Evidence checked as of October 2026. Written by The Wellness Team.
What is the TFCC and why does it hurt?
The triangular fibrocartilage complex, or TFCC, is a cushion and set of ligaments on the little-finger side of the wrist. It stabilises the forearm bones where they meet the wrist and absorbs load when you grip, twist or lean on your hand. Injury can follow a fall onto an outstretched hand, a sudden twisting force, or repeated loading in racket sports, golf, gymnastics or manual work. It can also wear with age.
Typical symptoms are pain on the pinky side of the wrist, worse with turning a door handle, wringing a cloth or pushing up from a chair. There may be clicking, weakness of grip or a sense of the wrist catching. Not every TFCC finding on a scan is the cause of pain. Studies note that tears can be present with no symptoms at all.
How is it diagnosed?
Diagnosis rests on the story and a focused examination, including pressure over the area and specific tests of load and rotation. X-rays check the bones and the length of the ulna. MRI or MR arthrography helps to show tears. Ultrasound can examine nearby tendons that cause similar pain. Wrist arthroscopy, a keyhole look inside the joint, is both diagnostic and a way to treat.
Several conditions share this pain area, including a problem with the tendon on the ulnar side, instability of the forearm joint and arthritis, so the cause needs to be confirmed before any treatment.
What does the evidence say about treatment?
A 2026 review in Frontiers in Sports and Active Living describes non-surgical care as the usual starting point for many presentations: rest from the aggravating activity, splinting, physiotherapy and progressive rehabilitation, anti-inflammatory medicines and in some cases corticosteroid injection. The review also states that important gaps remain, including treatment guidance by tear type and standard rehabilitation protocols.
When symptoms persist, or the wrist is unstable, surgery is considered. A systematic review of treatment of symptomatic Palmer type 1 injuries reported that people having debridement returned to work in 92% of cases, but only 44% were pain free. Outcomes depend on the tear location and the quality of the tissue.
What about PRP?
PRP is being studied, and the research is early. The same Frontiers review says PRP and shockwave show potential benefit, with the caveat of limited evidence. A 2024 comparative study of 33 people who had arthroscopic TFCC repair, with or without PRP, found no significant difference in pain, and a worse Quick DASH function score in the PRP group, 12.64 compared with 7.75. It was a small study and it does not settle the question, but it does not support routine PRP either.
For this reason, we would not describe PRP as a proven treatment for TFCC injury. It may be a reasonable discussion for a person with a confirmed degenerative problem who has completed proper rehabilitation and understands the uncertainty.
What should you do first?
Reduce the load that provokes pain, use a wrist support for a limited period if advised, and do not push through sharp pain. A hand therapist or physiotherapist can build a graded programme for grip and forearm rotation. If you have wrist pain after a fall with swelling, bruising, deformity or loss of movement, get an X-ray to exclude a fracture.
How can The London PRP Clinic by The Wellness help?
Our approach is diagnosis first. We assess the wrist, confirm what is generating the pain, and use imaging where it will change the plan. Where PRP is a reasonable option, it is offered at £450 a session with the evidence limits explained plainly. Where a surgical opinion is more appropriate, we say so.
Discuss your wrist with the clinic: https://www.thelondonprpclinic.com/contact-best-prp-clinic-london
Review current services: https://www.thelondonprpclinic.com/services
Evidence and limits
Non-surgical management of TFCC injuries, Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 2026. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sports-and-active-living/articles/10.3389/fspor.2026.1695616/full
Treatment of symptomatic Palmer type 1 TFCC injuries, systematic review. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7410809/
PRP with arthroscopic TFCC repair, comparative study 2024. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11466133/
This is general information, not personal medical advice or a promise of results.