Treatment of Hand Injuries

Abstract

T HE SMALLEST LACERATION or puncture wound of the hand may lead to prolonged or permanent disability. A half-inch laceration appearing as a minor injury may, in the right place, sever the median nerve or ulnar nerve or divide a flexor or an extensor tendon. A minor wound of the fingertip, when treated improperly, can become infected and eventually lead to loss of function of the finger and hand. Thus, all who see and treat hand injuries should be aware that such injuries are not minor problems. A small injury of a hand requires the most exacting diagnosis and treatment, just as if it were an obviously severe injury with loss of skin or crushing. This would certainly appear to be true for the patient with an industrial injury. With inadequate diagnosis and inappropriate treatment, the individual may be left with a disability which changes the entire outlook regarding his ability to earn a living. For example, if the severance of a digital nerve goes unrecognized, tactile sensation in the fingers is lost, which reduces the worker's efficiency. With a severed tendon either unnoticed or treated improperly, the worker's ability to use his hand is severely impaired. Certainly, these eventualities would lead the exami-