Torn sheath around wrist tendon

[dale483]

Hi all,

I am currently feeling like the most unlucky person on earth. 5 weeks ago i sustained a fractured elbow & damaged wrist due to having my right arm rotated. The elbow is healing fine. However, upon reattending hospital, the doctor has stated that i have torn the sheath which surrounds the tendon running along the top of my wrist, and when i bend my wrist down, the tendon is popping out of the sheath and over the wrist bone, hurting a little bit! He has stated that it should heal in time, but to lay off it regarding weights etc, & i would be put in touch with a specialist. Problem is, no one's recontacted me and when i phone up they say i'm on the list, but wont say where or how long it will take to see them. Slightly annoying.. There was also talk of a sheath graft if it doesnt heal in the future, which i'm not really happy about.....

I was just wondering if anyone has knowledge of this injury and how i could assist its healing process. Also, when can i start gym/weights again. (and i've now gone and fractured my 5th metatarsal stopping myself falling onto my wrist.....)

Any reply would be greatly appreciated

Dale

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[floracat79]

Hi did you get any help with this problem. I can't help you but I have a simila problem which is being treated but with little good result and wondered if you found any help to share.....thanks

[dale483]

Hi,

I finally saw the specialist about my wrist last wednesday after waiting nearly 3 months for the appointment.

She was very receptive to the injury, and listened to what i had to say before examining me. I dont know if your problems are the same but i have pain when rotating the wrist, or picking up anything with weight in it. Also using utensils like knives and forks or 'shaking the drops off' after using the loo (excuse that bit but it explains the problems i'm having with it perfectly). Dont have too much problem pushing and pulling though.

She explained the way the wrist works and the tendons function running alongside the ulna. After 3 months some sort of recovery should have been had, and due to none i am booked in for surgery on 8th June for repair to the sheath and any other damage she finds.

Post op i'll be in a arm cast for a minimum of 8 weeks but if you have this injury, you will know that it is worth it.

Keep in touch and let me know what your syptoms are and i'll let you know how it goes. Good luck.

P.S. the first doctor i spoke with about this didnt give a monkeys, so dont loose hope. I've been told they do heal with time and mine is a exceptional case

[porcoespinho]

Yep, i've had what sounds like the exact same thing. Had a recurring dislocation of my extensor carpi ulnaris due to a torn sheath.

In my opinion, these kind of injuries won't heal by themselves. If the tendon is repeatedly popping out of the sheath, it's disrupting any potential healing of the sheath every time it happens. Some of the conservative treatment in the literature recommends immobilising the wrist by casting for 6-8 weeks in order to allow healing to occur. However other reports state that there's a risk that if the tendon has broken through the sheath, that when it has returned to it's normal place, it may actually be sitting on top of the sheath and not underneath it. Thus the recommendation for surgery.

I had surgery - they used part of the extensor retinaculum to help hold the tendon in place. After 4 weeks in a long arm cast, i got switched to a sugar tong splint - it prevents rotation at the wrist, but it can be taken on and off so you can do range of motion at your other joints.

This was about 3 or 4 years ago, and since then i haven't had any problems - back doing sports, weightlifting, gymnastics.

And i agree - you definitely need to see a hand specialist for these types of injuries.