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Wrist fusion is an operation to join two or more bones together. This is usually performed to treat a joint that has arthritis, where the worn joint surfaces cause pain when they rub together. By fusing the two bones the joint no longer moves, therefore removing the source of pain.
There are several bones that join together to form the wrist. There are different kinds of wrist fusions depending on which bones are joined.
A total wrist fusion is where all the joints that allow the wrist to flex and extend are joined together. After a successful wrist fusion, the wrist will no longer move back and forth, however it will still be possible to turn the hand to face the floor or the ceiling.
A total wrist fusion is generally suitable for patients with arthritis that affects several different bones of the wrist at one time.
A partial wrist fusion joins some of the wrist bone together but leaves others alone. After a successful partial wrist fusion, a person can expect to still be able to move the wrist back and forth to some degree, but this will still not be the same movement as in a normal wrist.
A partial wrist fusion is often suitable for patients with certain specific patterns of arthritis where some parts of the wrist joint are not affected.
Patients usually stay overnight in hospital after a wrist fusion. The wrist will be in a splint and be immobilised for several weeks following surgery to allow it to heal.
For more information on wrist fusion, we recommend contacting our surgeons for an initial consultation.
