HAND CONDITIONS

The fingers help us to hold objects and to do this they need to be able to fully straighten up but also firmly make a fist. The fingers have 3 joints: the MCPJ metacarpophalangeal joint; the PIPJ proximal interphalangeal joint and the DIPJ – the distal interphalangeal joint which enable the fingers to straighten out but also bend to form a fist.

Normally the bone surfaces in the wrist are lined with cartilage, which allows smooth movements between the base of the thumb and the wrist bone (trapezium). In base of thumb osteoarthritis (OA) the cartilage degenerates or wears out and the movement between the joints becomes painful as the bony surfaces are now in contact with each other.

CRPS is a chronic pain condition which usually means it lasts more than 6 months. It can be referred to by many other names such as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), Sudeck’s Atrophy, Algodystrophy, causalgia and Abnormal Pain Response.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is the sensation of numbness, tingling and pain in the hand due to the compression of the median nerve at the wrist.

Dupuytren’s disease is the thickening of the fascia beneath the skin in the palm of the hand. The fascia is like a think canvas which acts to protect the vital structures in your hand and also to firmly keep hold of overlying skin – preventing it sliding and tearing off. The thickening of the fascia causes a contracture of fingers known as Dupuytren’s contracture. Note that the finger tendons lie deep to the fascia and are NOT involved in the disease.

A fracture is any kind of break in the bone. The fingers are made up of 3 bones; the thumb has 2. The individual bones are called phalanges. Ligaments connect the individual bones by bridging across the joints between the individual bones.

A mucous cyst is a small swelling, containing a jelly like material, found overlying the end joint of a finger. The cyst may fluctuate in size and occasionally burst spontaneously before reforming.

Also known as stenosing tenosynovitis, trigger finger (or thumb) is the inflammation and thickening of the tissues surrounding the tendons that allow bending movements of the fingers.

Skier’s Thumb is an injury to a ligament situated on the inner aspect of the base of the thumb known as the ulnar collateral ligament. The ulnar collateral ligament connects the thumb metacarpal bone to the thumb proximal phalanx bone. It is essential to maintaining stability of the thumb, and especially important to perform normal pinching and gripping movements.