TFCC tear?

[jtk73]

Hi Focus,

I am nearly 35 (in a week). Lately, the wrist has been becoming unbearably painful, but it feels like tendonitis. and I have to take 15mg MOBIC (my weight suggests only needing 7.5mg)

I do not know whether it is still the TFCC or whether it is tendonitis. the pain is mainly in the wrist up to nearly the little finger.....

I go for an MRI on 8th April..... next Doc appt is 29th April....

[wendyhoward]

Hello!

I am wondering if you still have your pain. Most people who have your symptoms tend to have a long recovery process.

Do you still have pain with weight bearing, grip and rotation?

I am a hand therapist with a passion in the treatment of TFCC tears. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help. Check out www.wristwidget.com and google wrist widget for more info.

Aloha,

Wendy Howard, OTR, CHT

I am considering surgery for what appears to be a TFCC tear in my right wrist. I am looking for some advice regarding that. Here is what happened:

I was typing one day on October 2006, I had a sharp pain on a spot on the ulnar(little finger) site of my right wrist. I was not able to type anymore on that day. I used to have mild soreness on my right wrist for some time then. But on that day, I knew something was really bad. It is not the usual sorness. I went to saw a hand surgeon. For the first few months, it looked like some kind of pinching on my ulnar nerve for I had all the usual symptoms of nerve pinching such as tingling(very slight, may be imagined:-) ). I underwent physical therapy with ultrasound treatment. I certainly got some temporary relief from the ultrasound treatment. But it was still painful to type.

On August 2007, I had an MRI that showed a minor tear in my ECU. I continued my physical therapy, which is now more geared towards tendonitis. But still, my doctor was puzzled that the pain was very local. It did not radiate to my upper arm, no matter how much I type. October 2007, I also started noticing that my pain is radiating around my wrist on the TFCC area. The doctor started suspecting that a TFCC tear may be the real culprit. He injected an anesthetic into my wrist joint and did some tests to see whether I still had the pain. I did not. This confirmed to him that the problem was inside the joint. He has suggested surgery to me, in which he is going to debride the TFCC and kind of tighten a ligament using RF waves. Apparently, ligament being loose lets my wrist joint move too freely and cause clicking noises(sometimes painful). But, I have been putting off the surgery, frankly, because not being able to see the tear in MRI makes me a little nervous. What if this is really not because of a tear? Also the pain I have is not constant. I usually have pain for a few days/week. And the pain seems to go away with a lot of rest (like a long weekend) only to come back in a few days. I am just afraid that the surgery may make it worse.

Now sitting at February 2008, I feel so tired of always being afraid that the activity that I am doing is gonna flare up my wrist. I used to be a very active person. But now not so much. I also restricted my typing activities. Being a computer geek, it is like losing a part of myself. I wear a splint all the time. Considering the effect of this injury on my overall lifestyle, I'm thinking that the surgery may be worth a shot. I know this is a decision that I have to make for myself. But I am looking for some feedback about the success of TFCC surgeries from you. How risky can a TFCC debridement surgery be?

[wendyhoward]

Hello,

Have you checked out www.wristwidget.com

Lots of information about the effectiveness of this splint with TFCC injuries. Find out the study out of Japan on the effectiveness of a circumferential strap on the recovery from a tear.

Best of luck!

Wendy Howard, OTR, CHT

[Mira_16]

Hi all,
I have a torn TFCC as well in my left (non dominant) wrist. The pain started in Sept 07 due to repeated extension of my wrist against resistance (this is the only thing I can attribute the pain to). I had tight extensor muscles but have since had PT and they have been released. The sad thing is I am a PT myself. Well I just graduated so I don't have experience with this type of injury but I'm very worried about the future of my career if I have issue already. I find it hard to do anything still 7 months post injury. It hurts to put weight on my hands leaning on a table, putting on a seat belt, untwisting a gas cap etc. I didnt know it was a TFCC injury until today when I got the MRI results. Ive tried taping, splinting etc and nothing really helps. My doctor is going to refer me to a surgeon but it will be a few months.

This is what the MRI said:
High grade partial tear of the ulnar attachment of the TFCC with adjacent ganglion/synovial cyst. 3mm ulnar negative variance with no edema identified in the lunate.

I have pain locally in the middle dorsal (backside) of my wrist. Not on the ulnar side like is mentioned by many people on this forum. Does that correlate to TFCC injuries?
Does anyone have any suggestions for me.
I dont want surgery if I can avoid it. I basically want to be as functional as possible to be able to use my hands for work.
Does anyone know if the pain will decrease with more time? Or is it unlikely since it's already been 7 months?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!
Thanks!

[wendyhoward]

Hello-

Do you have pain with weight bearing?

Wendy

[Mira_16]

Yes it hurts when I am standing over a table and rest my palms on the table and put weight through my arms.
I do not have the "typical" ulnar sided pain however. Most of my pain is located dorsal and central around the scapholunate.

[focus_911]

Has your physician discussed an Ulna Shortening Osteotomy?

After I fractured my wrist, years ago because of the pain I was dealing with because I was having ulnar sided pain they realised that my Ulna was a bit longer and impacting into my wrist.I had an Osteotomy done and the pain on that side was relieved.


There is a lot more story to this wrist injury, and I mean a lot more but it could be something to look at.

[jtk73]

Hi all, Just seen doctor today regarding the soreness of the tfcc area where he repaired it. I had MRI a few weeks ago, today I find out that the peripheral repair was fine, but there is a central tear now. I also have tenosynovitis of the ECU tendon.

I had a steroid injection into the site and the pain ewnt away with the local anasthetic.

Think I might wear my wrist brace more often now.....

[jtk73]

I have just ordered a wrist widget... let you all know how it goes

[marcus_radebe]

Hi

Found this message board whilst researching TFCC...I have just had an MRI scan and my specialist is almost certain I have a TFCC. I have all the symptoms....pain in the little finger side of my wrist, pain when rotating my wrist, clicking when moving the wrist....and I felt the injury when I was actually twisting my wrist.

I have read a lot of posts on the net about worried sufferers of TFCC - I completely understand as I am a guitarist, and the thought of being unable to play due to the injury or any kind of surgery that I may have had to go through, made me extremely depressed. Im sure it is the same if you are a tennis/golf player etc.

However, there is hope, and it comes in the form of the wristwidget. I just received mine and already I can move my wrist almost pain free. I have not been paid to endorse the product, but am so happy with it I felt compelled to let everyone know that this product can help you.

I cant say yet if it will heal the injury completely, although I am confident it will, and I am no specialist on he subject, but discuss your options fully with your specialist before deciding on surgery/cortisone injections. I emailed Wendy Howard (developer of the wristwidget) and she is a very helpful and knowledgeable lady. The strap is relatively cheap and to me, it is now priceless.

Check out www.wristwidget.com and give it a try. Thanks to Wendy Howard for developing this...words aren't enough!

Marc