How effective is cortisone injection for TFCC tear?

The triangular fibrocartilage complex helps support the ulnar side of the wrist and helps the forearm rotate. A cortisone injection can calm irritation around the area and may make everyday wrist use more comfortable. The response depends on the tear, associated inflammation, wrist stability, and whether another structure is causing the pain.

Pain improvement does not prove that the tear has healed. Clicking, weakness, reduced rotation, or pain with gripping may persist if the wrist remains unstable or continues to be loaded beyond its current capacity.

Ask whether imaging and examination have identified the tear’s location and whether the wrist is stable. Discuss a period of activity modification, possible splinting, and hand therapy to restore controlled movement and strength. Tell the clinician about infection, allergies, diabetes, blood-thinning medicine, and earlier injection reactions.

After the procedure, follow guidance on lifting, rotation, and weight-bearing through the hand. If symptoms return when normal tasks resume, record which movement triggers them and arrange review instead of repeatedly masking the pain.

Seek prompt assessment for increasing wrist deformity, sudden loss of grip, new numbness, marked swelling, or inability to rotate the forearm. Contact a healthcare professional for spreading redness, warmth, fever, or worsening pain after injection. Severe breathing difficulty or facial swelling needs emergency help.

Ask what the injection is expected to change, whether the tear is stable, how long to use a splint if recommended, and what rehabilitation can safely restore grip and rotation. Ask when persistent clicking or weakness would justify another review.