Definition
A contusion, which is also commonly referred to as a contusion in medicine, is an injury to the wrist with involvement of the joint-forming bones and surrounding soft tissue. The contusion in the wrist is often caused by a fall or other external force or violence. This can cause painful damage to bones, muscles and vision without necessarily damaging the skin.
Causes of wrist contusion
Probably the most common accident mechanism is that people fall on their wrist to cushion the fall. When supporting themselves, the wrist is then bruised because of a sudden and enormous pressure load, which is above the normal level of load. As long as the bones forming the wrist are not broken or ligaments, tendons or muscles are not torn, this is by definition a bruise.
In addition to a fall, bruises of the wrist occur more frequently in sports where the hands are used and there is a lot of contact. Examples include boxing, badminton and handball. A bruise is often the result of a blunt violent impact on the wrist, for example a blow or a jerky braking movement due to contact with opponents.
However, the force applied must be adequate, i.e. strong, to cause a real bruise with corresponding symptoms. Sometimes, however, it is possible that a person affected suffers a contusion even when exposed to light violence. This can be due to a poorly developed and in this case insufficiently stabilizing musculature, or to a susceptibility of the wrist due to previous injuries.
Diagnosis of a wrist contusion
When diagnosing a contusion of the wrist, a doctor can obtain a lot of information that can confirm the suspected diagnosis simply by taking a detailed medical history. Frequently affected persons describe a classical accident or fall. With an appropriate subsequent physical examination, the diagnosis of a contusion can be confirmed relatively quickly.
The clinical examination includes an inspection. First of all, swelling and bruising in the wrist area is checked. This is followed by palpation of the wrist, i.e. palpation to locate the pain.
A functional examination is also important to be able to assess how much the mobility of the wrist is limited by a possible bruise. In general, it is not necessary to perform an apparative or imaging diagnosis if a contusion of the wrist is suspected. However, differential diagnoses, such as a fracture of bones in the wrist area, may need to be clarified. To exclude such a fracture, an X-ray in 2 planes is suitable.
