage in the wrist which does not show up in an X-ray may also be present.
The term “chronic” refers to an old injury of greater than several months to years. If there is no or minimal cartilage damage, the ligament may be reconstructed as discussed above.
If there is moderate to severe cartilage damage (arthritis), symptoms may be pain, stiffness, and swelling. These may be first treated with splinting and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines, and later with cortisone injections.
If these treatments fail, surgery may be an option. This may be a partial wrist fusion, removal of arthritic bones (proximal row carpectomy), wrist replacement, or complete wrist fusion. The doctor will determine the best course of treatment.
For patients’ wrist sprain treatment and rehabilitation, referring doctors may contact one of our doctor’s offices in West Bloomfield, Howell, Macomb, or Warren.
