Wrist / Hand

Arthroscopic Surgery

Wrist arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that can be used to both diagnose and treat a wide range of conditions affecting the wrist joint. The wrist is made up of eight small bones, along with ligaments, tendons and other tissues that can become damaged as a result of degeneration, trauma, disease and other factors.

During the procedure, your surgeon will make several tiny incisions in the wrist, into which a thin tube called an arthroscope and small surgical instruments are inserted. The tube is connected to a camera that displays images of the wrist's internal structure on a computer screen, allowing your surgeon to precisely identify and target any abnormalities within the joint.

Depending on what is found during the diagnostic procedure, your surgeon may choose to treat the condition at the same time. Wrist arthroscopy can be used to remove inflamed areas, repair fractures, remove ganglion cysts and repair torn ligaments or tendons.

After surgery, patients should keep the wrist elevated and bandaged for several days in order to reduce the risk of pain and swelling and to promote proper healing. Patients will experience significantly less bleeding, less scarring and shorter recovery times with the arthroscopy procedure than they would with traditional open surgery.

Scaphoid Fracture

The scaphoid is one of the eight small bones that make up the wrist joint, located at the base of the thumb. This bone may be fractured as a result of a fall on an outstretched hand, or from other types of injury or trauma. It often occurs as a result of an athletic injury, and is most common in men between the ages of 20 and 30 years old.

This type of injury causes pain and swelling within the wrist, usually in the area at the base of the thumb. This pain may worsen when the hand grips something. Dr. Chao can diagnose a scaphoid fracture through an X-ray. In some cases, the initial X-ray may not exhibit signs of a fracture, but a second exam performed after a week or two of immobilization can confirm the diagnosis.

Most scaphoid fractures can be successfully treated through conservative methods such as casting, icing, compression garments and anti-inflammatory medications. Surgery may be required for more severe fractures, especially those where the bone is broken in the middle or closer to the forearm, where healing is often more difficult.

Surgical repair of a scaphoid fractures involves the use screws or wires to stabilize the bone and hold it in place during healing. The best treatment for each individual fracture depends on the location and severity of the fracture, as well as the age and overall health of the patient.