wrist pane
Hi
My problem started four and a half years ago when I tore my right rotart cuff.
This was fixed two years ago, while I was trying to work I used my left alot, and that brought wrist pane.
I thought it was a ganglion. But nope.
In Jan. they did a MRI and in six weeks I was at the orthopods office and he told me a bone in my wrist was not getting the proper blood supply, he also it was rare for this to happen on its own.
But my GP when he got the report he told me that it was the lunate and the orthopod was recommending fusing my wrist. He told me that there would be surgery and I would not be able to do physical labour any longer but wow.
I am 42 generally healthy was is happening to me?
Grant
Comments
The diagnosis you are dealing with is avascular necrosis of the lunate. What that means is that there is not enough blood getting to that bone which in turn is dieing. This usually happens from a previous injury, but in rare cases does happen for no known reason.
Do you smoke? Smokers are more likely to get this diagnosis. If you do smoke, quit before you get the surgery. There was a very recent study that was done that proved that smokers did very poorly post surgery for this diagnosis. After the smokers quit and had the surgery a second time they did great.
While wrist fusion can be dramatic to the patient, it is a lot better than dealing with the pain of the avascular necrosis.
Was the orthopedic a hand specialist? If not, it may not hurt to get a second opinion.
Dave
Hi Dave
Thanks for the post.
I get varied opinions here and there.
I do smoke have smoked for over twenty years I am now 42.
Funny that you say this is rare as the orthopod said the same thing.
What I did not mention was that he said blood supply to the ligiment or what ever is attached to the bone is also suffering.
My big worries are my what am I going to do if they say no physical labour would this also include light wights say five pounds or so?
Right now I handle up to 100 and over. I do not want to lose my working ablity as I enjoy working with the young bucks!
But wrist on a average week can onely handle work for three days without getting to feel like some kind of deep bruise that. With incredible pain in moving it.
To look at the wrist it is totally different from the good. When you bend the bad hand in it looks a rod going to my hand and nothing on either side.
Sorry but I am in pain and want to know how to make the surgeon listen.
So yes the orthopod is sending me to a hand specialist, my GP is to one who told me about the recomendation of fusing.
From what I have read the bone can only hand this blood loss problem for up to three to five years.
As for the reason behind this it could very well be an old injury or just plain over streching at work to much I guess.
Thanks Grant
Wrist fusion isn't your only option. You could possibly be a candidate for a Proximal Row Carpectomy. There are numerous sites that describe this procedure online. It may or may not be an option for you.
Either way, you won't be lifting 100 lbs. You may get away with 5-10 lbs, but that's not guaranteed either.
Either way, you need to get this fixed. You don't want this to progress even further. Having the ligament be affected is not uncommon with this diagnosis. Tendons and ligaments don't get a good blood supply in an unaffected body part (hence why tendons and ligaments are white nor red), so any interruption of blood supply only makes this worse.
I'm glad to hear you are seeing a hand specialist. This person should be able to get the ball rolling for you. Plus he/she will be able to solidify the diagnosis.
Keep me updated on your progress.
Dave
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Joined: 2009-03-23