TFCC Tear Surgery with Ulnar Shortening

[jpringle]

I am having my TFCC tear (Ulna will be shortened also) arthroscopically repaired on the 23rd and have some questions for those who have gone through the surgery. I am wondering what the recovery was like? Were you in a cast? Did they need to place any drains? How long in Physical Therapy? Were you out of work?

In addition to repairing the tear they are doing a biopsy because on the MRI we found a suspicious lesion suggesting the possibility of Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis (PVNS). I have had this in my knee before but traditionally it does not effect more than one joint so they are not sure what it is.

So most of my questions were pertaining to the biopsy and I could not get many of my other questions answered. I am hoping someone who has gone through this can help!  Thanks in advance!!!

Jen

[Cratt22]

Omg, reading all of these posts is going to make me cry. I am a senior in high school and I play lacrosse. 3 years ago I had my tfcc repaired but my surgeon decided not to do the ulnar shortening. I had relief of the pain for about 2 years and now it is slowly but progressively getting worse. I have what they call Ulnar Compression Syndrome and with constant lacrosse playing and constant rotations of my wrist I have the same pain that I had when I first tore my tfcc.

I have an appointment with my surgeon in two weeks and I am too nervous hearing all of these trauma stories that he is going to tell me I will need the Ulnar shortening and tfcc repair. My wish is to play lacrosse in college but it worries me after reading all of these that my chance of that might be ruined after surgery.. what do I do!?

[erin2511]

i had my done a little more then a year ago,still a fair amount of pain. i had a lot of laps in therapy do to workers comp so there were week between ,were i had no therapy. I also have pain in my elbow had x-rays they say everything looks good.i can't lift much with it either.

[Jg1000]

Hi,

Just thought I give a good news update which seem lacking on these forums. A year and half on from ulna shortening surgery I now have a wrist that it almost like a normal person. My cuboid ligaments were torn class III but TFC was intact just needed flattening and smoothing as it had rucked up inside the joint - tears are really difficult to diagnose on MRI scans so arthroscopy is only way, which also enabled them to sort the TFC at the same time as the shortening.

Also had to have the plate removed after six months as tendon was sticking to it and had to be debrided so not all plain sailing, but again not as traumatic as it sounds.

The physio was hard. Especially learning how to bend the wrist forward and backwards - took 7 long months of one/two sessions a week and exercises at home but well worth it for the outcome.

If anyone is considering this operation I'd definitely recommend it if you are willing to commit to the intense physio.

[Neonursej]

I had my tfcc repair and ulnar head shortening jan 2011, still hurts a lot at the site were my wrist bone was cut. They gave me two cortisone injections and the last one ate away my skin, it was paper thin, I had to have surgery last may to have fat put into that area to plump it back up, 5% chance of working, worked! But, this is my right wrist and my right palm is smaller than my left and I still drop things and my grip is still not that great! Also, my right pinky is contracted, I feel as if the scar tissue is pulling my pinky. But, they don't want to mess with my wrist anymore.

[xxsarahxx982]

I have a suspected tear to my tfcc and looking into possible surgons to try and be reffered to after 2 misdiagnoses. Would it be possible for you to let me know the name of your surgone. Thanks

[cancerfreeme]

I have just been told that I need this surgery also. After reading the above I really am petrified. I am a bookbinder making fine leather books by hand. My right wrist has a constant dull ache and every now and again when I have to put pressure on my fingers & thumb my wrist gets a snap of sudden excruciating pain making my work more and more difficult. I have been scouring the net trying to find alternatives to surgery to no avail. The doctors say the longer it is left the less successful outcome for surgery.
I have the added complication of having no lymph nodes in that arm (due to breast cancer 9 years ago) so I am also worried about the risks of lymphodema.
Agh what a decision.