Get Relief From Wrist Pain & Hand Injuries

Fractures of the fingers and thumb may require surgery to align displaced bones and allow the structure to function properly once it has healed. Open reduction and internal fixation are common treatments for finger and thumb fractures that efficiently realign the bones for proper healing.

During the open reduction internal fixation procedure, the bone fragments are repositioned, or reduced, back to their normal position and then held together with metal screws, plates or rods. This procedure is performed under local anesthesia to minimize any discomfort associated with the procedure. The metal tools may be removed once the finger has healed, or may be kept in the finger so that the bones remain in place over time.

After treatment, patients may be required to wear a splint or cast for several weeks to ensure that the realigned bones heal correctly. Dr. Lager may recommend certain exercises to help restore strength and function to the finger after surgery.

A wrist fracture is one of the most common types of fracture and involves a break in the distal radius bone, the longer of the two bones that make of the forearm. This injury often causes pain, swelling and physical deformity within the wrist, and can be diagnosed through a physical examination and X-ray images of the affected area.

Treatment for a broken wrist in which the bones are not significantly displaced usually involves wrapping the wrist in a plaster cast until it heals. If the bones are not aligned correctly, surgery may be needed to correct the deformity and allow the wrist to heal properly. The decision to undergo surgery for a broken wrist should involve the consideration of many different factors, including:

Surgery for a broken wrist typically involves the use of metal plates, screws or pins to hold the bone in place while it heals, ensuring the full function will be restored.

Some patients may also benefit from external fixation treatment, which involves the use of pins and a device outside the skin to align the bones back into position. This treatment avoids the need for an incision. Your doctor will decide whether or not surgery is right for you after a thorough evaluation of your condition.

Trigger finger is a common condition that involves pain and snapping of the tendons within the fingers that occurs when there is a difference in size between the tendon and its protective sheath. The affected finger will remain flexed in a trigger position until enough force has been gathered to straighten the finger.

While some cases of trigger finger can be treated with steroid injections that relieve swelling and inflammation, others may require surgery to release the tendon. Trigger finger release is a surgical procedure performed under local anesthesia to release the tightened portion of the flexor tendon sheath. The treated area is then wrapped in a bandage for a few days before function can be restored to the finger.

Carpal tunnel release is an outpatient procedure performed to relieve pressure on the median nerve and reduce the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. This procedure can help restore muscle strength and dexterity, and is typically performed on patients who have had persistent symptoms that do not respond to conservative treatment methods.

Carpal tunnel release can be performed endoscopically or through an open procedure. Both types offer different advantages to the doctor and patient, and should be considered after a thorough evaluation of the patient's individual condition. Open carpal tunnel release involves a two inch incision in the middle of the palm and gives the surgeon a better view of the treated area with less risk of accidentally damaging nerve tissue. Endoscopic carpal tunnel release involves two tiny incisions and offers patients less post-operative pain and the ability to return to work more quickly.

Patients can return home the same day, but may need prescription pain medication at first to manage the pain from the procedure. The hand may be kept in a splint for the first few weeks after surgery in order to protect the wrist while it heals. Although patients may continue to experience carpal tunnel symptoms after this procedure, most report that symptoms are significantly reduced after carpal tunnel release.

The flexor tendons are the tissues connected to the muscles that help move the fingers and thumbs, which are located within the forearm. Since these tendons are stretched tightly to connect the muscle to the bone, they can easily be torn and affect a patient's ability to move their fingers. Each finger has two flexor tendons and the thumb has one.

A flexor tendon tear most often occurs as a result of cut in the finger, as well as due to an athletic injury that causes the finger to get caught and pulled. When this occurs, patients may be unable to bend one or more joints within the finger and may experience pain when the finger is bent, swelling and tenderness.

Torn flexor tendons cannot heal on their own unless their ends are touching, which often requires the need for surgery shortly after the injury. Flexor tendon repair involves sewing the torn ends of the tendon together with special stitches. A splint must be worn after this procedure, sometimes for up to two months, in order for the wrist to heal properly.

Mallet finger, also known as baseball finger, involves injury to the fingertip and causes pain, swelling and bruising, as well as difficulty straightening the tip of the finger. This often occurs when the finger is jammed or forcefully bent down, causing the tendon to stretch too far. If the tendon snaps, mallet finger will occur. Mallet finger is common among baseball and basketball players.

Treatment for mallet finger usually involves splinting the finger with the tip extended for up to six weeks. Sometimes a pin is inserted across the joint to hold it in place.