Whether it’s through a sporting incident, clumsiness, or other trauma, a broken bone is never an enjoyable experience. Unfortunately, it’s quite common for our hands, wrists, and arms to bear the brunt of injury – our natural inclination is to use our upper limbs to catch ourselves during falls or protect ourselves from injury to…
De Quervain’s tenosynovitis or syndrome (DQ) refers to the painful symptoms that occur on the radial side of the wrist, due to thickening of the tendons of the abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis muscles through the forearm (O’Neill, 2008). As the thickened tendons pass through a fibro-osseous tunnel (the first dorsal compartment), the…
Broken bones are a fairly common occurrence, and the general method of setting and protecting the affected limb during the healing process is to enclose it in a cast. Nowadays many medical professionals use fiberglass casts, but there are still benefits to using traditional methods such as the plaster cast. An effective option, plaster casts…
What is tennis elbow? Lateral epicondylitis (also known as tennis elbow) is one of the most common conditions affecting the upper limb (Menta et al, 2015). A tendinopathy involving the extensor muscles of the forearm, it is common in people with jobs requiring repetition such as electricians, carpenters, gardeners and office-based workers (Whaley & Baker,…
It’s Time to Cast Away Plaster of Paris and Splint Stable Distal Radius Fractures: A Review of the Literature Distal radius fractures account for up to 15% of all bony injuries sustained by adults, and are responsible for approximately 20% of all emergency department presentations (Meena et al., 2014). In older adults (>65 years old),…
What is a metacarpal fracture? The metacarpal bones are the long slender bones which connect your wrist to your fingers and are roughly at the level of your palm. There is one metacarpal for each finger. Fractures of the hand are the most common fractures of the human skeleton. Metacarpal fractures account for 18% to 44%…
It is likely that in your life, you have met or known someone who has suffered from frozen shoulder. It can be an incredible painful condition that is characterised by worsening stiffness, particularly when attempting to move your hand out to your side, behind the back or overhead. Frozen shoulder can be a difficult condition…
Lateral Epicondylitis, commonly known as Tennis Elbow, is a challenging and often debilitating injury that can significantly affect one’s quality of life. Despite its name, it is not exclusively linked to playing tennis and can result from various repetitive movements during occupational activities, such as heavy gripping, elbow flexion/extension, or wrist extension. In this article,…
What is TFCC Injuries? The triangular fibrocartilage complex, or TFCC is a ligamentous structure that supports, and stabilises the wrist and carpal bones. This ligament complex has multiple different elements that provide its structure. Structure The TFCC consists of a fibrocartilage disk, ligaments affixing the ulna to the triquetrum and lunate, ligaments affixing the radius…
What is Trigger Finger? Stenosing Flexor Tenosynovitis also known as trigger finger is a common pathology that affects approximately 2% of the general population. It occurs when the flexor tendon becomes inflamed and struggles to smoothly glide through the tendon sheath. Patients will often describe a snapping, catching or locking type sensation when bending and…
