Hand and Wrist Sports Injuries

Causes of Hand and Wrist Sports Injuries

Hands and wrists are made up of many ligaments, tendons, bones, and joints that work together to enable movement. Because they are often exposed during sports, injuries to the hands and wrists are common in activities like basketball, hockey, football, and tennis.
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These injuries can result from falls that bend the fingers or hands backward, strong impacts on the hands or wrists, or direct blows to the body.

Common Types of Hand and Wrist Injuries

Athletes’ hands and wrists are vulnerable to various injuries that can interfere with daily activities and sports performance. Common sports-related hand and wrist injuries include:

• ​Colles’ Wrist Fracture: A Colles fracture is a break in the radius bone near the wrist, typically occurring about an inch above where the radius meets the wrist. This type of fracture is common and occurs more frequently in women than in men.
• Jammed Finger: A jammed finger happens when the tip of the finger is struck while fully extended. It is especially common in sports like basketball, where the finger can be hit by a ball. The injury can range from a mild sprain to a fracture or dislocation.
• Scaphoid Fracture: A scaphoid fracture involves one of the small bones in the wrist. It often occurs in sports like football when an athlete lands on an outstretched hand, placing full body weight on the palm and hyperextending the wrist.
• Skier’s Thumb: Skier’s thumb is a ligament injury at the base of the thumb caused by forcefully bending the thumb backward. It commonly happens when skiers fall while holding a ski pole, but it can occur in any sport.
• Wrist Ligament Tear: A tear in the wrist ligament or cartilage can occur due to sudden trauma or overuse. It often results from a hard fall on an outstretched arm, causing the wrist to twist awkwardly. Repetitive stress over time can also pull the wrist cartilage away from the bone.
• De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis: This condition involves inflammation of the tendons on the thumb side of the wrist. It is common in sports that require repetitive hand movements, such as golf and tennis. Pain typically occurs when gripping, making a fist, or twisting the wrist.
• Bowler’s Thumb: Bowler’s thumb is caused when the thumb is repeatedly pressed tightly against a bowling ball. This can trap the ulnar nerve on the inside of the thumb, leading to pain, tingling, weakness, and numbness.

What Are the Symptoms of Hand and Wrist Sports Injuries?

Some of the symptoms of hand and wrist sports injuries include:

• Pain
• Swelling
• Bruising
• Tingling
• Loss of motion
• Weakness
• Tenderness
• Numbness
• Bleeding
• Instability

Diagnosis of Hand and Wrist Sports Injuries

Your doctor will review your symptoms and medical history and perform a comprehensive physical examination to evaluate wrist and hand range of motion, stability, and any ligament or tendon injuries.

Blood flow and skin color are assessed. The following diagnostic tests may be used for further evaluation:

• X-rays: Use high-energy electromagnetic beams to create images of the bones and detect fractures.
• CT Scan (Computerized Tomography): Combines multiple X-ray images to produce detailed cross-sectional views of bones, vessels, and soft tissues.
• Electromyography (EMG) and Nerve Conduction Studies: Measure nerve impulses to assess nerve function and identify any nerve damage.

Treatment for Hand and Wrist Sports Injuries

Treatments for wrist and hand injuries depend on the severity of the injury and may involve either nonsurgical or surgical treatment, such as the following:

• Medications: Your doctor may prescribe analgesics and anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen and naproxen to relieve pain and inflammation.
• Icing: Applying an ice pack over a towel on the affected area for several minutes a day may help to relieve pain and swelling.
• Physical Therapy: Strengthening and stretching exercises can help improve the range of motion and strengthen the hand and wrist muscles.
• Cortisone Injections: Injection of corticosteroid medication directly into the affected wrist and hand can help relieve pain and swelling.
• Casting and Splinting: For wrist and hand fractures where bones are not displaced, your physician may place your broken bone in a cast or splint until the bone heals satisfactorily.
• Open Reduction and Internal Fixation (ORIF): This is a surgical treatment for fractures with completely displaced and/or crushed bones. It realigns and stabilizes a fracture using plates/screws and/or pins (wires). A splint/cast may be used afterward while healing begins.
• Tendon Repair: Tendon repair surgery is performed to repair a torn or ruptured tendon and involves stitching the damaged ends of the tendon together to restore normal function and movement to the hand and wrist. Some tendon injuries benefit from prompt evaluation and timely repair. The optimal timing depends on the type and severity of tendon injury.
• Nerve Repair: This is a complex surgery performed immediately after a nerve injury, as damage to any of the three main nerves of the hand may lead to limited use or compromised range of motion of the hand, fingers, and wrist.