Description The olecranon (oh-LEH-cruh-nahn) is the pointy bone at the tip of the elbow. The bursa is the thin sac of fluid that lies between this boney tip and the skin. It helps the skin slide over the bone smoothly. Normally, this sac has only a tiny bit of fluid inside of it and lays […]
Description Hand bones are called metacarpals. The finger bones are called phalanges. The metacarpophalangeal joint (MP joint), or knuckle, is where the finger bones meet the hand bones. At the MP joints, the fingers can move in multiple directions. They can bend, straighten, spread apart and move together. MP joints are important for both pinching and […]
Description The shoulder (Figure 1) is a ball and socket joint that allows a wide range of movement. Because it is composed of several key structures such as tendons, cartilage and bone, the shoulder can be affected by a variety of conditions.
Description Gout and pseudogout are two types of arthritis that result in sore joints. With these types of arthritis, crystals form in the joint, causing irritation that is sometimes also present in the tendons near the joint. Joints can become swollen, painful, and red (Figure 1).
Description Ganglion cysts are very common lumps within the hand and wrist that occur adjacent to joints or tendons. The most common locations are the top of the wrist (see Figure 1), the palm side of the wrist, the base of the finger on the palm side, and the top of the end joint of […]
Description The biceps muscle is in the front of your arm (see Figure 1). It bends your elbow and twists your forearm to turn your palm upward. The biceps tendon connects the biceps muscle to your radius bone, which is one of the forearm bones. Such maneuverability may lead to distal biceps tendon problems. Causes […]
Kienböck’s disease is a condition where the blood supply to one of the small bones in the wrist, the lunate, is interrupted. Bone is living tissue that requires a regular supply of blood for nourishment. If the blood supply to a bone stops, the bone can die. This is called osteonecrosis. Damage to the lunate […]
Description A mallet finger is a deformity of the finger caused when the tendon that straightens your finger (the extensor tendon) is damaged. When a ball or other object strikes the tip of the finger or thumb and forcibly bends it, the force tears the tendon that straightens the finger (see Figure 1a and 1b). […]
Desciption Arthritis— which literally means “inflamed joint” — can affect any joint in the body, including the joints between the 29 bones of the wrist, hand, and fingers. Arthritis of the hand can hurt and keep you from being able to do what you want or need to do. The most common forms of arthritis […]
Description Hand infections can cause severe problems that persist even after the infection has resolved, such as stiffness, loss of strength, and loss of tissues such as skin, nerve and bone. Thus, early and aggressive treatment of infections is essential. When seen early, some types of infection can be treated with antibiotics and local rest […]