What Is the TFCC?

The triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) is a small hammock of ligament and cartilage on the pinky side of your wrist, connecting your forearm bones to your wrist bones. It stabilizes the joint and cushions it during rotation and gripping — which is why an injury here often shows up as pain right where you'd feel it turning a doorknob.

How It Happens

  • A fall onto an outstretched hand

  • A sudden, forceful twist of the wrist

  • Repetitive rotation — racquet sports, gymnastics, lifting

  • Gradual degenerative wear, more common with age

Common Symptoms

You'll often notice:

  • Pain on the pinky side of the wrist, worse with rotation or gripping

  • A clicking or popping sensation when turning the wrist

  • Reduced grip strength

  • Swelling around the wrist

How We Treat It

  1. Protect it — a period of splinting, usually 3–6 weeks, lets the tissue calm down.

  2. Restore motion — gentle, guided mobility work as splinting eases.

  3. Rebuild strength — progressive grip and forearm-rotation strengthening.

  4. Return to activity — a gradual step back into lifting, sport, or repetitive tasks.

Bottom line: Most TFCC injuries improve with splinting and a guided strengthening program — surgery is reserved for the cases that don't respond, and even then most people regain full function within about 12 weeks.