Awareness
Another reason may simply be less awareness regarding some of the subtle pathology affecting the upper limb, particularly in hand and wrist. For example, the entire gamut of medical staff managing athletes likely has a thorough understanding of ACL injuries, whereas carpal instability of the wrist is largely unknown. This is where the physician and ancillary health specialist can improve their management of these challenging and often obscure injuries. In many instances, the hand surgeon should be involved at an early stage of treatment and to ensure an accurate diagnosis.
Athletic injuries in the hand and wrist are often misdiagnosed and under treated for a variety of reasons.
Chronic and overuse injuries often go untreated due to the athlete’s reluctance to seek medical attention. This is because in many sports, the athlete can compensate with some of these injuries while this may be more difficult in weight bearing joints such as the knee and ankle.
