“Do bone spurs have to be surgically removed?”
I was diagnosed with a bone spur on my wrist. Is it serious? Do bone spurs have to be surgically removed?
5 Answers
If they are causing pain that is not amenable to non-operative treatment or causing a loss of function fog the wrist /hand , then yes they might be removed if the patient so desires.
Bone Spurs result from constant irritation of the bone. They do not have to be removed. However if they are causing constant pain or loss of function, surgery may be required. If the initial problem such as the arthritis, loose ligaments, constant work/ home trauma is not corrected, they will come back after surgery often more severely. So be careful before any surgery is performed. Good luck!
Raj K. Sinha
Orthopedist
They rarely HAVE to be removed. They can be removed if they are causing pain or threatening to tear a tendon.
Walker A. Wynkoop
Orthopedist
Nope. And that is an unusual reason for wrist pain. If you can use your wrist for everything you want to do as long as you can put up with a little pain, I recommend against any surgery for a spur AND see an orthopedic hand/wrist specialist before any final decisions.
Richard Stephen Gilbert
Hand Surgeon
Bone spurs of the wrist do not need to be removed unless they cause pain or other symptoms. The majority of bone spurs of the hand and wrist cause minimal symptoms and do not need to be surgically removed. In either case, bone spurs of the wrist are usually not "serious."
