Tfcc tear

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Jun 19, 2012
306
18
Well my DD has been diagnosed with a bone bruise and a tear in her TFCC also said the ECU tendon was elasticy. Injury happened playing basketball just a freak accident in the last 20 secs of the game. She has been in a brace for the last 7 weeks has 4 to go then rehab and hopefully able to start playing softball again. Looking like surgery is not needed yet but if it doesn't get better the specialist said it might have to be done.

Is anyone familiar with this injury? Anyone DD have this before ? What was the recovery time ? How is it now?

Thanks for listening.
 

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Last edited:
Oct 16, 2015
30
6
Following. My dd is going thru the same thing. I am waiting on her 2nd MRI to be approved to see if surgery is necessary or if it looks like the brace/PT route is working.
 
Jan 4, 2015
48
8
I teach other surgeons how to fix these. I probably operate on 60-70 TFCCs every year. In young athletes it’s important to know where the tear is and is it complete or not. After an exam and an MRI arthrogram, I’m pretty certain on the path that needs to be taken. Like a meniscus the TFCC has different zones of blood supply to it which dictates how to fix it. A complete tear on the ulnar side needs a repair which has a 8-12 week recovery. A central tear or radial sided tear or a partial ulnar sided tear needs a debridement and the down time for that is minimal. Unfortunately, most young athletes have a tear on the ulnar side which means they have a lot of tears that require repair and a 8-12 weeks of downtime. However, some have a partial tear and get a debridement and 3 weeks later are back at it. Interestingly, as a sub specialist in hand and wrist surgery, I get patients that have already done and failed the splinting and therapy route. I rarely get an initial injury, but when I do, if it is partial I go the conservative route first. If it is complete, I just skip to the surgery because they rarely get better and those that get better are easily irritated with activity. There are lots of success stories with repair of this injury and very few patients that had to change their lives because of it. I fixed a 15 year old baseball pitcher that is now a senior in hush school throwing 94 with no problems. That is one of many. Good luck to your daughter
 
Jun 19, 2012
306
18
I teach other surgeons how to fix these. I probably operate on 60-70 TFCCs every year. In young athletes it’s important to know where the tear is and is it complete or not. After an exam and an MRI arthrogram, I’m pretty certain on the path that needs to be taken. Like a meniscus the TFCC has different zones of blood supply to it which dictates how to fix it. A complete tear on the ulnar side needs a repair which has a 8-12 week recovery. A central tear or radial sided tear or a partial ulnar sided tear needs a debridement and the down time for that is minimal. Unfortunately, most young athletes have a tear on the ulnar side which means they have a lot of tears that require repair and a 8-12 weeks of downtime. However, some have a partial tear and get a debridement and 3 weeks later are back at it. Interestingly, as a sub specialist in hand and wrist surgery, I get patients that have already done and failed the splinting and therapy route. I rarely get an initial injury, but when I do, if it is partial I go the conservative route first. If it is complete, I just skip to the surgery because they rarely get better and those that get better are easily irritated with activity. There are lots of success stories with repair of this injury and very few patients that had to change their lives because of it. I fixed a 15 year old baseball pitcher that is now a senior in hush school throwing 94 with no problems. That is one of many. Good luck to your daughter
Results from our visit was:
The tear is in the middle of the meniscus 4 more week in a soft cast the 2 weeks of therapy and a re visit possibly a steroid shot to help ease pain.
Then continue to rehab and start playing activities if no better surgery may be the option
 
Oct 16, 2015
30
6
Update: Surgery scheduled for the 20th. Doctor is saying 4-6 months recovery time. This about broke her heart!
Looks like she tore her Ligamentum subruentum ligament. He can't show me the tear on the MRI but says based on symptoms and the way it moves he feels that is what it is.
She did try laser therapy at the chiropractor which reduced some of the pain but she tried to play this weekend to see if she could play thru the pain and get the surgery after summer but she can't do it.
 
Jan 4, 2015
48
8
Yes, that is the complete ulnar sided tear version. I fix them using the arthrex ulnar tunnel method. My patients return to full activity at 8 weeks. Having some restriction of motion, soreness, and weakness for 3-4 months isn’t abnormal, but I let my athletes play through it since the tfcc is repaired and solid. Good luck to her.
 

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