L26: Clinical Reasoning in Examination of the Wrist Flashcards
What are 6 major pathologies of the wrist?
- De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis
- Skier’s/Gamekeeper’s Thumb
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Distal radial fracture
- Scaphoid fractures
- Carpal instability
What is De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis?
Thickening and stenosis of 1st extensor compartment (AbPL, EPB)
- It is degenerative, not inflammatory
What is the MOI of De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis?
overuse thumb E, abd, wrist RD
What are 4 symptoms of De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis?
- Pain 1st extensor compartment
- Awkward positions of wrist/hand
- Waiter lifting dish position
- Mother lifting baby
- Cashier/typer
- Catching
- +ve Finkelstein’s test
What are 3 other/different diagnoses of DeQuervain’s Tenosynovitis?
- 1st CMC joint OA
- Intersection syndrome: APL, EPB & ECRL & B
- Pain more central in distal forearm than DeQuervain’s
- MOID: Repetitive wrist E, thumb E (rowers)
- Wartenburg’s Syndrome
What are 8 Conservative Management of DeQuervain’s Tenosynovitis?
- Rest! Rest! Rest!
- Avoid aggravating activity
- ADL modification: Address the overuse
- Kinesiotape in mild cases
- Splintage immobilises wrist & hand to allow rest
- Gentle AROM exercises once pain-free
- No strengthening exercises, no evidence on eccentric strengthening in the hand
- Steroid injection guided by ultrasound facilitates conservative treatment
What are the 2 purposes of Splintage of DeQuervain’s Tenosynovitis?
- Acute symptoms
- Subacute symptoms
What are 3 acute symptoms that splintage of DeQuervain’s Tenosynovitis helps with?
- Thermoplastic forearm based thumb spica 2/52
- Rigid splint progress to soft splint
- Needs to rest AbPL & EPB
What are 2 subacute symptoms that splintage of DeQuervain’s Tenosynovitis helps with?
- Neoprene splints with supports to rest EPB & AbPL
- Taping
Thumb splint only is no good for DeQuervain’s Tenosynovitis. Why?
because we need to immobilise wrist too
What is surgery for DeQuervain’s Tenosynovitis?
Decompression of 1st dorsal compartment
What is decompression of 1st dorsal compartment as Surgery of DeQuervain’s Tenosynovitis?
- Surgery opens fibrosseous tunnel, slit the tendon sheath to give the tendon more room
- People with an extra split tendon have too much bulk in the tunnel, which is often why they failed conservative management
What are 3 post op managements for DeQuervain’s Tenosynovitis?
- Wound/scar management
- Gentle AROM
- Strengthening after 6 weeks
What is Skier’s thumb?
injury to ulnar collateral ligament of 1st IP joint involving instability
- Usually from base of proximal phalanx
- Can involve volar plate, adductor aponeurosis, dorsal capsule and fracture (P1#)
- Ligament injury is worse than bone fracture because ligament needs surgery to reattach. Bone heals better.
- Radial collateral ligament injury is less common
What is the acute MOI of Skier’s Thumb?
Thumb E + abd > separation of IP joint > ulnar collateral ligament breaks
- Often sporting injuries
What is the chronic MOI (strain) of Skier’s Thumb?
- Weak key pinch
- Allows volar subluxation and rotation of P1 ○ Early degenerative joint disease
What are 4 features in the examination of Skier’s Thumb?
- History
- Compare with uninjured side
- Palpation
- Stability tests - X-ray
- If no/minimal displacement (stable), then conservative management
- If >5 mm or 25% joint space (unstable), then surgery
What are 3 features of Skier’s Thumb Stress Test?
- Stabilise the metacarpal to prevent rotation
- Apply radial stress to the distal phalanx
- Looking for increased mobility compared to the other side
What are 3 grades of Skier’s thumb?
- Grade 1
- Grade 2
- Grade 3
What is the feature of grade 1 of Skier’s Thumb?
Microscopic tearing, no loss of ligament continuity
What is the management of grade 1 of Skier’s Thumb?
Conservative
What is the feature of grade 2 of Skier’s Thumb?
Partial tear (30-40%) of the ligament
What is the management of grade 2 of Skier’s Thumb?
Conservative
What is the feature of grade 3 of Skier’s Thumb?
Complete rupture of the ligament
What is the management of grade 3 of Skier’s Thumb?
Surgery
What are the grades, features and management of Skier’s Thumb?
What are 3 characteristics in the Conservative Management of Skier’s Thumb?
Grade 1 & 2 - conservative management
- Hand-based thumb spica splint for 6 weeks
- Stop thumb load - stop pinching thumb
- Week 3: Thumb AROM F/E exercises out of splint 3-4x per day
- Week 6: Gentle PROM
- Lateral and palmar pinch strengthening
What the hand-based thumb spica splint (conservative management) in the Conservative Management of Skier’s Thumb?
What are 4 characteristics in the Surgerical Management (post op) of Skier’s Thumb?
Grade 3 - surgery
Post-op management
- Hand-based thumb spica splint 6/52
- ○ 2/52 thumb MP AROM F/E
- ○ 4/52 General thumb ROM and strengthening
- ○ 6+/52 modified splint for contact sports/manual
What are 5 characteristics of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
- Symptoms in median nerve distribution: Pain, paraesthesia & numbness
- Nocturnal symptoms & Flick test (gold standard)
- Flick test: Need to shake hand in the morning to release irritation
- Weakness and loss of dexterity in hand
- Sense of congestion or finger swelling (fingers feel like sausages)
- Progresses as per nerve compression
- Sensory fibres affected first: P&N > numb
- Motor nerves affected later: APB
What are 5 Pathogenesis of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
-
Decreased size of tunnel
- Bony abnormality (e.g. Kienbock’s disease)
- Thickened transverse carpal ligament
-
Increased contents of tunnel
- Muscle bellies: Lumbricals, FDS
- Mass: Ganglia, lipoma
- Haematoma
- Inflammatory: RA, infection, gout, overuse
- Fluid imbalance: Pregnancy, hemodialysis, Reynaud’s, obesity, hypothyroidism
- Neuropathic: Diabetes, alcoholism
What are 5 features of the Diagnosis of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
- Clinical symptoms
- Provocative tests: Phalen’s, Durken’s
- Sensibility tests: Altered sensation (light touch) in median nerve distribution
- APB muscle power
- Nerve conduction tests (gold standard): Neurologists check sensory & motor conduction proximal and distal to carpal tunnel for latency of nerve impu lse
What are 2 provocative tests for the diagnosis Carpal Tunnerl Syndrome?
- Phalen’s
- Durken’s
What are sensitivity tests for the diagnosis Carpal Tunnerl Syndrome?
Altered sensation (light touch) in median nerve distribution
What are nerve conduction tests for the diagnosis Carpal Tunnerl Syndrome?
Neurologists check sensory & motor conduction proximal and distal to carpal tunnel for latency of nerve impulse
What is the gold standard of the Diagnosis of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Nerve conduction tests
- Neurologists check sensory & motor conduction proximal and distal to carpal tunnel for latency of nerve impu lse