Keyhole surgery for the wrist
History and physical examination by a hand / wrist surgeon are the foundation of the diagnosis of wrist problems. Imaging, such as an MRI scan can be very helpful. Sometimes, further investigation is required to obtain a diagnosis.
The most thorough way to establish a diagnosis of a wrist problem is a wrist arthroscopy. In this procedure the surgeon can see inside the wrist using 4 small incisions (+/- 5 mm each) on the back of the wrist to introduce a fibre-optic camera. The wrist joint can then be fully inspected and stability tested with the bones and joints in direct view.
Some treatments can be performed using arthroscopy instead of open wrist surgery. This reduces recovery time and scarring.
