The wrist is a collection of many joints and bones with one main purpose; to allow you to use your hands. The wrist has to be extremely mobile. At the same time, it has to provide the strength for gripping.

The wrist comprises eight separate small bones called the carpal bones. These bones connect the two bones of the forearm, called the radius and the ulna, to the bones of the hand and fingers. The metacarpal bones are the long bones that lie mostly underneath the palm, and they are in turn attached to the phalanges; the bones in the fingers and thumb.

The wrist is complicated because every small bone forms a joint with its neighbor. Ligaments connect all the small bones to each other, and to the radius, ulna and metacarpal bones. A wrist injury, such as falling on the outstretched hand, can damage these ligaments and change the way the bones of the wrist work together. Hand surgeons are just beginning to realize how many ways the wrist can be injured. Some injuries seem to be no more that a simple sprain of the wrist when the injury occurs, but problems can develop years later.

The joints are covered with articular cartilage that cushions the joints. A more serious injury, such as a fracture of one or several bones of the wrist, can injure the articular cartilage surfaces of the joints and lead to “degenerative” arthritis.