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General Hands

An Overview Of Crush Injuries To The Hands – Arora Hand Surgery

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A crush injury to your hand occurs when your hand is caught between objects that are coming together under a lot of pressure. The damage can be minimal (perhaps just a bit of bruising), or bad enough to involve several broken bones, lacerations, bleeding, and a condition known as “compartment syndrome.” The severity of the injury often depends on how long the hand was between the objects.

Effects of a Crush Injury

A minor crush injury will usually have no lasting effects. For instance, if you slam a finger in a door, most of the time you will be in pain for a day or two, and then you will go about your life and forget about it.

With major crush injuries, there can be damage to the hand well below the skin. If the flow of blood has been cut off for any length of time, tissue damage could result, and the chance of infection will increase. Layers of skin could be removed, further raising he danger of infection. In severe cases, infection can even lead to the need for amputation.

With some crush injuries, compartment syndrome can be a complication. This occurs when the tissues are left without blood for a long period of time. The nerves can become damaged, and muscle tissue can die. Compartment syndrome usually happens in the legs, but it can happen anywhere in the body if the affected part has been trapped for too long. It is rare in the hand, but it can occur. When it sets in, the first symptom is severe pain, followed by a “pins and needles” sensation. Then paralysis sets in, and the hand has no pulse. The skin may appear shiny and swollen.

Treating Crush Injuries

With a minor crush injury, you probably will not require medical attention. If the wound is bleeding, make sure that you clean it. You can elevate the hand, and apply a cold pack to ease the pain. If swelling seems to be excessive, though, or you have little or no mobility, you should see your doctor or go to the hospital emergency room. Most likely the hand will need to be x-rayed in order to determine if there is a fracture. This is important, because fractures can cause compartment syndrome.

If there is moderate to heavy bleeding, you will probably need medical intervention. At the very minimum, you will need a tetanus shot if your immunization is not up to date (a tetanus shot is good for ten years). You may also require antibiotics. It is also important to determine if the injury is severe enough to warrant surgery to ease pressure on the nerves and blood vessels, or to repair broken bones. In some cases, severe crush injuries can require multiple surgeries.

The Final Word

Minor crush injuries may require no treatment at all. Just, as they say, “Walk it off.” However, if the injury is severe, you should seek medical assistant immediately.
For any questions call our Michigan Hand & Wrist Surgery Office at (734) 943-3838 or (248) 485-8300.

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Fingers General

12 Fun Facts About Fingers

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Here are some fun facts about fingers. This picture is a closeup of a woman's hands.

Usually we try to be serious here. But once in a while we like to step outside the box, and just have some fun. So, how about some fun facts about fingers?

1. Big Hand Man

The man who has the largest hand in the entire world is Lui Hua, of China. His index finger is nearly a foot long, and his left thumb is more than ten inches. He has a condition known as “macrodactyly” – in other words, big fingers.

2. Only One Muscle

When you think about the movements that your fingers are capable of, it might be hard to believe that each finger has only one muscle, but its true. It’s called the arrector pili muscle, and it moves all of your finger joints.

3. Manly Man

Did you know that the more testosterone you have, the longer your ring finger will be? You didn’t? Well, now you do.

4. The Ring

If you have ever wondered why you wear your wedding ring on your left finger, wonder no more. It’s because there is a vein in that finger, the vena amoris (vein of love) that was once believed to be connected directly to your heart.

5. Longer is Better

Experts have actually conducted research that seems to indicate that the most successful men have ring fingers that are longer than their less successful counterparts.

6. Math Experts

Studies show that children who have long fingers are better at math.

7. Just Try It

Curl your middle finger inward and lay your hand flat on a table. Then lift your thumb, index finger, and pinkie. No problem, right? Now try the ring finger. You can’t lift up it up, right? That’s because it shares a muscle with your pinky and middle fingers, and it can’t work independently.

8. Dem Bones

Each hand has 29 major and minor bones, as well as 123 ligaments holding the whole structure together.

9. Watch It Grow!

Your fingernails grow about four times as fast as your toenails. Your slowest-growing nails are the ones that are on the shortest fingers. The nail on your middle finger grows fastest.

10. Hand to Mouth

You know that your fingerprints are unique, but did you know that the odds of one human being having the same tongue print as another are about one in a million? Interestingly, there are also a handful of people worldwide who have no fingerprints at all. No one knows why this happens.

11. Eww…

Fingernails are actually modified hairs, structurally speaking. They are made of the same material.

