Get to Know Your Wrist

Get to Know Your Wrist

Did You Know?

• 27 bones make up each hand, making it one of the most complex parts of the body!
• 26% of the 206 bones in the average adult body are located in the hands!

Phalanges (Fingers)
Distal
Middle
Proximal

Metacarpals
The Bones of the Palm

Carpals (Wrist)
Distal Row
Proximal Row

Forearm
Ulnar
Radius

Bones of the Wrist

Distal Row
Hamate
Carpitate
Trapezoid
Trapezium

Proximal Row
Pisiform
Triquetrum
Lunate
Scaphoid

Did You Know?

28% of all admissions to A&E departments are for injuries to the hand and wrist.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7701632

Am I at Risk?

Many different people can find themselves suffering from wrist injuries. See below for information on how you might be vulnerable.

Athletes
Tendonitis
Sprains
Breaks

Office Workers
RSI
Carpal Tunnel

Overweight
Sprains
Breaks

Women
Carpal Tunnel
De Quervain’s
Arthritis

Common Wrist Conditions

What's really happening to your wrist? You might already know the conditions from which you're suffering, but our guide will help you understand what they mean!

Repetitive Strain Injury

Caused by continual low-level stress on any muscle or joint, with the wrist being the most frequently affected area. Office
workers are at a high risk.

Symptoms: Pain, stiffness

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

A common condition that is caused by compression of the medial nerve of the wrist. Symptoms tend to become worse during the night.

Symptoms: Tingling, numbness

Breaks/Fractures

Can include everything from a hairline crack to a compound fracture that punctures the skin. The most common breakage is to the tip of the radius.

Symptoms: Severe pain, swelling

De Quervain’s Syndrome

Thickening of tendons and the synovial sheathes that the tendons run through. This causes pain when lifting the
thumb, such as when using a phone.

Symptoms: Pain when extending the thumb

Sprains

A term for stretched, twisted or torn ligaments. As sprains are usually caused by excessive force on ligaments, sports players are at a higher risk.

Symptoms: Pain, swelling, bruising

Rheumatoid Arthritis
A common form of arthritis that affects the wrist, caused by the immune system attacking tissue. It inflames the wrist and is a hereditary condition.

Symptoms: Pain, swelling, stiffness

Ganglion Cysts

A fluid-filled swelling that can develop around the wrist. The cyst appears as a lump under the skin and ranges in size from a
pea to a golf ball!

Symptoms: Swelling, soreness to the touch

Tendonitis

Any inflammation of a tendon, usually occurring where tendons cross each other or a bony prominence. Repetitive movements cause tendonitis, such as playing sports like badminton.

Symptoms: Pain, grinding sensation

WristSupports.co.uk