Golfer’s Wrist (Hook of Hamate Fracture or Tendinitis)

Golfer’s Wrist refers to a break in the small projection of the triangular-shaped hamate bone, which is located in the palm near the wrist below the pinky and ring fingers.

Occurring most often in golfers and batters, whose palms repeatedly absorb the shock of club- or bat-to-ball contact, Golfer’s Wrist can develop over time as an overuse injury or suddenly in a more traumatic instance. Primary symptoms include palmar pain and difficulty grasping things in the hand.

Given the proximity to underlying arteries and nerves, Golfer’s Wrist should be attended to as soon as possible—by immobilization, in mild cases, and surgical intervention in severe and chronic cases.

Inflammation of the central extensor tendon of the wrist, the extensor carpi radialis brevis, can result from hitting the ground. The non dominant wrist is afflicted. Rest, splinting, and anti-inflammatory medications usually cure the problem.