ContactTalk toa real person.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.
Ligaments connect bone to bone at every joint of the hand and wrist.
A fall, a twist or a jammed finger stretches or tears them. Most heal. Some, like the thumb ligament torn in skier thumb, retract and will not heal without repair.The wrist sprain that never gets better is often a torn ligament or a missed fracture.
Pain, swelling and bruising at a joint after an injury.Instability, a joint that feels loose or gives way with pinch or grip. A thumb that is weak pinching a key.
Pain that persists beyond two weeks deserves a hand surgeon.
Common signs
Pain and swelling at a joint
Joint feels loose
Weak pinch
Bruising after injury
See us sooner if
Pain beyond two weeks
Thumb that gives way pinching
Hand and Wrist Ligament Sprains
Causes
Falls onto the hand, a ski pole wrenching the thumb, ball strikes to the fingertip, and twisting injuries in sports and work.Repeat sprains of the same joint point to a ligament that healed loose.
Hand and Wrist Ligament Sprains
How We Diagnose It
Exam stresses each ligament and compares it with the other hand.X-rays rule out fractures and avulsions. Ultrasound or MRI confirms a complete tear and whether the ends are displaced.A displaced thumb ligament, the Stener lesion, cannot heal in a splint.Skier thumb is common every winter; a splint or a repair depends on whether the ligament is displaced. Dr. Frazier, Dr. Johnson and Dr. Peterson operate at Utah Valley Hospital and Orem Community Hospital.
Hand and Wrist Ligament Sprains
Treatment Options
Partial sprains heal in a splint or cast for three to six weeks with therapy afterward.
Complete thumb ligament tears and unstable finger joints are repaired surgically, usually within a few weeks of injury.Chronic instability is treated with ligament reconstruction.
ContactTalk toa real person.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.
