Wrist pain (possible tfcc tear)

[rawgue]

- 4 months ago i started having a pain on my left wrist. I worked through the pain.
- 3 months later i went to the doctor. Had xray and mri. Both showed no signs of tfcc tear even though i have  similar symptoms.
- Doctor gave me anti-inflammatory pills for 10 days and sent me to a hospital to see a doctor who has hand speciality.

He examined me (moved and pressed my wrist in multiple positions) today and saw no clinical signs of a number of things. I asked him if it was possible to have tfcc tear but not show in mri and he said yes. He told me to wear a splint for 10 days and see him again if it doesn't get better.


I am certain it won't get better so i'd like to know what's the best course of action for me now? My wrist hurts a little when i turn it palm up or palm down. It hurts quite a lot if i put wait in my palm, while it faces up.

Sorry for bad english.
ps: I didn't have an accident or something, i believe i had it from lifting weights.

[Phill614]

Tizzar, even after the MRI go for a second opinion before agreeing to any surgery.  Make sure both doctors and radiologist are on the same page.  Find the very best doctor you can if it comes to surgery and don't go to the nearest to the house.  I had a small tear if the TFCC and my bad pick of doctors destroyed my wrist you can find out what i went through from a link i started from TOTAL WIRST FUSION.  Dealing with pain for awhile in order to find the right doctor is in your best interest.  good luck and i'll be glad to answer any other questions if i can.   Phill

[11woody]

I got hurt on my job and workers/com is paying 4 everything an MRI & xrays & Dr visits. The Dr just told me that the  MRI had found a tear and liquid in my wrist. Its painful 2 do every day things. I'm worried if workers com might not want 2 keep paying 4 the Dr visit. Does anyone know about this.

[Tizzar]

i'm going through the same pain at the moment  i never banged my wrist or fall on it or anything significant that i can recall, it just started hurting and got worse! i had xrays that showed i have cysts in my scaphoid and lunate bones but i have been told these don't normally cause pain. Now im seeing a specialist who thinks i may have ligament damage. I had a contrast MRI today. and now my wrist is in even more pain than ever! Almost unbearable!  Is this normal to be in this much pain and if so how long does it last like this?  Having read your stories im really worried about what outcome i will get. Anyway i guess i'll have to take one day at a time. Keep your fingers crossed that it will be all good.

Sarah.

[Misschi]

I agree!!!The same exact thing happend to me.I had the dye MRI.But it still didn't show up.That was almost a year ago!!I still to this day have a lot of problem's.Find a good DR. and make them do every thing right.I had a bad DR.and still a lot of pain.The problem is I have no insurance as of now.So don't wait!It can change every thing if it is not taken care of!!GOOD LUCK!!!

[Phill614]

Hi, slip on shoes, tieing shoes is a real pain.   pants that you don't have to button or loose fitting. being a girl pants that stretch is better.  do little excersizes that will make your left wrist stronger.  i guarentee you your left wrist will get stressed out, you'll feel like you got problems with your left hand.  start practicing your bathroom skills with your good hand, once your dominate hand is fused you'll "never" be able to do certain things like (wiping). i think you get my drift.  ASK YOUR DOCTOR FOR A BONE HEALING SYSTEM EXOGEN 4000+ ultra sound, google this.  call ahead so doctor can get approval, he might not believe in using it but i believe it worked for me.  you want to start moving your fingers as soon as possible after the surgery, its important on your recovery that you can "streighten" your fingers.  DON'T BE IN A HURRY TO USE YOUR WRIST EVEN IF IT FEELS OK, WAIT FOR DOCTORS OK TO DO ANYTHING WITH HAND AND EVEN THEN GO VERY EASY.  i had my bone graph come from my hip, for about 2 weeks i felt like i had a charlie horse and walked like a 80 year old man.  thats it for now. i'd reference my TOTAL WIRST FUSION link, i tried to keep it updated from the day of my surgery. as i was feeling better i was forgetting to update it though.   well thats all for now. good luck.  have plenty of ice on hand and maybe fill some surgical gloves with water and freeze them. that way you'll have them ready for after the surgery.     Later     Phill

[Rhettsmom07]

I will be having the fusion done on the 21st of May. I will let you know how it goes. And thank you. Any suggestions for me?

[Phill614]

Hi Regina, good post.  it is very important to research a good doctor.  my prayers are with you and your new doctor that you have a pain free out come.  Phill

[Rhettsmom07]

I agree with Phill make sure you have a good hand doctor. I am working on my third doctor. My hand has been cut open two many times. I will be going in for a full wrist fusion because of all the "hack" jobs the first two doctors did.
The first two doctors left me with nothing in  between my wrist joint/bones and now I have DJD. So it was either a wrist fusion or a wrist replacement. I took the fusion because I want more stregnth in my hand then a replacement can give.
Just waiting for the insurance company to authorize it.

