Aug 24, 2014 | By: Press Office – @Antena2RCN
Luis Valero, holds the highest ranking for Colombia in the ITF standings, Professional Tennis Player.
The latest studies conducted by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission through the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) reported that more than 1.9 million people have had a sports-related injury in recent years. More than 231,000 injuries were treated, and 83 percent of the injuries were in men. Among these injuries are broken and/or dislocated fingers and fractured wrist bones. With so many bones, ligaments, tendons, and joints keeping the hands and wrists working, there is ample opportunity for highly severe injuries to occur. In reality, hand and wrist injuries are some of the most frequent faced by athletes today.
The most common injuries can be classified into two main categories: traumatic (acute) and overuse (chronic). Traumatic (acute) refers to any specific, sharp, and sudden pain resulting from a traumatic incident, such as a sports injury. Traumatic injuries are more common in athletes participating in certain sports that require a higher level of contact (e.g., football, hockey, or wrestling). The most common traumatic fracture injury in the athletic population is found in the fingers and includes dislocations, sprains, muscle strains, bone fractures, tendon inflammation, and ligament tears.
“During 2013, starting in April, a severe pain began in my right wrist that forced me to withdraw from several tournaments and simultaneously made it impossible for me to train. In Colombia, they did many radiological studies and various analyses which concluded I had to undergo a fairly invasive surgery for Kienböck’s disease, with an approximate disability of 8 to 10 months before playing again. On the recommendation of a medical friend, I visited Dr. Alejandro Badia for a consultation, who established a completely different procedure. He performed a wrist arthroscopy on me, found, and treated a completely different origin. My disability lasted 3 months, after which I was able to return to training. Today, 8 months later, I was able to participate in the most important Junior tournaments and I am going to play in the Youth Olympic Games held in Nanjing, China, representing my country.” – Luis Valero, holds the highest ranking for Colombia in the ITF standings, Professional Tennis Player.
“Major fractures of the hand or wrist occur only during high-speed contact or in older athletes who may suffer from osteoporosis. Complex fractures can occur below the elbow and there is great variation in fracture patterns. It is important that an upper extremity specialist evaluates these injuries, as recovery of the entire wrist and hand due to range of motion is often difficult. Fractures of the upper arm can also be the result of this injury and even extend to the shoulder joint” – explains Dr. Alejandro Badia, Hand and Upper Extremity Surgeon at the Badia Hand to Shoulder Center.
Overuse (chronic) injuries are more likely to occur in athletes playing sports that require them to repeat a particular movement (e.g., baseball, football, tennis, or golf). These injuries are likely stress-induced and include: tendon inflammation and dislocation, nerve injury, and stress fractures caused by overuse of the joints. Chronic injuries have a greater tendency to develop long-term effects. However, long-term disability is less likely to occur from overuse injuries than from traumatic injuries. An athlete’s performance can decrease significantly if chronic injuries are left untreated. Surgery may be necessary if chronic overuse injuries persist and continue over time.
Athletic injuries to the hand and wrist can cause great pain and stress, both physically and emotionally. If you experience a hand or wrist injury while participating in any physical sport where a medical team is not present, seek immediate medical attention. It is important to be aware of what immediate symptoms include:
- Severe pain and swelling
- Numbness
- Coldness or grayish color in the finger, hand, or wrist
- Abnormal twisting or bending of the finger or hand
- Clicking or popping sound while moving the finger, hand, or wrist
- Unstoppable and persistent bleeding for more than 10 minutes
Consult your doctor or specialist immediately if the wrist pain, bruising, or swelling persists after several days.
“Hand and wrist arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical technique used to explore a set of pathologies. Small incisions are made to insert a fiber optic instrument that serves as a camera inside a joint, allowing not only the diagnosis of a problem, but often reaching a conclusion on what definitive treatment would be best for the patient” – continues Dr. Alejandro Badia.
Treatment depends on the location, type, duration, and severity of the injury. Some injuries may require surgery, such as ligament tears. The key point for a quick recovery is seeking evaluation by an upper extremity specialist. The general orthopedic surgeon deals with simple fractures, but the competitive athlete needs an optimal result in order to maximize and fully return to their functions. Given timely and accurate treatment, there is no reason why a professional athlete or any sports enthusiast should not be able to return to their normal lifestyle after suffering a hand or wrist injury.
