Osteoarthritis in the wrist: the hand no longer obeys


Dr. med. Petra Scheffer

Chief of

Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery / Hand Surgery

    Unscrewing a bottle causes you unpleasant pain? Lifting a heavy pot without pain - unimaginable! The mobility of the hands is very important in everyday life. If this is no longer possible due to osteoarthritis or rheumatism, for example, our hand specialists are the first port of call when it comes to artificial joint replacement in the hand. Dr Petra Scheffer and her team specialize in highly complex anatomical structures in the smallest of spaces. In order to damage as little tissue as possible in the hand, delicate work and very tissue-preserving surgical techniques are required.

    Pain in the wrist

    There are many ways to relieve pain in the wrist. The hand specialists use an arthroscopy to diagnose how much bone and cartilage is damaged. Better mobility without pain can be achieved by partially stiffening the wrist or removing a row of carpal bones. The prerequisite is that certain parts of the hand do not yet show any cartilage damage.

    Wrist prosthesis: getting the wrist moving again

    If the cartilage in the wrist is already damaged, our specialists can maintain or restore mobility with a wrist prosthesis. Our hand specialists will advise you on the advantages and disadvantages of a wrist prosthesis for you individually.

    How the hand surgery works

    Based on the diagnosis, the right wrist prosthesis is selected for you individually in terms of size and material. Although the wrist consists of eight small wrist bones, radius and ulna, it is possible to replace these with a joint prosthesis with a joint socket and a joint head. Access is via the wrist on the extensor side so that only a few vessels and nerves are damaged. The durability of a wrist prosthesis is around 15 years.

    The most common alternative to a prosthesis is arthrodesis, a complete stiffening of the wrist. The patient's requirements are always important, with the top priority being to alleviate the pain.

    Ulnar head prosthesis - osteoarthritis between ulna and radius

    Osteoarthritis (wear and tear) is also possible between the ulna and radius. If the ulnar head changes due to osteoarthritis, an accident or rheumatism, it is possible to insert an ulnar head prosthesis. An ulnar head prosthesis is a partial prosthesis that allows the hand to continue to turn without pain.

    Our medical team


    Dr. med. Petra Scheffer

    Chief of

    Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery / Hand Surgery

      Tanja Czarnotta

      Senior Physican

      Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery / Hand Surgery

        Contact & Appointments


        Simone Broda

        Secretariat Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery / Hand Surgery

        If you have not found a suitable date for you, please contact us by telephone.

        Private outpatient clinic

        Phone +49 2351 945-2228
        Fax +49 2351 945-2097
        sekretariat.scheffer@hellersen.de

        Outpatient clinic

        Phone +49 2351 945-2228
        Fax +49 2351 945-2097
        ambulanz@hellersen.de

        Office hours

        0

        Tuesday, Thursday
        8.00 - 15.00
        Appointments by appointment only

        At all other times, you can call our Central Emergency Outpatient Clinic on +49 2351 945-0.

        Central Emergency Outpatient Clinic