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| HAND & WRIST PROBLEMS |
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| Wrist Arthroscopy |
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| What is it? |
| Wrist arthroscopy is a surgical procedure in which a
small tube fitted with lenses and connected to a
television monitor (an arthroscope) is inserted into
the wrist. This allows your surgeon to look directly at
the structures within your wrist joint to determine the
nature and extent of injuries. |
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| Why perform wrist arthroscopy? |
| Arthroscopy allows nearly all surfaces of the wrist
joint to be visualized through a series of very small
incisions (portals). The small incisions required for the
arthroscope portals decreases the recovery period
when compared to traditional surgical procedures.
The lenses on the arthroscope magnify the structures
in the wrist so that they may be examined in greater
detail than is otherwise possible. |
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| Arthroscopy is used as a diagnostic tool to
determine the cause of discomfort or dysfunction
(such as clicks). It can also be used to treat a variety
of injuries such as ligament tears (sprains), broken
bones (fractures), inflammation of the lining of the
wrist (synovitis), and wearing out of the cartilage
(arthritis). Treating these injuries by means of
arthroscopy may require several incisions (portals) to
visualize the joint from different points of view and to
allow various tools to be introduced into the wrist. |
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| Not all injuries can be treated by means of
arthroscopy and you will need to discuss with your
surgeon if your injury can be treated in this way. |
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| After your arthroscopy |
| After your arthroscopy your wrist will likely need to be
immobilized in a splint or cast depending on the
nature of the problem. The period of immobilization
also varies for different injuries. You will also need to
maintain your hand in an elevated position to avoid
excessive swelling and pain. |
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| © Copyright 2003 American Society for Surgery of
the Hand. |
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