Elbow Injuries

Tennis elbow
Pain on the outside of the elbow

Entrapment of the radial nerve
The symptoms of radial nerve entrapment are very similar to those of tennis elbow.

Entrapment of the ulnar nerve
Pain on the inside of the elbow

Bursitis of the elbow (student elbow)
Painful swelling at the back of the elbow.

Golfers/Throwers elbow
Pain on the inside of the elbow.

Inflammation of the biceps tendon
Pain at the front of the elbow

Entrapment of the ulnar nerve
Pain on the inside of the elbow after long throwing sessions or tennis matches.

Inflammation and rupture of the triceps tendon
Pain at the back of the elbow where the triceps muscle attaches.

Elbow Hyperextension Injury
Elbow sprain caused by bending the joint back the wrong way.

Medial Elbow Sprain

Sprain to the medial collateral ligaments.

Wrist Injuries

What is wrist bursitis?

A bursa is a small sack of fluid that lubricates where tendons move in joints. If the bursa is subjected to repeated trauma then it can become inflamed and swollen causing pain in the wrist. This can affect people who put weight on their hands a lot e.g. cyclists.

Symptoms include

• Pain in the wrist especially when the wrist is bent back and you put your weight on it.
• A small lump or swelling in the top of the wrist.

What is carpal tunnel syndrome?

• The median nerve is one of the nerves which supplies the hand. It passes through the wrist in a narrow channel called the carpal tunnel along with the flexor digitorum superficialis and flexor pollicis longus tendons. Inflammation of the muscles, tendons or a fracture of the wrist can reduce the space in the carpel tunnel and so cause pressure on the nerve.

Symptoms of carpel tunnel syndrome

• A dull ache in the wrist and forearm with pain radiating in to the fingers.
• A burning wrist pain with numbness or loss of feeling in the thumb, index finger and middle finger which the median nerve supplies.
• Pain which is worse at night.
• Positive result for Tinels sign (symptoms reproduced when tapping the volar aspect of the wrist (inside).
• What is tenosynivitis?

Tenosynivitis is inflammation of the sheath that surrounds a tendon as opposed to inflammation of the actual tendon itself (tendinitis or tendonitis). de Quervain's tenosynivitis is inflammation of the synovium of the abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis longus muscles as they pass through the wrist (on the thumb side of the wrist). It occurs more frequently in racket sports such as tennis, squash or badminton as well as canoing and ten pin bowling. It also occurs in golfers (left thumb of a right handed golfer and vice versa).

Symptoms of de Quervain's tenosynovitis

• Tenderness and swelling on the thumb side of the wrist where the tendons pass.
• Creptius may be felt (a creaking of the tendon as it moves).
• Finkelstein's test may be positive (thumb is placed in the palm of the hand and wrist moved
• laterally towards the little finger to stretch the tendons - pain may be felt).

What is a ganglion cyst?

A ganglion cyst is a lump or firm, spongy swelling in the wrist on the top of the joint bones or the sheath surrounding a tendon. They are more common in women with 70% occuring in people between the ages of 20-40. The cause of ganlions is not known although damage to the joint has been suggest as well as a problem with the joint capsule or tendon sheath which causes the joint tissues to bulge out.