One in four of all fractures involves the hand or wrist. This is true of sports injuries too. Even if fractures of the distal radius are excluded, injuries to the carpus, metacarpals, and phalanges are common in sport. Soft tissue injuries to joints are almost as common. The use of the hand and wrist in different sports affects the way they may be injured. Soccer players (except the goalkeeper)...

Injuries to the hand and wrist are commonly encountered in athletes. Decisions regarding the most appropriate treatment, the timing of treatment, and return to play are made while balancing desires to resume athletic activities and sound orthopedic principles. Little recognition in the literature exists regarding the need for a different approach when treating these injuries in elite athletes a...

Flexor tendon injuries can be problematic injuries from the time of occurrence until the patient returns to full and complete recovery. There are many misadventures that can occur along the way. The emergency physician must be keenly aware of the anatomy involved, and a careful history and physical examination must be performed. The diagnosis may be obvious or subtle, and the emergency physicia...

Care of the reconstructed hand following mutilating injury is akin to the care of a vintage car. Its mechanisms are delicate, spare parts are limited, touch-ups are required often, and a major overhaul is indicated rarely. Secondary interventions are indicated for completion of staged primary procedures, management of complications, targeted improvement of function, and enhancement of appearanc...

50 consecutive patients with injuries due to skiing on an artificial ski slope were seen in our emergency department over a 16-month period; 76% of these involved the hand or wrist. 52.5% of hand lesions were fractures and only one-third of the first ray injuries were sprains of the ulnar aspect of the MP joint. These data significantly differ from those known for skiing on snow.

BAILEY, D. A. (I963): 'The Infected Hand'. London: H. K. Lewis. A sound and comprehensive account of sepsis in the hand, but without special reference to 'Sepsis and Salvage'. CLARKSON, P. and PELLY, A. (I962): 'Plastic and General Surgery of the Hand'. Oxford: Blackwell. A useful work of reference and practical advice. MACGREGOR, I. A. (I962): 'Fundamental Techniques of Plastic Surgery'. Londo...

A prospective study of 500 consecutive patients referred from accident and emergency departments in Northern Ireland with acute hand injuries was performed to assess the incidence of missed injuries. An injury was 'missed' if a patient was receiving inappropriate treatment or returned due to persistent symptoms despite being examined, treated and discharged. There were 16 (3.2%) missed injuries...

Hand and wrist injuries are common in athletes and can affect articular structures (ligaments, joint surfaces etc), periarticular tendons, muscles and nerves. These injuries can be acute or chronic. Acute injuries follow sudden traumatic events such as falls or joint sprains. Chronic lesions can be the result of local repetitive microtrauma or the sequelae of an acute injury. An accurate patien...