Introduction
A frequent reason for a visit to the doctor is an injury to the wrist. It is caused by external force if the degree of mobility of the wrist has been exceeded. A sports accident is almost always the cause. In ligament injuries, a distinction is made between stretching of the ligament and torn ligament; in some cases the capsule of the joint is also affected.
Wrist straps
There are various ligaments on the wrist, all of which can be affected by a ligament injury. Ligaments between the carpal and forearm bones, as well as between carpal bones among themselves, can be damaged by a ligament injury to the wrist. The ligaments stabilize the joint and ensure the cohesion of the bones.
The ligaments can be stretched by excessive pulling, and if too much force is applied, the ligaments tear. The joint then becomes unstable and hurts. Ligaments frequently affected by a ligament injury are, for example, the ligament hissing scaphoid and lunate bone (scapholunar ligament) or the ligament connecting the lunate and triangular bone.
The so-called “scapholunary ligament” is called the SL ligament. It is one of the strongest ligaments of the carpal bones and fulfils important functions. It stretches between the scaphoid and the lunar bone, two carpal bones that are located directly at the base of the wrist and have direct contact with the ulna and radius.
The SL ligament may be torn or completely severed. Therapy and prognosis depend largely on the extent of the injury. A severed SL ligament is accompanied by a loss of wrist stability.
This is accompanied by pain, unpleasant restrictions of movement and increased snapping of the wrist. Due to the instability and the changed mobility in the joint, in the long term there will be malpositioning of the carpal bones, increased abrasion of the joint cartilage and in the long term arthrosis. In case of partial tears of the SL ligament, the injury can be treated with strict immobilization if necessary.
Over weeks and months, however, the bones can drift apart and make stable healing more difficult. This results in malalignment and damage to the cartilage of the wrist. In these cases and if the SL ligament is completely torn, surgical treatment must be performed to fix the bones in their natural function. If damage to the cartilage is already visible, stiffening of parts of the wrist may be necessary. Although this limits movements in the wrist, the stiffening takes away the pain and prevents arthrosis.
Causes
The freedom of movement at the wrist is anatomically limited. If the joint is overstretched, a ligament injury to the wrist is likely. Typical causes are sports accidents, e.g. skiing or snowboarding.
Likewise, any fall can cause a ligament injury if you support yourself with your hand and the wrist is overstretched. Depending on the extent of the overstretching, the ligament may be stretched or torn. In rare cases, chronic degenerative changes are also behind the ligament injury to the wrist.
