Matt Ross Physiotherapy

Tel: 07814 717577

Email: enquiries@mattrossphysiotherapy.co.uk

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Wrist Pain

The human hand and wrist complex is a complicated structure which is able to produce a number of fine and intricate movements to perform task in our day to day life.

The hand and wrist has 27 individual bones 8 of which form the wrist which articulates with the radius to form the radoiocarpal joint. While the ulna traverses alongside the ulna down towards the wrist, it does not articulate with the bones of the wrist directly, and has a small piece of cartilage known as the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC).

The available movements of the wrist are:

Flexion: bending wrist down towards the floor with palm down
Extension: bending wrist up towards you with palm facing down
Pronation: turning palm down towards the floor
Supination: turning palm up towards the ceiling
Radial and ulna deviation

There are a large number of flexor and extensor muscles that reside in the forearm, with long tendon structures that extend down towards the hand and pass under a fibrous band of tissue that encircles the wrist known as the flexor retinaculum. This narrow space can be the cause conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome.

While the hand can perform numbers of very definite and intricate movements as a result of the many bones within the hand and wrist, there is significant ligamentous support between them. These structures, as well as the integrity of the bone, can be at risk when falling on an outstretched hand which can result in joint instability or fracture respectively.