Orthopedic Treatment For Scapholunate Ligament Tear

Scapholunate is the ligament connecting scaphoid and lunate, the two small carpal bones present in the center of the wrist. The ligament helps in ensuring that the wrist moves smoothly and the bones move together. When the Scapholunate Ligament tears, not only is the pain excruciating but the bearer loses his ability to grip objects firmly as well. Athletes mainly those who pertain to sports which involve gripping a racquet or a bat are quite susceptible to tearing their Scapholunate Ligament.
 

Symptoms: 

• Pain in the wrist
• Pain towards the thumb
• A popping sound in the wrist at the time of the injury
• Weakened grip
• Bruising or swelling of the wrist
• Difficulty while moving the wrist in a rotating motion

Causes:

• Taking a fall, wrist first
• Lifting excessive weight using the wrist
• Playing high impact shots in certain sports
• Any one of the above mentioned mishaps can lead to the separation of the scaphoid and lunate and ultimately cause a fracture.

Treatment:

• The following things are taken into consideration while treating this condition:
• The patient's age
• The extent of the damage
• Time passed between the injury and when you see a doctor
• Whether the patient is suffering from arthritis and its extent

An orthopedic surgeon will perform the necessary mobility tests to diagnose the condition up close and rule out any other possible damage. It is also essential to identify the precise point where you are feeling the pain. For this, apart from the said mobility tests, the doctor may also recommend X-rays and MRI scans. This will help rule out the possibility of fractures, tissue damage and cartilage damage.

Modes of treatment:
 

Non invasive methods such as a splint or a cast are generally used if the damage is not too much. To provide temporary respite to the patient, the doctor will likely recommend anti-inflammatory medicine and painkillers. In severe cases because of the extent of the damage, an arthroscopic surgery, using small incisions may be recommended. By removing the damaged ligament, the surgeon will create scope for a new healthy ligament to grow back in its place. In either case it is recommend to see a wrist doctor who can fully diagnose and prescribe the correct treatment.

Orthopedic Treatment For Intoeing

Intoeing is an unusual problem that is found in infants and young children. Intoeing or pigeon-toed refers to the condition when the feet turn inward while running or walking, rather than pointing straight. Often the problem eventually corrects itself as the child grows but in certain cases orthopedic treatment is required to rectify it.
 

Causes:
 

There can be skeletal and neurological causes of Intoeing. Skeletal reasons include Metatarsus Adductus, Tibia Torsion, and Femoral Anteversion. However the neurological reasons can be due to premature labor and the intoeing due to neurological reasons should be taken seriously as the situation may actually worsen with age.
 

If the child’s feet are curved inward from the middle of the toes, the condition is referred to as Metatarsus Adductus. This usually occurs before birth and it is understood that the feet eventually straighten as the child grows up.  Another cause is Tibia Torsion, which is a twist in the tibia, a bone between the ankle and the knee. The problem comes to notice when the child starts walking. Usually the twist straightens out itself; however, in some cases the twist does not straighten out sufficiently to make the feet straight and the child suffers from Intoeing.  An inward twist in the femur (thighbone) leads to Femoral Anteversion.
 

Usually children are born with somewhat twist in the thighbone but the cause of intoeing becomes clear when the child starts walking. As these problems occur from genetic and development reasons it is almost impossible to prevent them.
 

Symptoms:

•  Infant’s feet point inwards
• Outer sides of the child’s foot is curved
• clumsiness
• Stumbling
• Tripping while walking

 Treatment:

 
Whether the problem is neurological or skeletal, the condition can be clear only after proper foot examination. The parents must consult a specialist to know the exact cause of the problem and whether treatment is required or not, and if required, then what should be the line of treatment. Metatarsus Adductus can be treated by serial casting, which involves applying casts to foot and leg for gently straightening it. This can be done to younger children as it is not suitable for elders. For older children, orthopedic surgeons recommend corrective devices such as special shoes and splints. This helps in modifying the position of joints. Sometimes surgery may be required to reset the bones, if the problem does not resolve on its own. An orthopedic surgeon will suggest the correct line of treatment after proper diagnosis.