Wrist drop
Wrist drop, as the name suggests, is a medical condition in which the wrist and the fingers cannot extend at the metacarpophalangeal joints.
How does it work?[edit | edit source]
The wrist remains partially flexed due to an opposing action of flexor muscles of the forearm. As a result, the extensor muscles in the posterior compartment remain paralyzed.
Causes[edit | edit source]
- An illness in the whole body that damages a single nerve
- Direct injury to the nerve
- Long-term pressure on the nerve
- Pressure on the nerve caused by swelling or injury of nearby body structures
- Radial neuropathy occurs when there is damage to the radial nerve, which travels down the arm and controls:
- Movement of the triceps muscle at the back of the upper arm
- Ability to bend the wrist and fingers backward
- Movement and sensation of the wrist and hand
- When damage destroys the nerve covering (myelin sheath) or part of the nerve itself, nerve signaling is slowed or prevented.
- Damage to the radial nerve can be caused by:
- Broken arm bone and other injury
- Diabetes
- Improper use of crutches
- Lead poisoning
- Long-term pressure on the nerve, usually caused by swelling or injury of nearby body structures
- Pressure to the upper arm from arm positions during sleep or coma
- In some cases, no cause can be found.
Wrist drop Resources | ||
---|---|---|
|
|
Translate to: East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski
Navigation: Wellness - Encyclopedia - Health topics - Disease Index - Drugs - World Directory - Gray's Anatomy - Keto diet - Recipes
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD