Wrist Arthroscopy

Wrist arthroscopy is a wrist surgery that allows a doctor to see the inside of a joint through small incisions. It is performed after a patient sustains an injury such as a fall or a twisting of the wrist and is experiencing pain, clicks or swelling. These symptoms may mean there is an internal problem of the wrist. Arthroscopy is often the best way of directly looking at the injury and repairing it. The procedure can be used to help align fractures of the wrist, remove some swellings of the wrist, wash out infections , or remove excess joint lining ( synovitis ) associated with inflammation from conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.

Because the cuts used with this procedure are smaller and disrupt less soft tissue than typical surgery, pain, swelling and stiffness are minimal, and recovery is often faster.

Your doctor can see the ligaments and cartilage surfaces of bones with wrist arthroscopy. Some parts of ligaments have a good blood supply and can be repaired and heal, whereas other parts do not have a blood supply and don’t heal, so they are removed.

During the procedure, a small camera fixed to the end of a narrow tube is placed through a small cut in the skin directly into the back of the wrist joint. The image is projected onto a television screen for better viewing. Several small cuts are used to allow the surgeon to place the camera in a number of positions to see the cartilage of each bone, the ligaments and the joint lining called synovium.

The Orthopedic Center’s hand surgery and microsurgery unit have undergone special training to deal with such problems. We are experienced in treating conditions that range from routine to highly complex, and can provide your child with expert diagnosis, treatment, and care.