March 2018 - Arora Hand Surgery

How to Treat a Nail Bed Injury

Post author By aaarora
Post date March 26, 2018

A nail bed injury can have multiple causes. Anything that can crush, cut, tear or pinch the fingertip can also injure the nail bed. Consequently, nail bed injuries are often accompanied by other injuries to the finger or hand.

Crushing the fingertip may simply cause a lot of blood to pool under the nail, which is very painful. More severe injuries can cause the nail to break into pieces, or they may cause the nail and/or fingertip to be severed.

Our team will start by taking the patient’s medical history, during which they will ask about the cause of the injury. They will use imaging technology like an X-ray to both check the severity of the nail bed injury and look for any associated injuries like a broken bone. We will choose a treatment based on what we find. Regardless of the techniques used, the treatment’s goals will always be to restore the nail and surrounding area to its normal appearance and function.

If the patient has a hematoma or accumulation of blood under the nail, we can drill a small hole in the nail to release the blood and, thus, relieve the pressure and pain. Hematomas are among the more common nail bed injuries. In many cases, the patient ends up losing the nail, but a new one does grow in. The new nail will look perfectly normal unless the injury involved the germinal matrix or crescent. The nail grows from the germinal matrix, so an injury to it often results in a malformed nail. The nail, however, keeps growing throughout a person’s life. Thus, once the germinal matrix heals, it starts producing a normal nail that will eventually replace the misshapen nail over the following months.

In reconstruction of the nail bed, the surgeon may replace it with grafts taken from other digits. In many such cases, there will also be other injuries like fractures, and the surgeon will have to treat those first. It all depends on the unique situation.

Are you dealing with a nail bed injury? Make an appointment at Arora Hand Surgery right away. Contact us today to schedule a consultation at our office in Howell, Warren, Macomb, or West Bloomfield!

Tags Nail Bed Injury

Fingers General

What Can Cause a Sunken Knuckle?

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Post author By aaarora
Post date March 19, 2018

An injury that was once known as a “boxer’s fracture” has steadily become a more prevalent injury – and not just among brawlers! Knuckle fractures are becoming more and more common, and it is important to be aware of treatment options should you ever experience one. One of the most common and often sure signs of a broken knuckle is the appearance of a sunken knuckle, which is exactly what it sounds like: with a closed fist, the broken knuckle has either completely disappeared or has literally sunken below the other knuckles of the hand.

The “sunken” appearance will often be accompanied by swelling and bruising, but the absence of any one or all of these other symptoms does not necessarily mean that the injury is less severe. It is always a good idea to have any persistent or severe discomfort examined by one of the hand specialists on our staff.

Despite the nickname, sunken knuckle metacarpal fractures can occur as a result of many things, not just outright punching or boxing. Any significant blunt force trauma may be enough to fracture such a complex and delicate joint, such as car accidents, sports trauma, and other injuries that may occur throughout your daily life. The knuckles on and closest to the pinky finger are the most likely to be fractured in accidents.

Leaving knuckle fractures untreated can lead to a host of problems down the road. Stiffness is one of the most common side effects associated with hand fractures and can often complicate everyday tasks including eating, writing, and driving. Without the proper treatment, you risk doing permanent damage to your bones and joints, which may require more invasive treatment in the future.

In treating a sunken or broken knuckle, patients may encounter many different options. In extreme cases, our surgeon may need to fully reconstruct the knuckle or install permanent metal plates. After initial treatment, we support patients through physical therapy and other rehabilitation services.

If you’re dealing with a sunken knuckle, don’t freak yourself out. There is hope available at Arora Hand Surgery, with offices in Howell, West Bloomfield, Warren, and Macomb Township. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and learn about your treatment options.

Tags Sunken Knuckle

Fingers General

How to Promote Nail Regrowth After an Injury

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Post author By aaarora
Post date March 12, 2018

You can promote nail regrowth after an injury.

It’s easy to take your fingernails or toenails for granted until something happens to them. Just about everyone has smashed a fingernail with a hammer, in a door, or while playing a sport. Or they got their nail caught on something and ripped the nail out. They are left with a little bit of blood under the nail and severe pain. Thankfully, in the vast majority of cases, nail injuries are not super serious. In addition to seeking treatment, there are steps you can take to promote nail regrowth after an injury.

Your nails are unbelievably resilient, so nail regrowth is usually possible. Every 10 days, your fingernails grow one millimeter. As you get older, you may not have as much blood flowing to your nails as you did in youth, and so the rate of growth may decrease slightly.

