Dr. Mark E. Pruzansky
Dr. Jason S. Pruzansky
975 Park Avenue New York, NY 10028

Ligament Injuries of the Hand and Wrist

Are You Experiencing Chronic Hand or Wrist Pain, and Have You Recently Been Injured?

If you are suffering from chronic hand or wrist pain, an old injury that’s getting worse, or a recent accident, it’s important to see a specialist. At HandSport Surgery Institute, we know that discomfort and issues of the hand or wrist can disrupt your daily activities, reduce your dexterity, or even worse, prevent you from working and exercising.

A sudden acute injury to your hand or wrist can happen as the result of an accident, which limits the function and use of your hands and wrists. Some of the most common types of injuries of the hand and wrist are ligament injuries.

The best way to determine the exact cause of your hand pain is to start with a full diagnosis from an orthopedic hand and wrist specialist at HandSport Surgery Institute before considering any treatment options for your hand and wrist. Dr. Mark Pruzansky and Dr. Jason Pruzansky have experience providing successful outcomes while treating both common conditions and complex injuries of the hands. With over 40 years of combined experience, Dr. Mark Pruzansky and Dr. Jason Pruzansky have consistently been named top hand and wrist surgeons as a result of their record for providing the best outcomes for comfort and functionality.

What is a Ligament Injury?

One of the most common types of hand and wrist injuries, aside from fractures, are ligament injuries.

Your hands and wrists are comprised of many ligaments, each playing an important role in how well you’re able to move, touch, and grip things. Understandably, an injury to any ligament in your hand could result in severe pain, a decrease in your range of motion, or even the inability to use it at all.

Ligaments are the short bands of flexible connective tissue that connect two bones, comprising your joint. When a ligament is torn or irritated, it becomes inflamed. When this type of injury happens, the bones or cartilage that’s attached to the ligament can no longer move along their usual path. This can cause further irritation, increased damage, and discomfort in the affected area.

A ligament tear can be partial or complete. Depending on the severity of your accident, such as a fall on an outstretched hand, sports injury, or car accident, your ligament injury may be able to be treated with rest and other conservative options – or surgery may be the best course of action. The orthopedic hand and wrist specialists at HandSport Surgery Institute will be able to diagnose and grade the severity of your hand ligament injury and work with you to find the optimal treatment.

Types of Hand Ligament Injuries

  • Skier’s Thumb: Skier’s thumb, or Gamekeeper’s Thumb, is a common injury that occurs when the strong ligamentous band at the base of your thumb is torn when a person breaks a fall, levering the thumb away from the index finger (like while holding a ski pole). Rest and splinting can often help partial tears, but surgery may be necessary for more severe cases.
  • Collateral Ligament Rupture: With a collateral ligament rupture, the supporting ligaments that are necessary for the stabilization of a finger and movement integrity are compromised. This injury can happen among any of the finger joints.
  • Digital Ligament Tear: Generally resulting from fingers getting “jammed” into doors, these ligament tears may be partial or complete and may affect any finger of your hand.
  • Extensor Carpi Ulnaris Subsheath Tears: ECU Tendinitis is a condition common among people who play racquet sports or basketball and involves an inflammation of the tendon that runs along the back of the wrist on the pinky side.

Types of Wrist Ligament Injuries

  • Scapholunate Interosseous Ligament Tears: The Scapholunate (SL) Ligament connects the scaphoid and lunate together. When someone falls onto a hyper-extended wrist, such as when skiing, snowboarding, or playing football and basketball, a Scapholunate Ligament Tear can occur. Leaving this tear untreated could lead to wrist degeneration, which is why bad tears sometimes require surgery and others just rest or rehab.
  • Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex Tears: The Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex (TFCC) is a ligament and cartilage structure that connects the radius and ulna forearm bones together for proper wrist rotation. Partial tears can sometimes be treated with rest, splinting, anti-inflammatory medication, and occupational therapy. For complete tears, surgery may be necessary.
  • Distal Radioulnar Joint Ligament Tears: A tear of one of the distal radioulnar joint ligaments leads to rotational wrist instability, making this injury especially important to have diagnosed by an orthopedic hand and wrist specialist so that appropriate treatment can begin. It often occurs in tennis players creating maximal topspin.
  • Lunotriquetral Ligament Tear: This ligament stabilizes and connects the wrist on the ulnar side. When torn partially or completely during a FOOSH, this injury causes wrist instability and may require surgical intervention to optimize mobility.

Get Treated by the Best. Contact us for More Information About the Hand and Wrist Treatments Available to You.

If you have any questions or concerns about your hand or wrist – don’t wait. The functionality of your hand can be greatly diminished by allowing these conditions or injuries go untreated. Make sure you are seen by a professional and contact us.