After falling on the ice and hurting my wrist, the doctor X-rayed my hand. The wrist was not broken but the bone in the middle was damaged. My arm was held still in a splint for six weeks but the bone has not healed. What’s the next step?

A wrist injury of this type can lead to death of the bone, a process called avascular (without blood) necrosis (death). The bone in the center of the wrist (called the lunate) is only supplied with blood on one side. Anything that stops the blood to this bone can cause this condition.

Other treatment can include several different kinds of surgery. One new method removes the dead or dying bone and inserts a new piece of bone (bone graft) in its place. Doctors do not usually pin the bone in place in order to avoid damaging the bone graft and its blood supply.