Sports Injuries of the Hand and Wrist

Abstract

Injuries to the hand and wrist are some of the most common musculoskeletal injuries in sports, accounting for approximately 3–9% of sports-related injuries (Rettig, Am J Sports Med, 31:1038–1048, 2003). As the part of the body that grips the stick, throws the ball, or sustains impact, the hand and wrist are vulnerable to injury, whether due to acute trauma or chronic overuse. The complex anatomy and function of the hand and wrist may render the diagnosis and treatment challenging. One cannot argue that sports are playing an increasingly significant role at every level of our society, e.g., the competitive amateur athlete, the collegiate scholarship recipient, or the professional athlete. Therefore, more and more attention is being paid to getting the athlete back to play not only safely but as quickly as possible. Innovative treatments for some hand and wrist injuries are now allowing for decreased time of postoperative immobilization, early initiation of therapy, and faster return to safe and effective play. In this chapter, we will discuss three well-known hand and wrist injuries in sports: thumb ulnar collateral ligament injuries, thumb carpometacarpal dislocations, and triangular fibrocartilage complex injuries.