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Hand and Wrist · Hand and Upper Extremity

Dupuytren Contracture

A thickening of the tissue under the skin of the palm into nodules and cords that slowly pull the fingers toward the palm until the hand will not lie flat.
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Hand and Wrist · Hand and Upper Extremity

Ganglion Cysts

A benign fluid-filled lump that balloons from a joint or tendon sheath, most often on the back of the wrist, that can ache, change size or press on a nerve.
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Hand and Wrist · Hand and Upper Extremity

Hand and Wrist Osteoarthritis

Wear of the cartilage in the small joints of the fingers and wrist, causing stiffness, swelling, bony knuckle enlargement and pain with gripping.
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Elbow · Hand and Upper Extremity

Distal Biceps Rupture

A tear of the biceps tendon from the bone at the elbow, with a pop, bruising, a bunched-up muscle and lost strength turning the palm up. Time-sensitive.
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Hand and Wrist · Hand and Upper Extremity

Scaphoid Fracture

A break in the small wrist bone below the thumb, often mistaken for a sprain, that heals poorly because of its blood supply and leads to arthritis if missed.
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Hand and Wrist · Hand and Upper Extremity

Wrist Instability

A torn ligament between the small bones of the wrist, most often the scapholunate ligament, that lets the bones shift out of alignment and wear the joint.
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Hand and Wrist · Hand and Upper Extremity

Hand and Wrist Tendon Injuries

Cuts, ruptures and overuse injuries of the tendons that bend and straighten the fingers and wrist, including mallet finger, jersey finger and tendinitis.
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Hand and Wrist · Hand and Upper Extremity

Hand and Wrist Ligament Sprains

Stretched or torn ligaments in the wrist, thumb and fingers, including skier thumb and jammed fingers. Most heal with splinting; complete tears may need repair.
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Hand and Wrist · Hand and Upper Extremity

Nerve Injuries of the Hand and Arm

Cuts, crush injuries and stretch injuries to the nerves of the hand and arm, causing numbness and weakness. Timing matters because nerves recover slowly and only when repaired early.
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Hand and Wrist · Hand and Upper Extremity

Finger and Thumb Dislocations

A finger or thumb joint knocked out of place, usually by a ball or a fall. Reduced promptly, then protected so the ligaments heal and the joint stays stable.
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Hand and Wrist · Hand and Upper Extremity

TFCC Tear

A tear of the cartilage and ligament complex on the small-finger side of the wrist, causing pain with twisting and weight bearing. From a fall or from years of load.
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Hand and Wrist · Hand and Upper Extremity

Congenital Hand Conditions

Hand differences present from birth, from trigger thumb and extra or joined fingers to underdeveloped thumbs. Evaluated early, treated when it improves function.
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What it is

Ganglion Cysts

A ganglion is a sac of thick joint fluid connected by a stalk to a joint capsule or tendon sheath.
It is the most common lump in the hand and wrist and is never cancerous.They can appear suddenly, grow, shrink or disappear on their own.
Treated by
Travis Peterson, DO, Hand and Upper Extremity surgeon at Ridgeline Orthopedic Specialists
Dr. PetersonHand and Upper Extremity
M. Shane Frazier, DO, Hand and Upper Extremity surgeon at Ridgeline Orthopedic Specialists
Dr. FrazierHand and Upper Extremity
Toby Johnson, MD, Hand and Upper Extremity surgeon at Ridgeline Orthopedic Specialists
Dr. JohnsonHand and Upper Extremity
Request an appointment
or call801-640-0000
Ganglion Cysts

Symptoms

A smooth, round lump, most often on the back of the wrist, sometimes on the palm side near the pulse or at the base of a finger. It may ache with activity, feel tight with wrist motion, or be painless.Cysts near a nerve can cause tingling, and cysts at the fingertip can groove the nail.
Common signs
Smooth round lump on the wrist
Changes size, comes and goes
Aches with activity
Tight feeling with wrist motion
See us sooner if
Hard, fixed, or growing fast
Numbness or tingling
Ganglion Cysts

Causes

The exact trigger is unclear.They are more common in women between twenty and forty, after wrist strain or injury, and alongside arthritis in older patients.Repetitive wrist loading, as in gymnastics, increases them.
Ganglion Cysts

How We Diagnose It

The diagnosis is by exam: a firm, slightly mobile lump that transilluminates when a light is shined through it.Ultrasound or MRI is used only when the lump is atypical or hidden.X-rays check for underlying arthritis or an old fracture.Observation is reasonable; removal, when wanted, is a brief outpatient procedure. Dr. Peterson, Dr. Frazier and Dr. Johnson operate at Utah Valley Hospital and Orem Community Hospital.
Ganglion Cysts

Treatment Options

Observation is reasonable for painless cysts.
Needle aspiration drains the cyst but about half return. Do not strike it with a book, which is an old remedy that bruises the wrist and rarely works.Painful, recurrent or nerve-pressing cysts are removed surgically along with their stalk, with a recurrence rate of about one in ten.
Your options
Non-surgical
Observation
Aspiration
Surgical
Excision with the stalk
Arthroscopic removal
Related
Ganglion Cyst Removal
Ganglion Cysts

Procedures That Address It

Ganglion Cyst Removal
Ganglion Cysts

Surgeons Who Treat It

Dr. Peterson, DO
Hand surgery fellowship at UMass Chan. Office-based, wide-awake carpal tunnel release. Fifteen years in practice. Speaks German.
Dr. Frazier, DO
Fellowship trained in hand and upper extremity surgery at the University of Pittsburgh. Seventeen years in practice. Fluent in Spanish.
Dr. Johnson, MD
Weill Cornell graduate, hand fellowship at Allegheny General. Twenty-one years in practice and seventeen as a collegiate team physician.
Request an appointment
or call801-640-0000
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Two clinics, one number to call or text. Same-day appointments for acute injuries whenever we can. The front desk will match you with the right surgeon.
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Provo1055 N 300 W, Ste 104
Orem700 W 800 N, Ste 330
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