Scaphoid pain | Pain in the hand

Scaphoid pain

Of all carpal bones, the scaphoid is the one most affected by problems. Besides the fracture of the scaphoid bone, there are scaphoid dislocations (scapholunary dissociation), arthrosis in the wrist and many other causes that can cause pain in the scaphoid bone.

When does your hand hurt?

Pain in the hand when resting

Pain, which is mainly caused by resting on the wrist, can have various causes. One of these is tendovaginitis (inflammation of the tendon sheath). Tendons connect muscles with bones and run in places where there is a lot of strain and friction.

To protect them, tendons are surrounded by a sheath (tendon sheath) containing synovial fluid. If overload occurs due to monotonous repetitive activities, such as computer work or excessive use of a cell phone, the tendon sheath can become inflamed. For therapy, it is recommended to immobilize the arm with a splint or even a plaster cast, and to refrain from the stressful activity.

Cold therapy and in chronic cases heat therapy also provide relief. It is advisable to strengthen the muscles in the wrist to prevent relapses. A further cause of pain when leaning on can be arthrosis in the wrist.

Osteoarthritis is a wear and tear disease in which there is increasing wear and tear of the cushioning cartilage in the joint area. Therefore, X-rays show a loss of cartilage, as well as calcium deposits and later bone deposits. The pain mainly occurs during stress, such as when leaning on the floor, unscrewing bottles or carrying heavy shopping.

Occupational therapy offers conservative therapy options, for example, by fitting an individual splint.Before an operation in the sense of a partial stiffening can be considered, a minimally invasive intervention in the form of a joint cleanup or the cutting of pain-causing nerve fibers can also be tackled. Carpal tunnel syndrome can also cause pain when supported. In carpal tunnel syndrome, the median nerve is constricted in its course by the carpal tunnel.

This leads to nightly tingling and numbness in its supplying regions, as well as to pain. The pain occurs particularly during extreme flexion and extension of the wrist (supporting the hand), as this increases the pressure in the carpal tunnel. For therapy, a immobilizing splint as well as the administration of anti-inflammatory drugs can be used.

If this does not show any noticeable improvement, the ligament structure that limits the carpal tunnel at the top can be split by the surgeon so that the structures running through the carpal tunnel have more space. Scaphoid pseudoarthrosis can also cause pain when the wrist is supported. Pseudoarthrosis is caused by inadequate fracture healing.

The scaphoid is a carpal bone related to the wrist. Scaphoid pseudarthrosis occurs after a scaphoid fracture if the fracture has not healed properly and scar tissue has formed between the fragments. The fracture gap remains, creating an unstable situation that leads to tilting of the joint surfaces with subsequent destruction of the joint cartilage (arthrosis).

Ultimately, this leads to permanent damage to the scaphoid bone and pronounced arthrosis in the wrist, which can cause pain when propped up, among other things. To avoid this, scaphoid arthritis should always be surgically stabilized. (Even if there is little or no discomfort) The aim of the operation is to reunite the two fragments and thus restore the scaphoid.

To do this, a bone chip, usually from the iliac crest, must be removed and inserted between the two fragments. A ganglion (over bone) can also cause pain when the hand is supported. ,