12. Urban Legend

You know how people say that your fingernails will continue to grow after you die? They don’t. Nothing grows after you’re dead. This myth comes from the fact that dead bodies shrink, and the skin pulls back, giving the appearance of fingernails continuing to grow.

We hope you enjoyed reading these fun facts about fingers as much as we did putting them together!

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Conditions General

When Should I Contact My Doctor About Arthritis Pain?

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If you have pain and stiffness in your joints, it could be a sign that you are developing arthritis. Waiting too long to get any type of treatment could mean that the joint damage is permanent, and it could be very difficult to correct, even with surgery. While you may not feel you need to see a doctor yet, there are certain “telltale signs” that it is time to get help from a professional. Lets look at some of the reasons that you should get in touch with a doctor.

What Should You Watch For?

If you only have some pain and stiffness in one of your joints, and you havent had issues with your joints in the past, it might not be arthritis. You may simply need to rest and take it easy for a while. However, when you notice that the pain, stiffness, and the swelling are affecting more than one joint, it could be a sign that you are developing arthritis. Its a good idea to get in touch with the doctor at this point, as catching and treating the problem early is the best option.

If you notice that the joints are red and warm when you touch them, it is another potential sign of arthritis. Those who start to notice that it is more difficult to do all of their normal daily activities because they are having issues with their joints will want to contact their doctor.

When the symptoms last for three days or longer without dissipating, and when you have more than one or two arthritic episodes over the course of a month, you need to talk with a doctor as soon as you can.

Ultimately, you dont have to wait to see a doctor, even if the symptoms seem mild. Its better to talk with the doctor and learn more about whats happening to your body as early as possible. Whenever you have any doubt or concern, make an appointment.

Understand Your Type of Arthritis

More than 100 different types of arthritis exist. While they may share some similarities in their signs and symptoms, they are different and may require different approaches to treatment. A specialist will let you know whether you are suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, or any other type of arthritis. The will also be able to discuss your different treatment options so you can start to find ways to relieve your pain and stiffness.

In the beginning, they will likely want to try different types of nonsurgical treatments to see whether they help. If the pain is infrequent and mild, for example, some lifestyle changes and pain medication might be all you need. However, surgery is an option for some patients.

When it comes to arthritis, you might start out going to your primary physician, but you will eventually want to work with a specialist who can provide you with more detailed information about your condition and what you need to do to limit or eliminate the pain and stiffness.

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General

First paralyzed person to be ‘reanimated’ offers neuroscience insights

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A quadriplegic man who has become the first person to be implanted with technology that sends signals from the brain to muscles — allowing him to regain some movement in his right arm hand and wrist — is providing novel insights about how the brain reacts to injury.

Two years ago, 24-year-old Ian Burkhart from Dublin, Ohio, had a microchip implanted in his brain, which facilitates the ‘reanimation of his right hand, wrist and fingers when he is wired up to equipment in the laboratory. Researchers led by Chad Bouton, currently at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, New York, have been studying Burkhart ever since, and publish their results on 13 April in Nature.

Continue reading story here >>

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General

What Does a Hand Surgeon Do? – Arora Hand Surgery

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People often take their hands for granted, even though they use them throughout most of each day. They allow you to tie your shoes, button your shirt, use your smartphone, drive, type, eat, and do a near infinite number of other activities. When there is an issue with your hand, you need to have someone who truly understands these remarkable parts of the human body to help you. That is where hand surgeons and hand specialists come into play.

Whats Their Specialty?

Hand surgeons are specialists who work with the hand, the wrist, elbow, and the forearm. Even though they may be surgeons, they also provide treatment and care for patients with nonsurgical methods. They always evaluate each patients condition and needs, and provide the treatment that is most appropriate.

They could be a general surgeon, a plastic surgeon, or an orthopedic surgeon who has decided to go on and receive added training and education for hand surgery. Some surgeons will treat only adults, or only children, but many can help both.

Some of the common types of injuries treated by hand surgeons include arthritis, fractures of the hand, wrist, and forearm, carpal tunnel syndrome, infections of the hand, sports injuries, and much more. If it has anything to do with these areas of the body, chances are good that the hand surgeons will be able to provide help.

Often, other doctors will refer people who have injuries of these sorts to hand surgeons. The surgeons, who spend most of their career working on these parts of the body, can often provide diagnoses faster and more accurately simply because they have so much more experience with them.

Do You Need a Hand Surgeon?

Those who have pain, stiffness, or injuries to their arm, elbow, wrist, or hand may want to speak with a hand surgeon. Though a general practitioner can provide some assistance, working with someone who specializes in this field can make finding the right treatments faster and easier.