[PedroH]

So sorry that Phill614 felt the need to be rude.Futher more,this is no place for political comments-even misinformed ones- You do what feels right. I had a wrist problem about 12 years ago, had every scan known and the surgeon saw nothing.Had my wrist scoped-the Dr. said my wrist looked like the wrist of an 80 year old-he cleaned it out & has been about 90% ever since.Everyone is different with different outcomes.  Good luck to you!

[Phill614]

thanks Jack,  i got frustrated when rawgue wasn't listening and made up his mind.  nothing more could be said.  Phill      GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR SURGERY RAWGUE

[jackjack04]

If your mind is set on having the surgery, I think Phill is right in saying make sure you have the best hand doctor you can get! Don't be afraid to say no, I want someone else to look at it, remember, the wrist you have now will be with you for the rest of your life, so don't take any un necessary risks!

Putting the docs name in google can throw up some good info, also check the hospitals website etc.

Good luck and let us know how you get on!

[rawgue]

Nah, he gave me the choice but i adviced me to take the arthroscopy option. I know it's bad to talk about politics here, but i have to mention that from day 1 i was offered the best possible options without a blink of an eye "xray > mri > 2nd best hand specialist". 3 euros. Anyway, i hate injury threads that don't have a "conclusion", i'll be sure to update this some time after i have the surgery. Thanks

[Phill614]

i would have to disagree with Jack, having arthroscoptic surgery doesn't mean closure in all cases, in my case i went in for a "small tear in the TFCC ligament.  he went in and roto rootered my wrist (CLEANDED OUT MY WHOLE WRIST) and caused more problems by doing so.  the same doctor did two more surgeries and just made things worse until the wrist became so bad i had to have a total wrist fusion.  Rawgue, sorry but i nothing more to say, sounds like you've made up your mind.  Soon enough the USA will have the same type of medical care you have and then we won't have any options like you.  good luck

[jackjack04]

Just to clarify, I was never offered an MRI scan, I would have preffered an MRI over the arthroscopy but I was too advised that the arthroscopy would provide a definate answer to why I was having pain. I'm glad I had it done but I know Phill has alot more insight to wrist pain as he's had many operations on his.

I chatted to my doctor about not being offered an MRI and his answer was something along the lines of 'most specialist surgeons see things 2 ways, it's either nothing to worry about or it is worth cutting you open'.

[jackjack04]

Don't worry too much about the arthroscopic surgery, it will definately find out what it wrong. I have had pain in my wrist for 3 years, everytime I went to my doctor and even in some cases when the pain was intense I went to A+E, I was told I had Wrist Tendonitis. I was told to RICE the joint and also had it in a splint on and off for 3 years, eventually it still didn't improve so I asked to see a specialist, he did 1 x-ray and told me I may have a Scapholunate ligament tear in the wrist, he said to be totally sure he would do an arthroscopy. After the arthroscopy, he told me that I did have a tear of the Scapholunate ligament and advised a second operation to reconstruct the ligament with a tendon from my arm.

That was done 16 weeks ago and I still have limited motion, but it may take me 6 more months to get it back fully. Wrist joints are very complex, injuries can be hard to fix but also take alot of recovery time, but a good surgeon can usually do atleast something to help keep the joint in as good as possible condition.

Think of the arthroscopy as closure to your worries, as soon as you have the first operation you will know what the exact problem is and know where to go from there.

Good luck!

[rawgue]

The thing is, he is not getting paid at all, we have public health care here :/
All in all it will cost me the 3 euros i gave as entrance fee. So what would he gain out of that? I asked him if we should try arthogram but he said it won't be certain even then, arthroscopy is the "top option" he said. :/

[Phill614]

request a MRI with contrast first.  get a second opinion, go to a different doctor and request a MRI with contrast.  your doctor just wants to go in and look around and then fix what he sees, in my opinion thats not the way to do it in a wrist. let me know

[rawgue]

Doctor said he'll do  arthroscopic surgery. I'm sad beyond words... I hope i'll recover 100% since it doesn't hurt on everyday moves. Only when i lift something >3kg

[Phill614]

Hi sorry i didn't get back with you sooner, i was out of town.  the pain i had came from bone on bone which the doctor said i had osteoarthritis which came from my cartilage being destroyed.  my wrist was so painful that it hurt to lift a full cup of coffee, i was waking in the middle of the night from pain.  I would suggest asking your doctor that you would like a MRI with contrast (dye).  that should clearly tell your doctor or the radiologist if you have any soft tissue damage to your hand.  i had a precedure put bone from my hip in my wrist, which is call bone graph, the doctor will also install a plate with screws that will stay in you wrist. i will never be able to bend my wrist again and i'm learning how to use my right hand.  did you have a x-ray of your hand?  that will show if you have good spacing of the bones, now that won't show if you have a tear in the TFCC cartliage or a torn TFCC ligament. That why i would suggest MRI with contrast.  Let me know what the doctor says        good luck  Phill