Causes

The causes of inflammation of the wrist are numerous. Frequently, the inflammation is the result of excessive or unusual strain. Even a monotonous activity with always the same movements can lead to wrist inflammation.

Both tendon sheaths and the bursae can be affected. In most cases, an inflammation of the tendon sheath is due to overloading or bad posture. Tendons leading from the forearm to the hand are particularly frequently affected, which is why tendosynovitis of the wrist is often found.

The tendon sheath forms a shell within which the tendon can move almost without friction. This is made possible by a thin film of fluid formed by the so-called synovial fluid. If the wrist is incorrectly positioned or overloaded, the tendon and the tendon sheath can swell.

This causes the fluid to be displaced and therefore the tendon and the tendon sheath meet directly. This causes a lot of friction with every movement, and sometimes the tendon can even get caught in or stick to the tendon sheath. This increased resistance further increases the inflammation.

Risk factors for such a development of the tendon sheath inflammation in the wrist are, for example, office jobs where a lot is written by hand or on the computer. But even those who work hard physically and have to do a lot with their hands may have to struggle with tendosynovitis. Infections with bacteria are rare causes of tendosynovitis.

In this case one speaks of a septic tendosynovitis. In the wrist, bursae serve as a natural buffer in places where tendons run directly over the bone. The bursa can become inflamed, especially through monotonous, constantly repeated movements.

Such overloading is the most common cause of bursitis.But also falls on the wrist or damage due to wear and tear can lead to inflammation of the bursa. Very rarely, bursitis of the wrist is caused by an infection with bacteria or viruses. The discus is a cartilage disc that lies between the carpal bones and the ulna.

This discus can be particularly affected when falling on the wrist. For example, the discus can tear or bleed into the cartilage disc. This can lead to inflammation, which causes pain and a restriction of movement in the wrist. However, overloading the wrist can also cause the disc to become inflamed. In the case of such an inflammation, the pain is on the outer area of the wrist and is particularly noticeable when the hand is additionally spread outwards.