Keep in mind that even though they are expert surgeons, just because you are referred to hand surgeon does not mean you will necessarily need to have surgery. They will help you find nonsurgical treatments first, including therapy for the hand. The surgeons want to find the best solutions for their patients. Sometimes that means surgery; sometimes it doesnt.

If you are looking for a hand surgeon, you need to make sure you choose someone who has the experience and the credentials necessary. You can set up a consultation with the doctor and get to know them better, and ask questions about your condition, as well as the doctors approach to treatment. The way you are treated during the consultation can give you a good idea of how the surgeon will treat you when you are a patient.

Never neglect an injury to your hand, elbow, or wrist. They can be very serious, and they will often just get worse over time. Get a referral from your doctor, or consider looking for a hand surgeon on your own.

Categories
General Treatments Wrists

How to Use a Compression Bandage on an Injured Wrist

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If you have wrist pain due to a sprain, strain or medical condition like carpal tunnel syndrome or arthritis, you may find it helpful to wrap the wrist with an elastic bandage in order to help alleviate the pain. Wrist wrapping is also sometimes done to prevent injuries when participating in certain sports. It is, of course, important to know how to wrap a wrist properly.

Step 1

Make sure you have a bandage of the proper length. If it is too short, you are just going to have to start the process all over again. Begin wrapping at the point farthest away from your heart. This helps to ease swelling in the lower part of the wrist, that can sometimes actually be aggravated by the process of wrapping, and it also encourages the return of blood and lymphatic fluid. So start the first wrap just below the knuckles, covering the palm, and extending around the fingers.

Step 2

Pass the wrap between your index finger and thumb, and then do a few wraps around the wrist, extending upward toward the elbow. This provides the best level of stability, and helps to prevent further injury to the wrist. Each wrap should cover about half of the previous wrap.

Step 3

Reverse the direction. Once you get to the elbow, keep on wrapping until you are back at your hand. If you started the procedure with a bandage that is too short, you can use two bandages. Just place the start of the second one a few inches over the end of the first one, and continue wrapping. When you get to the thumb, make a figure 8 and wrap upwards a bit more.

Step 4

Secure the bandage, using either the clips that were provided with the bandage or a safety pin. You may need some assistance in order to do this.

Step 5

Make sure that the bandage is not too tightly wrapped. If your fingers feel cold, the bandage should be loosened. You should also be able to wiggle your fingers. You want to be sure that the bandage is tight enough to provide support, but not so tight that it interferes with blood flow.

Other Considerations

If you are applying ice to an injured area, make sure that you remove the bandage first. You should find that the discomfort and swelling in the injured area will ease within 72 hours, but if it does not, you should see your doctor. Keep in mind, too, that if you are not sure of the nature of the injury, it may not be wise to self-diagnose and self-treat. Some injuries can actually be aggravated by using an elastic bandage.

Also, make sure that you remove the bandage periodically to allow air circulation to the affected area.

Categories
General Wrists

Preventing Repetitive Stress Injuries in the Wrist

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Repetitive stress can lead to any number of wrist injuries, including carpal tunnel syndrome, bursitis and tendonitis. All have essentially the same symptoms – pain in the wrist, arm and hand. In order to prevent repetitive stress injuries to our wrist, follow these six tips:

  1. Stay Strong

It really is true that if you dont use it, youll lose it. So exercise your wrists regularly to make sure that they remain strong.

  1. Stay Healthy

If your overall health is not good, all areas of your body (including your wrists) will be vulnerable to stress. Exercise regularly, eat a good diet, and maintain a healthy weight.

  1. Change Positions

Sitting in one place for lengthy periods of time can cause muscle strain. This is especially true if your job requires you to use a computer for hours on end. Get up and stretch your wrists as well as the rest of your body.

  1. Keep a Proper Distance

When you work with your hands, you want to keep them a reasonable distance from your body – not too close, but not too far away either. This enables your other muscles (the ones in your back, shoulders and arms) to take on some of the load that you would be otherwise demanding of your wrists. It also encourages good blood flow, and reduces the stress on nerves, tendons and ligaments.

  1. Be Mindful of Your Range of Motion

Your wrists are essentially the same as other joints in your body, in that they are capable of a wide range of motion. Just because you can stretch them to their limit though, that doesnt mean that you should. Make sure that you are not flexing your wrist joints to extremes when you are working. Much of the time, this can cause muscle pulls and hyperextension. Your body is very flexible, but demanding too much can lead to a great deal of stress on nerves and tendons.