Since we use our fingers constantly, it’s easy for us to damage our nails. Some people are just susceptible to brittle nails. If you have a job that causes you to use strong chemicals every day or if your job means that your hands are constantly wet, then your nails may be more susceptible to damage or injury. You can prevent some of these injuries by keeping your hands moisturized and using the proper protection for your nails.

When you experience nail injuries, you might notice some white marks underneath your nails. These white marks are temporary and should disappear within a few weeks or months. If the injury is severe, your nail might turn black or purple. This color change is because of blood that has accumulated underneath the nail. As your nail gets better after professional treatment at our office, the black or purple color will go away and the natural color will return.

The black and purple colors caused by an injury should not be confused with melanoma, which also can cause your nails to turn black or brown. If an injury causes your nail to separate from the nail bed, regardless of the type of injury, your nail cannot reattach. Your nail will need to regrow from scratch, and this could take months to a year and a half.

There are some steps that you can take at home to promote nail regrowth after an injury. Our team at Arora Hand Surgery can explain more during a consultation at our office in Warren, West Bloomfield, Macomb Township, or Howell. Contact us today to schedule your appointment.

Tags Nail Regrowth

Conditions Fingers General

What are the Symptoms of Nerve Damage in the Fingers?

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Post author By aaarora
Post date March 5, 2018

Since nerve damage in the fingers can give rise to a number of issues, you should be aware of these symptoms of finger nerve damage.

Your fingers are a marvelously designed mechanism for grasping, holding and controlling other objects. You depend on the fingers of your hands to help you function throughout the day. The intricate movements of the fingers are the result of highly fluid nerve reactions. Unfortunately, the nerves in your fingers can become damaged. When these nerves are damaged, this can seriously impair the finger’s ability to function in such an intricate and fluid way. Since finger nerve damage can give rise to a number of issues, the following are some examples of symptoms of finger nerve damage of which to be aware.

Total Loss of Motion

For a finger to be able to move, it must be able to receive nerve signals from the brain. If a finger is unable to move, this could indicate that there is potentially considerable damage to the nerve responsible for the motion of the finger in question. If a nerve is severed, such as when a finger gets chopped off and separated from the hand, this makes it impossible for such a finger to receive the nerve signal to invoke intricate movement. If the nerve pathway cannot be restored, then there is little chance that this finger will ever be able to move again due to the extensive nerve damage incurred when the finger and its nerve were severed.

Numbness and Burning Sensations

The sign that nerve damage is present in your fingers may manifest as some type of numbness or burning sensation. This is generally an indication that you are dealing with some type of neuropathy. This sensation can be a permanent sensation, or it may come and go depending on how your hand is positioned. Certain positions of the hand may impair the signal and nerve functionality more than others. If numbness and burning sensations in your fingers are an ongoing problem, you may need to see a doctor to determine if neuropathy is truly what these symptoms are implying.

Weakness

When you squeeze your fingers around an object, you need to be able to apply pressure over a consistent amount of time. If the pressure applied by one or more fingers varies over time, then the result will be a shaky grip. If this is not being done intentionally, then this could indicate nerve damage that suggests that the finger is getting too weak to maintain the ability to apply a stable force to the object you are attempting to hold.

As you can see, there are many different symptoms of nerve damage in the fingers. The good news is Dr. Arora and his team at Arora Hand Surgery can help. Contact us today to schedule a consultation at our office in West Bloomfield, Howell, Warren, or Macomb Township!

Tags Nerve Damage

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Dr. Aroras office from my first call to schedule my appointment was friendly. Walking in the first day, I felt like I was in a nice atmosphere. Dr. Arora was EXCELLENT in taking great care of my hand injury. He was gentle and very understanding to the concerns I had about my hand. His expertise was admirable and I would recommend anyone with an injury to their hand to his office to be under his care. Because of him, I have healed faster than expected and will make an 100% recovery! Thank you Dr.

Jackie S.

I first thought I was going to have to have painful injections or surgery, but Dr. Arora suggested physical therapy may do the trick. I was doubtful, but I agreed to do it. Now, my pain is gone, and with the help of an ergonomic keyboard at work to keep my hands in the correct position, I am virtually pain free. The therapy strengthened my wrists and shoulders, and built more flexibility into my wrists.

Jerry T.

My experience with this doctor was positive from the outset. Dr. Arora was kind and spent a great deal of time with me. Staff was friendly. The office was nice and bright.

Ariel G.

Very friendly and helpful Great staff!!! Doctor Arora was very professional and did great work. I was very happy with everything!

L B.