Healthscope Orthopaedics Services

We use our arms so much it’s easy to take them for granted. But if anything goes wrong with your hand, wrist or elbow, it can impact your ability to work, drive, play sport, and even care for yourself.

Our experienced orthopaedic specialists are experts in managing arm injuries. We focus on finding the cause of your symptoms and designing personalised treatment to meet your needs.

Hand, elbow and wrist injuries

Injuries can affect the bones, joints, nerves and soft tissues of the elbow, wrist, and hand. Common injuries include:

Fractures

Fractures are broken bones. Elbow, wrist and hand fractures are usually caused by trauma, such as a sporting injury, fall, or workplace accident.

Fractures need urgent medical attention to reduce the risk of complications and help ensure the break heals well.

Children can also suffer a fracture of the growth plates, which are the areas from which bones grow and develop. They are the last part of a child’s bone to harden, and therefore vulnerable to injury.

In the elbow, wrist and hand, fractures can affect the:

Humerus – The lower end of the upper arm bone can break near the elbow

Olecranon – The bony point of the elbow

Radial head – At the top of one of the forearm bones

Radius and ulna – The two bones in the forearm can break in various places, including at the wrist

Carpal bones – The small bones within the wrist

Hand and finger bones

Dislocations

A dislocation occurs when bones are pushed out of alignment. Elbow dislocations are usually caused by trauma. They can involve a complete or partial separation of the joint surfaces. Finger dislocations are also common, and most often caused by a sporting injury.

Elbow instability

An elbow dislocation can leave the elbow joint loose. This may cause it to pop, catch, or slip out of place with some arm movements When this condition becomes chronic, it will lead to unstable elbow known as elbow instability.

Soft tissue injuries

The elbow, wrist and hand all have ligaments which help to prevent excessive joint movement. They also contain numerous tendons attaching muscles to bones. These soft tissues can be damaged by trauma, such as a fall onto an outstretched hand or a forceful movement while playing sport.

Soft tissue sprains can range from a mild overstretching (strain) to a complete tear. Occasionally, ligaments can be pulled away from the bone, sometimes taking a small bone chip with them (known as an avulsion fracture).

Overuse injuries

If your lifestyle involves repeated movement patterns over a long period, it may lead to an overuse injury. In the elbow, wrist and hand, these are most common in people whose work or sporting activities necessitate repetitive motion. Examples include throwing athletes, golfers, tennis players, and typists.

Common overuse injuries of the arm include tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, and bursitis.

Other elbow, hand and wrist conditions

The hand, wrist and elbow can be affected by other injuries and problems, including:

Arthritis – with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis being the most common.

Carpal tunnel syndrome.

De quervain’s tenosynovitis.

Dupuytren's disease.

Ganglion cysts.

Trigger finger.

Health conditions such as lupus and fibromyalgia.

Hand, wrist and elbow injury diagnosis

To discover what’s causing your problem, your health professional will examine your elbow, wrist or hand. They will do different tests depending on your injury. For example, if you’ve had a fracture or dislocation, your doctor will order imaging tests such as an X-ray, CT scan or MRI to check the extent of the damage.

They will also look for signs of injury to other tissues, such as nerves or blood vessels, which could be serious if not treated. An orthopaedic specialist will often be consulted to help make the diagnosis and decide on the best course of action.

If your injury is less severe or you’ve had symptoms for a while, your doctor will probably see you in their rooms. They will ask questions like how the injury occurred and how it’s affecting your daily life. They will look at your elbow, wrist or hand, checking for tenderness, swelling, or pain with movement.

Your doctor might refer you for imaging tests, along with blood or other laboratory tests. These can help provide a more complete picture of your injury. Your doctor might also refer you to an orthopaedic specialist for a review and opinion.

How are hand, elbow and wrist injuries treated?

Injuries of the wrist, elbow, and hand come in a wide range of types and severities. This will affect how they’re managed.

Non-surgical management of hand, elbow and wrist injuries

Treatment aims to relieve pain, restore movement and help you get back to your usual activities. Non-surgical treatments for elbow, wrist and hand injuries include:

Immobilisation

You might need to wear a splint, brace or plaster cast to keep the area still and protect it while it heals.

Physiotherapy or hand therapists

To ease symptoms and treat underlying issues such as stiffness, muscle weakness or poor movement patterns.

Medications

Such as pain killers and anti-inflammatories to reduce swelling and pain.

Exercises

To improve flexibility, strength and movement control.

Heat or cold therapy

To reduce pain and discomfort.

Corticosteroid injections

To reduce pain and inflammation.

Surgery for hand, elbow and wrist injuries

Some injuries of the elbow, wrist and hand require surgery to fix fractures or to repair damaged tissues and give you the best chance of making a good recovery. Your specialist might also recommend surgery if other treatment options haven’t settled your symptoms.

Surgery may be performed arthroscopically (through keyholes using a special camera and instruments), but some procedures need to be done in the traditional manner. Your orthopaedic surgeon can talk to you about your options.

Surgeries used to manage hand, wrist and elbow injuries include:

Fix / Repairs

Fractures are often managed by repairing damaged bones with pins, plates or screws. Severe soft tissue injuries may also need to be repaired surgically.

Joint replacement

This involves replacing damaged joints with artificial ones. Joint replacement surgery is occasionally used to manage severe elbow or wrist arthritis.

Other procedures

Your surgeon might perform a procedure to trim away damaged tissues or remove debris from inside a joint.

How long does it take to recover from a hand, wrist or elbow injury?

Recovery time can vary significantly depending on your injury, as well as factors like your age and lifestyle. For example, a mild ligament sprain could be better in about six weeks, whereas it could take a year or more to recover from a serious fracture.

Many people will need physiotherapy and rehabilitation after a major injury or surgery to restore movement, function and the ability to drive, work and participate in sports or hobbies.

Your orthopaedic surgeon can provide individual advice about how long it could take to recover from your injury.