Common conditions of the wrist and hand Flashcards
What is a scaphoid fracture?
A break of the scaphoid bone in the wrist
What is the usual cause of a scaphoid fracture and how does it present?
FOOSH; usually men
- Pain at base of thumb
- Tender with out without swelling of anatomical snuff box
What are the complications of a scaphoid fracture?
- Non-union
- Avascular necrosis
- Delayed healing from poor blood supply
- Carpal instability
- Secondary osteoarthritis
What is a Colle’s fracture?
An extra-articular fracture of the distal radius (metaphysis) with dorsal angulation of distal radius
What is the usual cause for a Colle’s fracture and how does it present?
FOOSH; usually elderly women or young adults (car, bike, horse-riding)
- Pain
- Bruising
- Swelling
- Dinner fork deformity
What is a Smith’s fracture?
An extra-articular fracture of the distal radius with palmar (volar) angulation of distal fragment
What is the usual cause for a Smith’s fracture and how does it present?
Direct blow to back of wrist (fall onto flexed wrist); rare, most common in young males
- Pain
- Bruising
- Swelling
- Garden spade deformity
Which joints can rheumatoid arthritis affect?
- Metacarpophalangeal joint
- Proximal interphalangeal joints
- Wrist joint
How may rheumatoid arthritis present?
- Pain
- Swelling
- Stiffness
- Volar subluxation (MCPJ)
- Accompanying tenosynovitis (PIPJ)
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Erythema
What is a swan neck deformity and what are the causes?
Deformity of the finger where the DIPJ is in flexion and the PIPJ is in hyperextension
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Ehlers-Danlos
- Injury
What is a boutonniere deformity and what are the causes?
Deformity of the finger with flexed PIPJ and hyperextended MCPJ and DIPJ
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Post-traumatic injury
What are radiological features of rheumatoid arthritis?
- Soft-tissue swelling
- Joint space narrowing
- Periarticular osteopenia (disease process and treatment e.g. steroids)
- Juxta-articular erosions
- Subluxation and gross deformity
What are the potential complications of a Colle’s fracture?
- Malunion
- Median nerve palsy
- Secondary osteoarthritis
- Post-traumatic carpal tunnel syndrome
- Tear of extensor pollicis longus tendon
How is a Colle’s fracture treated?
Reduction and immobilisation in a cast
What is a psoriatic arthropathy?
A chronic autoimmune disease characterised by psoriasis and inflammatory arthritis