Broken Wrist
What is a broken wrist? And what is wrist arthroscopy?
A broken wrist is one the most common fractures around. To be more specific, among the people younger then 65 years of age a broken wrist is the most commonly broken bone.
Normally when doctors mention a broken wrist they are talking about the fracture of one of the two forearm bones. Off course there are other types of broken bones, but generally a broken wrist means that the end of the forearm bone is broken.
Wrist Arthroscopy
As you know, wrist arthroscopy is an exploratory operation on a joint. By using a lens attached to a camera, the orthopaedic surgeon can examine the entire joint from inside, and if necessary treat the causal condition. For the (broken) wrist, the lens is extra fine given the rather small size of the joint. We use a lens of 2.7 mm.
Indications:
Wrist arthroscopy cannot be compared to arthroscopy of another joint. Much less can be done therapeutically, and the wrist arthroscopy will largely be limited to a diagnosis. It is thus often used for patients with chronic wrist pain where nothing show up on the standard examinations (X-ray, CT, NMR). Nevertheless, patients can still have problems with their wrist even though these examinations are normal. This is because many conditions are dynamic (when moving) and thus can only be shown by wrist arthroscopy. The commonest conditions are meniscus tears in the wrist and torn ligaments.
The operation: The wrist arthroscopy operation is done under general anaesthetic as the wrist must be able to be opened properly and the patient thus has to be very relaxed. The two main compartments of the wrist will be systematically examined and the injury may be treated with special instruments, such as a nibbler or a shaver.
Postoperative: At the end of the operation, the insertion holes are closed with "steristrips". They have to stay in place for one week. A pressure bandage is also applied to keep the wrist still, and this may be replaced after two to three days with a small padded bandage. Depending on the injury found, an additional wrist arthroscopy operation may or may not have to be done.
Further info: wrightington hostpital website