gms | German Medical Science

7th EFSMA – European Congress of Sports Medicine, 3rd Central European Congress of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Annual Assembly of the German and the Austrian Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Austrian Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

26.-29.10.2011, Salzburg, Österreich

Triangular Fibro Cartilage Complex (TFCC) Injuries in elite Handball players

Meeting Abstract

7th EFSMA – European Congress of Sports Medicine, 3rd Central European Congress of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Salzburg, 26.-29.10.2011. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2011. Doc11esm239

doi: 10.3205/11esm239, urn:nbn:de:0183-11esm2393

Veröffentlicht: 24. Oktober 2011

© 2011 Manavis et al.
Dieser Artikel ist ein Open Access-Artikel und steht unter den Creative Commons Lizenzbedingungen (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.de). Er darf vervielfältigt, verbreitet und öffentlich zugänglich gemacht werden, vorausgesetzt dass Autor und Quelle genannt werden.


Gliederung

Text

Objective: Injuries of the upper extremities and especially of the wrist joint in sports are some of the most common injuries that are reported [1]. All athletes are likely to suffer from an acute or chronic injury at the anatomical region of the wrist joint during their sport career [1]. More specifically at the sport of handball emphasis should be placed at TFCC injuries. The extreme twist of the wrist joint during shooting or passing is the main causative biomechanical factor that may cause acute or even overuse injuries [2]. Additionally Handball as a contact sport, injuries of the TFCC can happen due to falls or direct trauma of the wrist area [2].

The diagnosis of these injuries should be done after a good history taking where the athlete describes the precise mechanism of the injury, physical examination and imaging techniques such as fluoroscopy and magnetic resonance imaging [3], [4].

The therapeutic approach of these injuries depends on the results of the imaging methods and can range from a simple stabilization of the joint to surgery [5].

Material/Methods: Three male athletes and one female were treated for a TFCC injury. All had magnetic resonance imaging for the diagnosis and the treatment was conservative. All of them were treated with a sport cast immobilization, NSAIDs and physical rehabilitation.

Results: The average period that the symptoms subsided was 2.8 weeks while the return to play averaged 5.8 weeks.

Conclusion: Conservative treatment can have equal results to that of surgical, but good clinical and imaging examination is recommended to justify the damage of the cartilage before the therapeutic approach.


References

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Rettig AC. Athletic injuries of the wrist and hand, part 1: traumatic injuries of the wrist. Am J Sports Med. 2003;31(6):1038–48.
2.
Palmer AK, Werner FW. Triangular fibrocartilage complex of the wrist: anatomy and function. J Hand Surg [Am]. 1981;6(2):153–62.
3.
Manusov EG. Hand and wrist injuries. In: Birrer RB, Griesemer BA, Cataletto MB, eds. Pediatric sports medicine for primary care. 1st edition. Phiadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2002. p. 367–84.
4.
Rettig AC. Athletic injuries of the wrist and hand, part 1: traumatic injuries of the wrist. Am J Sports Med. 2003;31(6):1038–48.
5.
Buterbaugh GA, Brown TR, Horn PC. Ulnar-sided wrist pain in athletes. Clin Sports Med. 1998;17(3):567–83.