Stiffness of the Elbow May Lead To Elbow Arthritis

Human body is a mechanism that functions with the help of different parts and organs. Nervous system is one of the main system upon which the proper functionality of the body is dependent. The condition of the nervous system in which the radial nerve is squeezed by surrounding structures in the elbow or forearm is called radial tunnel syndrome. This syndrome is mainly characterized by weakness or pain in the hand and wrist. It is mainly caused due to an increased pressure on the radial nerve. The compression in the nerve usually occurs in the elbow or forearm by the muscles and ligament-like tissues.

The compression in the elbow may lead to pain and weakness of the hand; it may further result into Elbow Arthritis. You may also suffer from this condition due to direct trauma to the elbow or forearm. Arthritis of the elbow in many people not only causes pain when they bend their elbow, but also when they straighten it preventing them to carry on their day to day work. Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common cause of this condition while osteoarthritis and injuries damage the cartilage of the elbow joint making people suffer from arthritis in the elbow joint. 

An injury or damage to the elbow joint may further leads to stiffness of the elbow. Stiffness is relatively a common elbow problem. A trauma involving considerable bone and soft-tissue injury may lead to elbow stiffness. If you experience a stiff elbow after an injury or surgery, than you may find it difficult to move your hand freely and it may take more than a year to improve your hand movement. With physiotherapy and elbow splinting, you can improve the motion at a quicker speed. However, if you don’t see any improvement in your hand movement even after physiotherapy or elbow splinting than surgical treatment is recommended to release the elbow joint.

Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex- A Sprain in the Wrist

Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex (TFCC) is a complicate structure and is a chief provider to the strength and stability of the wrist. It is also a common source of pain for the wrist by the side of the ulna (small finger). The entire TFCC is placed between the ulna and two carpal bones (lunate and triquetrum) and is a collection of many structures that hold up the Triangular Fibrocartilage Proper. The Triangular Fibrocartilage is the major tendon that soothes the Distal Radio-Ulnar Joint (DRUJ), the part of the wrist joint lying between the two bones of the forearm (radius and ulna), and allowing rotation of forearm.

Injuries to the Triangular Fibrocartilage ligament affect the ulnar (little finger) side of the wrist. It may be injured by a fall, sports injury, car crash, or other trauma. If you fracture your wrist than you are likely to suffer from TFCC tears and this can be the major cause of wrist pain even after the injury is healed. You may also get Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex even without any injury if the ulna bone is longer than the radius bone. TFCC can be referred as a sprain to the wrist and its injury may result as a very disable wrist condition.

Apart from the TFCC injuries, your wrist may also suffer from the Kienbock’s Disease. It is a disorder of the wrist and is a condition in which the blood supply to the lunate bone is reduced and this result in the death of the bone. Lunate bone is one of the central bones in the wrist providing proper movement and support to the joint.  It makes up the proximal carpal row in the wrist along with the scaphoid and triquetrum bones either side of it. The Kienbock’s Disease is most common in men between the age group of 20 and 40. Its symptoms include pain, stiffness, and arthritis of the wrist over the time.