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What you should know about Hand Injury and Trauma
Sleeping Hands
Hand trauma is an injury involving the hands, fingers, and wrists, including both hard and soft tissues like the tendons, ligaments, and nerves. This blog contains brief information about hand trauma and injuries. Hand injuries can be divided into the following categories.
- Burns
Burn to the hand is caused by heat, chemical, or electrical sources that can damage skin, nerves, and blood vessels. Lacerations
Lacerations, deep cuts, or skin tearing can be caused by injury from a sharp objectDislocations and fractures
Fractures & dislocations involve injury to the joints and bones. A fracture refers to a partial/complete break in a bone, while a dislocation is when two connected bones are separated at their joint in the fingers or the wristHigh-pressure injection injuries
High-pressure injection injuries usually occur on the dominant hand and index finger.Soft tissue injuries
A soft tissue injury can affect the ligaments, muscles, and tendons. STI can be classified as contusions, bruises, sprains, tendonitis, bursitis, strains, and stress injuries.Amputations
An amputation is the loss or removal of a limb, usually due to injury (trauma) or disease
Causes of hand trauma
Some common causes of hand trauma include:
- Impact during recreational activities or sports
- Accidents such as mishaps in the kitchen or at workplace, or a motor accident
- Wear and tear from ageing or overuse
Hand injuries can happen to anyone anytime and mostly when you least expect it.
Risk factors:
- The risk of hand, finger, or wrist injury is higher in contact sports.
- Children’s finger, hand, or wrist injuries mostly occur from accidental falls
Tips for preventing hand injury
- Using the correct technique while gripping, cutting, and lifting.
- Being attentive while working on daily tasks.
- Taking regular breaks to relieve pressure on your hands.
- Wearing protective gear while working or playing sports.
- Stretching and warming up before playing sports.
Symptoms of hand injury
The symptoms of hand trauma vary depending on the type of injury, how it occurred, its depth, severity, and its location. However, common symptoms of hand injuries include:
- Burns – tenderness or complete numbness, deformity, discolouration, loss of tissue, change in skin texture, redness, blistering, black areas of tissue, etc.
- Fractures and dislocations – tenderness, deformity, swelling, discolouration, decreased range of motion (difficulty moving), numbness, weakness, bleeding, etc.
- High-pressure injuries – pain, swelling, and occasional skin discolouration.
- Infections – tenderness, localized warmth, redness, swelling, fever (rare), deformity, and decreased range of motion.
- Lacerations – tenderness, bleeding, numbness, decreased range of motion, weakness, and pallor.
Diagnosis of hand trauma
- Clinical examination – In a clinical or physical examination of the hand, your doctor will examine your wound or injury and test for nerve and muscular function.
- Imaging tests – X-rays, CT scans, MRI scans, and electrodiagnostics can help identify fractures, dislocations, or the presence of foreign objects to test for injuries that are not visible to the naked eye.
What appears to be a mild injury in the beginning, might be more serious than you think. See a doctor immediately if you experience any injury or symptoms discussed above. Book an appointment with Prof Dr Robert Hierner if you are in Dubai and need a doctor to diagnose any hand injury and trauma.
