Common Hand Injuries That May Require Surgery

You use your hands for just about everything all day, every day. They’re an important part of your daily life, so when they become injured, it really puts a damper on your activities. While some hand injuries can heal with conservative treatment, others require surgery for you to regain full function.

The team at Meridian Plastic Surgery offers expert consultations and treatment when you’ve suffered a hand injury. Our two plastic surgery specialists are Dr. Lee Thornton and Dr. Mark Elliott. Both surgeons assess your injury to determine if surgery is necessary for your condition.

Common hand injuries

Your hands are complex structures on your body, each one is made up of 27 bones, including your wrist. Supporting these bones are a large number of other tissues, including muscles, tendons, ligaments, and vessels.

Because your hands are so intricate, they’re prone to injury. This is also true because of how much you use your hands. Falls and other forms of trauma may lead to a variety of conditions, including:

• Broken fingers
• Hand fractures
• Deep lacerations
• Tendon injuries
• Amputations
• Nail bed injuries
• Burns

The severity of these injuries varies, depending on the mechanism of the injury and how much of your hand is involved. For instance, you could break your finger or hand in more than one place, because of all the small bones in the area.

Even a small injury to your hand is problematic, especially if your job requires you to use them regularly. When you suffer an injury, it’s important to understand the symptoms of a problem so you can get help as soon as possible.

Symptoms of a problem

Whether you fall on your wrist or smash your fingers with a hammer, it’s important to seek treatment for a hand injury quickly. One small injury can quickly turn into a bigger problem because of the intricate network of tissues and bones.

The type of symptoms you experience after a hand injury depends on how you injured it, the tissues involved, and the severity of the injury. Symptoms that signal an issue where you should see our team right away include:

• Tenderness
• Numbness
• Weakness
• Deformity
• Swelling
• Discoloration
• Warmth
• Redness

Another sign of a problem is the inability to move your fingers, hand, or wrist. Decreased range of motion or pain with movement could be a sign of a tendon injury or a fractured bone.

When do you need surgery

If you’ve suffered a hand injury and you’re experiencing any uncomfortable symptoms, be sure to come in and see the team at Meridian Plastic Surgery. Dr. Thornton and Dr. Elliott evaluate your hand to determine the extent of your injury.

After performing an exam of your injury, our team often orders imaging studies to determine the extent of the damage in your hand. This helps Dr. Thornton and Dr. Elliott determine the next step in your treatment.

Hand or finger fractures sometimes require surgery in order to heal properly. If you have a broken bone that’s not a clean break, you might need surgical intervention in order to restore function in the area.

Lacerations that are deep may end up causing damage to your tendons. A torn or ruptured tendon can impair the movement in your hand or fingers. If conservative measures haven’t helped, Dr. Elliott and Dr. Thornton may suggest surgery to repair the tendon.

Any kind of amputation on your hand requires immediate care from our team. Time is crucial in the case of an amputation. In order to restore full function to the area, our team needs to see you as soon as possible.

Dr. Elliott and Dr. Thornton prefer conservative procedures when it comes to treating your injury. However, if surgery is needed, they take the time to discuss your options so you’re ready for the procedure.

After a hand injury, don’t hesitate to call our office in Meridian, Mississippi today at 601-693-7742. You can also book an appointment on the website using the scheduling tool.