With Kobe Bryant scoring only 16 points in their last encounter against Denver, the injection the team doctor game him to numb the pain did little to help him, and has got people wondering what really happens when an athlete injures his wrist.

Bryant recently tore a ligament in his right wrist during the first pre-season against the Clippers. Because of this injury and with the pain being so excruciating, the basketball star is reported to have been getting numbing shots before each game since the injury, according to TMZ.

Dr. Robert Klapper, chief of orthopedics at Cedars-Sinai Medical Group in a radio show, explained that Bryant's injury revolves around the Lunotriquetral, or LT, which represents the different bones in the wrist, and that these tiny ligaments keep multiple bones in the wrist together, allowing movement and stability.

The doctor went on to say that these sorts of injury heals faster than an ankle fracture, and usually does not need to be operated on - however, rest is needed for it to heal.

An injury to the LT ligament is actually common in the world of sports, according to book "20 Most Common Problems in Sports Medicine" by James Puffer - being the second most common intercarpal ligament injury.

Essentially, an injury to this ligament happens because of hyperextention which may cause violent twisting; other reasons involve overuse, or in some sports, landing on it.

In a study done about LT injuries by Reagan DS and colleagues, research suggests that symptoms of this twisting of the wrist includes pain, weakness, limitation of motion, and a "click" with lateral motions.

In treating this injury, 80% of them require conservative treatments which usually consist of casting for 6 weeks. However, when an athlete does injure his wrist and persists in playing, further injury may occur. And when the problem does become chronic, an athlete could be looking at a ligament repair, reconstruction, or LT fusion just to stabilize it.

In recovering from a wrist injury, CommonSportsInjuries.com recommends doing wrist exercises such as spreading the fingers apart and closing them several times; do a typing action; placing the hand palm down on a surface and lifting each finger in turn; and squeezing a rubber ball for a few seconds and releasing it.