Hand Injuries

Hand injuries (Hand trauma) are common complaints that often require a hand surgery procedure from a specialist surgeon to aid healing.

Common Hand Injuries include:

Flexor Tendons Injuries – Flexor Tendons are found on the palmar side of the fingers, hand, wrist and forearm. Usually due to a cut in any one of these areas, it causes difficulty in moving the wrist, thumb and fingers. Where there is no laceration, general wear and tear could have caused the tendon to separate. Tendon injuries do not heal on their own, and a surgical procedure will be required to put them back in the right place, followed by a specialised course of physiotherapy.

Jersey Finger – Jersey finger is a closed rupture of the flexor tendon due to trauma, most often through contact sports. Up to 75% of cases of Jersey finger involve the ring finger. Because the flexor digitorum profundus tendon (FDP) is the only tendon to control movement of flexing of the affected joint, a total rupture will cause inability to bend or flex the DIP joint. Where a full rupture is present, surgical intervention is required to anchor the tendon to the bone.

Extensor Tendons Injuries – Extensor Tendons are found at the back of the fingers and hand, and control the movements to straighten the wrist, fingers and thumb. The tendon can become detached from the bone due to a cut or jarring the end of the finger, resulting in difficulties to straighten the joints. Common extensor tendon injuries are Mallet Finger (when the end of the finger droops downwards after being struck by an object) or Boutonniere Deformity (when a laceration causes the finger to bend at the middle joint).

Nerve Lacerations – Nerves carry messages from the brain to parts all over the body. The nerves can become damaged from too much pressure, overstretching or lacerations and stop the brain’s message from reaching its destination. Symptoms include: pain, weakness or numbness and can be constant or intermittent, depending on the severity of the injury. Surgery is usually required when a nerve injury is more severe, stitching the nerve ends back together, and allowing time for the nerve fibres to grow back on to the muscle. Physical therapy with a specialist in such injuries is mandatory to achieve the best outcome.

Hand Fractures – The hand contains 2 types of bones: Metacarpals (the long bones in the palms) and Phalanges (the smaller bones in the fingers). A fracture is another name for a break in the bone and can be caused by crushing or twisting. Whilst most hand fractures can be treated without surgery, more severe breaks require an operation to realign the bones.

Sprained Fingers – Joints are bound together by bands of tissue called ligaments, and when they are stretched or torn it causes a Sprain. These injuries are common impact injuries, especially for athletes and people who engage in sports (particularly those involving throwing and catching) and can cause pain, swelling and limited mobility. They usually heal fairly easily without an operation, but a severe sprain will see extensive tears to the ligaments that will  require surgery to stitch them back together.

Mallet Finger – This condition is when the Extensor tendon in the finger is damaged at the end of the finger, causing an inability for the finger to straighten. As a result of a forceful bend at the end of the finger, the tendon is torn with or without a chip of bone and it may also be accompanied by swelling and bruising.

Skiers Thumb – Trauma to the thumb Metacarpo-Phalangeal joint (where the thumb meets the hand) damages the ligament that controls the thumbs movements, causing laxity and functional difficulties. Usually as a result of falling onto the outstretched thumb, symptoms include swelling, bruising and inability to grip due to loss of strength. If the ligament is completely torn and misplaced, surgery will be required.

Nail Bed Injuries – These common injuries are often caused by laceration or by crushing. The trauma may cause; blood to accumulate under the nail, the nail to break up into pieces or the nail to come off completely. Surgery (stitching of the nail bed) is needed for severe injuries when the nail will need removing