Wrist arthroscopy

What is wrist arthroscopy?

Wrist arthroscopy is a surgery performed for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes; it allows the orthopedic surgeon for more accurate joint detection of the hand and wrist, thereby determining the cause of continuous pain. Wrist arthroscopy is based on very small incisions to check the internal side of the hand by monitoring the screen connected to the camera.

Wrist joints and associated parts of nerves, ligaments and cartilage play an important role in providing a comprehensive ability of the hand to move in different directions, so the feeling of pain and swelling and sometimes the inability to bend the hand or pick up things is annoying, especially after the failure of medicines and non-surgical treatments to solve the problem, which requires arthroscopic surgical intervention to diagnose the cause and then fully treat it in most cases.

Treatment in Jordan takes approximately "3 to 4 days".

Reasons to undergo wrist arthroscopy

Wrist arthroscopy may be performed for various reasons, including:

To repair wrist fractures by aligning them.
To remove some nerve nodules from the wrist.
To remove the infected membranes surrounding the joint with rheumatoid arthritis.
To diagnose chronic pain reasons.
To repair tearing ligaments between carpal bones.

Preparations and tests before wrist arthroscopy

The patient undergoes a series of tests before wrist arthroscopy, including:

Physical examination to check hand and wrist.
Radiographic imaging for the wrist by x-rays, magnetic resonance imaging or arthrogram.

Patient preparation:

Patients are required to refrain from taking blood thinners such as warfarin and other drugs prescribed by the specialist, in addition to the need to quit smoking before the surgery to improve the chances of recovery and wound healing. The patient should refrain from food and drink 6-12 hours before the surgery.

Steps of wrist arthroscopy

Wrist arthroscopy includes the following steps:

Anesthesia of the hand and arm.
Make several (2 to 4) small incisions in the wrist.
Insert a long and thin tube with a camera at its tip with a light source so that the surgeon can see the wrist joint with bones and ligaments within it from different angles to diagnose the condition and then fix the defect.
Close the incisions with stitches and cover them with a bandage and splint to prevent them from moving for a certain period according to the surgeon recommendations.

Complications of wrist arthroscopy

Hand and wrist arthroscopy involves a range of problems and complications as well as other surgeries, whether associated with anesthesia or with the surgery itself, some of these complications and problems:

Bleeding.
Infection.
Damage to nerves and blood vessels.
Damage to tendons and ligaments.
Joint stiffness or limited mobility.
Allergic reactions to medicines or used tools.
Scars.

Hospital stay after wrist arthroscopy

Usually, the patient can leave the hospital on the same day due to the surgeon recommendation.

Recovery period after wrist arthroscopy

The patient feels pain during the first few days after hand and wrist arthroscopy, so he may have to rely on painkillers during this period.

The recovery period after wrist arthroscopy is short and does not require a lot of time, it is preferred to adhere to some tips that may help to heal in a shorter time. The full recovery period may take 6 weeks.

Tips after wrist arthroscopy

Patients have to follow some tips and instructions to recover within a shorter time and gain best results, such as:

Avoid lifting weights.
Keeping the wound clean and dry.
Eating healthy foods and avoiding smoking enhance the chances of healing.
keep moving hand and fingers gently and gradually to avoid stiffness and to avoid any swelling in either.
Engage in a rehabilitation program under physiotherapist supervision.

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Last updated on 23 December 2021