Wrist fusion and tendon repair in hands

[Cheryljean]

Has anyone had this done? I am very scared. Any comments?

[dickfend]

Hi I have had RA for over 40 years and have had both wrists fused, shoulder pinned and an elbow replacement. I promise it is nothing to worry about. It feels weired for a while as your head is saying that you can bend your wrist but obviously you can't . However, you learn to compensate for the loss of movement and it feel no different to having them mobile. When are you having them done.? I wish you all the best, but don't worry it will be fine.

[Cheryljean]

Thank you for your input, greatly appreciated!!!

[allanah]

I haven't had one but I bet it will help you . Thinking of you and hope you get sorted soon x

[sallyeb]

I'm not quite sure what you mean by tendon repair in hands. When I had my knuckles replaced they did reposition tendons as I have swan necking in 6 of my fingers. Long term this didn't work. All of my tendons have slipped back again so in same trouble.

Sally x

[Cheryljean in reply to sallyeb]

I lost usage of my fingers due to wrists being disloccated. So I have to have tendons repaired to make fingers working. I am very scared.

[bevie]

Hi CherylJean,

I have had both of my wrists fused. The first one over 10 years ago after a tendon rupture. I ended up having a tendon repair, wrist fusion and removal of the head of the ulnar bone. I too was very scared. I was in hospital for 5 days, when I came round after the anaesthetic my arm was in a sling and attached to a drip stand type of thing to elevate it to stop the swelling.

I also had a bone graft from the top of my pelvis so that bone could be put into my wrist. I had stitches under the skin on my wrist the first time so they did not need removing, plus clips on my side where the bone graft was taken. The second time I had clips on the wrist wound, they have left more of a scar than the subcutaneous suture.

When I had the second fusion, minus the tendon repair that time, I had a nerve block on my arm as the morphine drip made me sick the previous time.

It took me six months of twice a week physio and occupational therapy to get over the first one as it took a while and a lot of exercising to get the tendons working again.

The second fusion only took about three months to get over as it was minus the tendon repair.(this one was done to prevent a further tendon rupture.

The fusions took a lot of the pain out of my wrists but have reduced a lot of the function.

I soon got used to them being fused and quickly learned what I could and couldn't do with them.

All the very best with it.

Bev N