Elbow and Wrist Injuries and Conditions

Fractures, tendinitis, instability, arthritis and other conditions can cause wrist and elbow pain. Other more specific elbow and wrist injuries treated in the Froedtert & MCW health network include:

• Colles fracture (distal radius fracture) – a break at the end of the radius bone of the forearm
• Cubital tunnel syndrome – similar to carpal tunnel syndrome, but resulting from pressure on the ulnar nerve and causing pain, tingling, numbness, swelling, weakness or clumsiness of the ring and small finger, as well as the elbow
• deQuervain’s tendinitis/tenosynovitis – a type of tendinitis of the wrist that is the result of irritation of the tendons on the side of the wrist that move the thumb away from the palm, resulting in forearm and wrist pain
• Distal bicep rupture – a rare injury to the distal biceps tendon at the elbow joint. The injury requires surgical repair to prevent loss of elbow strength and movement, and to preserve the ability to bend, sustain resistance and complete movements like turning a doorknob or using a screwdriver.
• Distal radioulnar joint instability (DRUJ) – instability of the joint that allows one to turn the hand palm-up or palm-down; limits range of motion and causes pain
• Elbow bursitis (olecranon bursitis) – a swelling of the small sac of fluid that covers the “pointy” bone at the tip of the elbow and causes pain and noticeable enlargement behind the elbow.
• Ganglion cyst – a particular type of lump in the hand which appears next to a joint or a tendon and may become painful if left untreated
• Kienbock’s disease – a condition in the wrist caused by the loss of blood supply to the lunate, one of the small bones in the wrist, causing pain and stiffness with wrist motion
• Scaphoid fracture – a break involving one of the bones connecting the wrist and hand
• Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) or golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis) – a painful form of tendinitis of the elbow and forearm aggravated by gripping and lifting the hand in awkward positions away from the body