Common Conditions of the Hand and Wrist Flashcards
(25 cards)
What is Colles’ fracture?
AColles’ is a fracture of thedistal radius. Get Posterior displacement of the distal fragment. Dinner fork deformity.
What is Smith’s fracture?
A smith’s fracture is a fracture of the distal radius. The distal fracture fragment is displaced, as opposed to a Colles’ fracture which the fragment is displaced dorsally.
What carpal bone is most commonly fractured?
The Scaphoid
What is rheumatoid arthritis?
Autoimmune disease where the body attack’s its own joints.
What is osteoarthritis?
Caused by mechanical wear and tear on the joints.
What parts of the hand are commonly affected by RA?
Swelling of the PIP and MCP joints in the hand is a common early finding of RA
What parts of hand are commonly affected by OA?
The DIPJ is the area of the body most affected by osteoarthritis, the CMJ at the base of the thumb is the second most affected.
What hard bony swellings are a feature of OA?
Heberden’s nodules
Where do heberden’s nodules form?
They can develop at the DIPJ joint
What is fractured in a boxers fracture?
Fracture of the 4th or 5th metacarpal bone of the hand, occurs from punching with a clenched fist
What is De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis?
Inflammation of the tendons on the side of the wrist at the base of the thumb
- EPB
- APL
What is the Carpal tunnel?
Pathway through the palmar side of the wrist
Tunnel is bounded by the bones of the wrist and the flexor retinaculum
What happens in carpal tunnel syndrome?
Get compression of the median nerve as it travels through the wrist into the carpal tunnel
What are the main symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome?
Pain
Numbness
Tingling in the fingers
Wasting of the thumb muscles
Where is the ulnar nerve typically impinged at the elbow?
The cubital tunnel
What forms the cubital tunnel?
The medial epicondyle of the humerus, the olecranon process and the tendious arch joining the humeral and ulnar heads of the flexor carpi ulnaris
What muscles are affected with elbow ulnar nerve entrapment?
Flexor carpi ulnaris
Medial half of the flexor digitorum profundus
Ulnar muscles of the hand
In what canal does the wrist pass through in the wrist?
Guyon’s canal
Why is the ulnar claw more pronounced in wrist entrapment?
The ulnar nerve also innervates the ulnar half of the flexor digitiroum profundus muscle
As a result flexion of the IP joints is weakened which reduces the claw like appearance of the hand
What is dupuytren’s contracture?
Flexion contracture of the hand due to palmar fibromatosis, in which the fingers bend towards the palm and cannot be fully extended
What group of people are commonly affected by carpal tunnel syndrome?
Trauma Rheumatoid arthritis Acromegaly Myxoedema Pregnancy Diabetes
What is the test for carpal tunnel syndrome?
Phalen’s manoeuvre, hold wrist in forced flexion for 60 seconds to elicit pain
What is the cause of median nerve damage at the elbow?
A supraepicondylar fracture of the humerus
What muscles are affected in median nerve elbow damage?
All flexors of the forearm, except flexor carpi ulnaris and the medial half of the flexor digitorum profundus
Median muscles of the hand
