Definition
The wrists represent an anatomically complex structure that is exposed to many everyday stresses and strains, but at the same time is fragile and prone to injury. In addition to the ulna and radius, several carpal bones and cartilaginous and connective tissue joint structures are involved in the function of the wrist. Pain in the outer wrist can be on the side of the radius and thus on the thumb side or on the ulna side, the side of the little finger.
Especially the joint parts of the ulna are often affected by everyday stress and strain in sports, which is why pain on the outer wrist is most common on the side of the little finger. The pain can develop slowly or occur suddenly after an acute event. Typical is stabbing pain during movements that restrict a variety of everyday functions.
Causes
The causes of pain in the outer wrist usually involve structures that are involved in the formation of the joint. These can affect the bones such as ulna, radius or carpal bones. Ligaments between the bones or cartilage parts on the joint surfaces can also be degenerative or damaged due to acute injuries.
Typical, stressful movements for the wrist are strong torsional stress, heavy lifting or chiselling at work or during sports, frequent blows and shocks, as they occur in many sports, or falls onto outstretched hands and forearms. This can lead to acute bone fractures, ligament ruptures and cartilage tears, but also in the long term, recurring stress can cause cartilage wear and damage to the bones involved. Individual occupational activities, sports, but also anatomical peculiarities can promote diseases of the wrist.
For example, a so-called “ulnavariance” as a congenital anatomical variant can promote various signs of wear. An important part of the function of the wrist is the “discus triangularis” or “discus ulnocarpalis”. This is a triangular layer of cartilage that lies between the ulna and two carpal bones, the lunar bone and the triangular bone.
The cartilage plate represents a heavily loaded structure in the wrist and cushions a large part of the compression movements in the wrist. The discus triangularis is very different in different people, depending on the length of the ulna. A long radius leaves less space to the carpal bones, making the triangular disc thinner.
Due to increased everyday and sports stress, the discus can wear out over time and lead to symptoms of arthrosis in the wrist. These include stabbing pain, restricted movement and instability in the joint. The Ulna-Plus Variant represents a standard variation of the length of the forearm bones.
In most people, ulna and radius are of equal length. However, if the ulna is relatively longer, it protrudes into the joint and can therefore have various effects on the joint. In principle, it is not a disease or malformation and the ulna-plus variant does not have to be accompanied by any symptoms or secondary diseases.
However, the shift of the ulna towards the wrist is more likely to cause wear, instability and damage to the cartilage plates located there. As a rule, this variant does not cause any symptoms, but in particularly severe cases, an operation with shortening of the ulna can be performed. The stylus process is a rod-shaped bony protrusion that occurs on many bones of the body.
There are two stylus extensions on the wrist, the ulna and the radius. In technical terminology, this structure is called the styloid process. The stylus processes can break off at the ulna as well as at the radius.
This is a common form of forearm fracture, since the exposed position of the bony protrusion favors fractures in the event of impacts, falls and blows. Since ligaments, tendons, and muscles attach to the stylus processes, a fracture can result in restricted movement and instability of the wrist. In individual cases, it must be considered whether surgical treatment is necessary.
In most cases, tendon sheath inflammation occurs as a result of mechanical irritation and friction. This is an inflammation of the sheath surrounding the tendons in the wrist. On the wrist this is a particularly common clinical picture.This is due to friction, overloading or unusual movement of a tendon. This can occur during sports, excessive rotation of the wrist, typing on the computer or as a result of carpal tunnel syndrome. The most important treatment for tendosynovitis is to refrain from the causal movement and immobilize the wrist until the inflammation has subsided completely.
