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Hand and Wrist Arthroscopy
Outstanding care for all hand & wrist conditions
What is arthroscopy?
Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive technique of visualizing the inside of a joint. The word arthroscopy comes from two Greek words, “arthro” (joint) and “skopein” (to look).
The hand and wrist joints are made up of many bones and ligaments, which hold the bones together .
Hand and wrist arthroscopy allows the surgeon to diagnose and treat many problems of the wrist through a series of very small incisions (portals).
The hand and wrist have become the third most common joints to undergo arthroscopy, after the knee and shoulder. Because the incisions used are smaller and disrupt less soft tissue than conventional open surgery, pain, swelling and stiffness are minimized and recovery is often faster.
When is hand and wrist arthroscopy performed?
Frequently after an injury, pain, clicks, and swelling may be indicative of an internal problem in the hand and wrist. Arthroscopy is often the best way of assessing the integrity of the ligaments, cartilage, and bone.
NSOC board-certified surgeons use state-of-the-art medical and surgical techniques to repair a range of problems of the hand, wrist and forearm. With hand and wrist arthroscopic surgery, NSOC orthopaedic surgeons are committed to eliminating all symptoms that lead to your discomfort, pain and restricted movement.
Your hand and wrist arthroscopy procedure
Your doctor can see the ligaments and cartilage surfaces of bones with wrist arthroscopy. Some parts of ligaments have a good blood supply and can be repaired and heal, whereas other parts do not have a blood supply and don’t heal, so they are removed.
During the procedure, a small camera fixed to the end of a narrow tube is placed through a small cut in the skin directly into the back of the wrist joint.
The image is projected onto a television screen for better viewing. Several small cuts are used to allow the surgeon to place the camera in a number of positions to see the cartilage of each bone, the ligaments and the joint lining called synovium
Risks associated with hand and wrist arthroscopy
Risks of arthroscopic surgery can include but are not limited to:
- Infection
- Damage to nerves, tendons or cartilage
- Stiffness or loss of joint motion
- Excessive swelling
- Bleeding, scarring, or tendon tearing
Benefits of arthroscopy in hand & wrist surgery
Arthroscopic surgery has multiple applications, in wrist surgery as well as in hand surgery:
Hand Surgery
- Some fractures of the finger and thumb can be repaired with excellent accuracy without any stitches. This arthroscopic hand surgery makes it possible to shorten convalescence but it also reduces adhesion and secondary stiffness.
- The carpal tunnel can be operated on using arthroscopy, without stitches and the resulting scar usually becomes invisible in time.
- Rhizarthrosis or thumb osteoarthritis is the most frequent hand and wrist osteoarthritis, and it can in some instances be operated on using this technique.
- Serious thumb sprains an be operated on with arthroscopy, by simplifying recovery.
Wrist Surgery
- wrist fractures, articular fractures of the lower extremity of the radius more specifically, can be diagnosed, and sometimes even operated on arthroscopically. In these fractures, wrist arthroscopy makes it possible to evacuate hemarthrosis, to remove intra-articular cartilaginous debris, to check and optimize reduction and fixation, and to evaluate the lesions to the wrist’s ligaments.
- scaphoid fractures and scaphoid pseudarthrosis can be operated on with greater accuracy and more solid results, with the camera allowing better monitoring and a safer procedure. Scaphoid non-union forms can now be treated too.
- wrist sprains are more comprehensively diagnosed, with a more accurate surgical repair.
- synovial cysts of the wrist can be treated by use of arthroscopy, which reduces scarring and shortens recovery.
You are in Great Hands
Recovery after hand and wrist arthroscopy
After your surgery, you will be placed in a bandage that may prevent wrist motion. This will protect the area and provide pain relief. Arthroscopy most likely does not require an overnight hospital stay.
Fingers should move freely, and finger movement is often encouraged to limit swelling and stiffness. Your surgeon will provide instructions on caring for your wound, therapy, safe activities and any work or exercise restrictions.
Elevating the wrist is important to prevent swelling and pain after surgery.
The pain gradually subsides following surgery. This is usually relieved by simple analgesics such as Panadeine or Panadeine forte. If the pain is progressively increasing in severity then please contact your surgeon.