Compound fractures are not just a type of fracture, but have a completely different entity, when it comes to managing their symptoms and complications. Not only are they prone to develop several complications, but they have some peculiar symptoms, which if noted, herald the onset of a multitude of interventions by several specialist surgeons. Treatment measures have to be tailored according to the type of compound fracture and the patients general condition to tolerate them. An unsuitable match between these variables can even lead to outcomes more disastrous than the initial injury.
continue reading Compound Fracture – Symptoms, Treatment, and Complications

Compound fractures are one of the most devastating injuries, which commonly occur due to motorbike and car accidents or similar high velocity injuries. They are not only difficult to recover from, but are also prone to develop several life-threatening infections and complications. The deformities caused by compound fractures, accompanied with the ugly scarring of the wounds, require treatment by an expert orthopedic and plastic surgeon. Otherwise, the stigma of a compound fracture frequently remains lifelong in the form of a non-healing bone infection.

What is a Compound Fracture?

A bone fracture with an open wound, where the protective barrier of the skin is broken, is called a compound fracture. The wound may either be due to an external injury or a projection of sharp bony edges of fractured bones from the inside. Irrespective of the cause of wound, a break in the continuity of the skin opens the doorway for a host of infectious organisms to enter the interior of a wound. This is the prime reason behind the high rates of wound infection in a person with compound fractures.

continue reading Compound Fractures – Causes and Types

Effective treatment of thumb joint pain can vary from a simple thumb spica to an advanced microscopic thumb surgery. However, it is the appropriate selection of treatment options, that influences the outcome, much more, than the number of dollars spent on it. Over treatment in the form of aggressive physical therapy, excessive use of splints or medications, is not only linked with a wastage of resources, but can also make an acute injury into a chronic degenerative disorder. Hence, the therapy of thumb joint pain, has to be done by an orthopedist or a physical therapist, depending on the nature of the injury.
continue reading Thumb Joint Pain Treatment

Diagnosing the cause of thumb joint pain can be quite tricky due to the several factors that can attribute towards causing it. Many times more than one factor play an important role and have to be modified or eliminated in order to gain full benefit of the treatment. Acute injuries due to a single traumatic incident, are simple injuries as far as diagnosis is concerned. A single x-ray examination in the ER of a hospital can be sufficient to diagnose most of the fractures or dislocations, causing thumb pain.

Diagnosis of degenerative disorders, like DeQuervain’s tenosynovitis, RSI of thumb or blackberry thumb, and so on, requires a detailed history into the activities performed by a person. In this step, it is very important to disclose minute details regarding use of cell phones, computers, or other similar gadgets. A few clinical tests may be performed by an orthopedist, to clear the doubt regarding the cause of thumb joint pain.

Finkelstein’s Test – is a test for DeQuervain’s disease, where a person is asked to make a fist and the fist is forcibly moved in a direction away from the thumb. The appearance of sharp pain with slight movement indicates a positive test and the presence of DeQuervain’s disease, which is an important cause of thumb joint pain. This test may also be used for diagnosing blackberry thumb or keyboard related thumb pain.

Video 1: Finkelstein’s Test

(Source: Youtube)

Phalen’s Test – is a test for carpal tunnel syndrome, which is another cause of wrist and thumb pain. It consists of keeping the back of both hands together and raising the wrists higher, which causes bending of both wrists to maximum capacity, simultaneously. If pain is felt within 60 seconds, it indicates a positive test and also presence of carpal tunnel syndrome, which affects the median nerve at wrist. This nerve also supplies the thumb and can lead to thumb pain.

Video 2: Phalen’s Test

(Source: Youtube)

Fist Test – is a specific test for keyboard related thumb injury, where a person is asked to make a tight fist by encircling the fingers over the thumb. If one is unable to make a tight fist in this manner, due to thumb joint pain, one can be certain to have RSI of thumb due to frequent use of keyboard. If pain occurs in both the thumbs, it can be due to blackberry thumb or RSI of thumb due to use of QWERTY keypad cellphones.

These clinical tests are quite simple to perform and also reliable when performed correctly. They are very useful for quick diagnosis and many times defer the need for an MRI scan, which is expensive.

MRI for Thumb Joint Pain – is the last resort when it comes to diagnosing doubtful cases of thumb joint pain. It is one of the best investigations for chronic degenerative diseases of thumb as well as for acute soft tissue injuries. It gives the exact location and extent of the disease, helping greatly to direct treatment options and predicting the outcome. Apart from it being expensive, there are no known disadvantages. It is does not cause exposure to harmful radiations and is relatively safe in all patients.
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• Thumb Joint Pain Causes
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• Kienbock’s Disease – Lunate Osteonecrosis
• Kienbock’s Disease Symptoms
• Kienbock’s Disease Investigations
• Kienbock’s Disease Treatment

Kienbock’s disease is known for a complicated course of treatment. This is mainly because of an absence of consensus among surgeons regarding various treatment options. Another reason for the lack of consensus, is the obscured information regarding the exact cause of the disease. Out of the several treatment options offered for Kienbock’s disease, none of them may provide complete relief from all Kienbock’s disease symptoms. Hence, each treatment option is tailored according to the patient’s requirement, to achieve a specific purpose, which eventually improves the functions of the hand and wrist. One should always keep this in mind, and have some amount of patience and understanding towards the efforts of the orthopedist and be open to try out several modes of therapy, either alone or in combination.
continue reading Kienbock’s Disease Treatment