Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Wrist drop causes
Introduction
Causes
Causes
Causes are:
- Injury
- Crutch palsy, caused by improper use of crutches
- Fracture of the humerus (upper arm bone)
- Long-term or repeated constriction of the wrist (for example, from wearing a tight watch strap)
- Pressure caused by hanging the arm over the back of a chair (Saturday night palsy if caused by drinking too much alcohol and falling asleep in that position)
- Pressure to the upper arm from arm positions during sleep or coma
- Pinching of the nerve during deep sleep, such as when a person is intoxicated
- In some cases, no cause can be found.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Cafer Zorkun, M.D., Ph.D. [2]