  1. Avoid Flexing Upward

Your hand is designed essentially to grip, and a gripping motion is naturally downward. When you are flexing upward, you have less leverage, and your hand has to work considerably harder. This places stress on the leverage points, and can cause damage to the nerves and tendons. Ideally, your fingers and palms should always be somewhere between a gripping position and a flat position – this is why most computer desks have slide-out trays to accommodate a keyboard. If you are reaching upward onto a desktop, your hands are not in a natural position, and it is a recipe for carpal tunnel syndrome.

Keep in mind, too, that using the scroll wheel on your mouse requires upward flexing, so you should use it as little as possible.

Conclusion

Repetitive stress can lead to hand and wrist injuries, and increase your risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome. You should always try to keep your hands as low as possible, and avoid movements that require flexing your hands upward. If your job requires a lot of repetitive movement, try to change position regularly.

Categories
General Hands

Hand Fractures in Children and Treatment Options

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The symptoms of hand fractures in children do not really differ from those in adults, but treatment methods are often different, simply because a childs bones are still growing, and will heal differently from those of an adult.

Signs of a Broken Bone

Some signs of a broken bone are perfectly obvious. For instance, if a bone is protruding through the skin, that is clearly a compound fracture. Other indications of broken bones can include:

  • Bruising, bleeding or swelling
  • Extreme pain
  • Numbness, tingling, or weakness
  • A joint or bone that looks as if it is misshapen or out of place
  • Difficulty moving the hand

When a child or teenager breaks a bone, most likely there will be significant pain at the break site, and they will find it difficult to move the affected area. Pain and/or loss of movement mean that you should take your child to the emergency room.

Diagnosing Hand Fractures in Children

First, the doctor will examine your childs hand to determine how the bones are lining up when the hand is moved. He or she will also check for related injuries, like damage to the joints, ligaments, tendons, and the tissue under the fingernail. If it appears as though one or more bones are fractured, x-rays will be needed so that the doctor can determine how to proceed with treatment. Usually, x-rays are taken from three different angles so that the breakage can be clearly identified.

A proper diagnosis is extremely important, because a simple break can usually be treated effectively with a cast or a splint, whereas breaks that are more complex may necessitate surgery. Additionally, the bone may be broken near a growth plate. Growth plates themselves cannot be seen on x-rays, but some indications of damage may be present. If this is the case, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or another type of scan may be needed to identify damage to the growth plate area.

Healing

Children are considerably more flexible than adults, so their bones could actually bend after breaking, and then straighten out during the healing process. This is known as “remodeling,” and it is actually an advantage that a young person has – because of the remodeling process, the broken bone will require less treatment, and will heal more effectively, than the same type of break in an adult. Some types of fractures, though, may look simple, but actually cause problems that affect bone growth. This is because of the “growth points” that we mentioned previously. In children and teenagers, bone growth happens at these specific points. Often, these growth points occur near the ends of the bones, and if they are damaged, the bone could actually stop growing. This can stop a bone from developing and change the way in which it is functioned. If only a part of the growth point is harmed, then the bone could grow unevenly.

Conclusion

In children, it is very important that fractures be properly identified and treated. Treating a childs hand fracture will require procedures different from those used in treating adults.

Categories
Conditions General Hands

Dupuytren’s Contracture: What You Should Know

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Dupuytrens Contracture is a rare type of hand disorder that tends to take a number of years to develop. It causes the layers of tissues that lay beneath the skin on the palm of the hand to begin to form knots. These knots thicken and can actually cause one or more of the fingers to bend. Once they are bent into this position, it will no longer be possible to straighten them. Since it is impossible to bend the fingers, it will make it difficult to do many normal activities and actions. You would not even be capable of putting on a pair of gloves. Eventually, it will become difficult to grasp large objects.

In most cases, only the ring finger and the pinky will be affected. In very rare cases, it can also affect the thumb and the index finger. The contracture tends to affect older men who have a Northern European heritage.

What Are the Causes?

Currently, the cause of Dupuytrens Contracture is unknown. Researchers have not been able to find any evidence that it is related to hand injuries or any occupations that could cause repetitive stress issues or injuries due to vibration. However, they have found a number of factors that can increase the risk of developing the condition.

Men, as mentioned are the most likely to develop the contracture, and it typically affects those who are 50 and over. The condition also tends to run in families. Those who have diabetes are also at an elevated risk. In addition, smoking can increase the risk of developing Dupuytrens Contracture, as can alcohol.

Talking With a Doctor

Chances are good that you will want to speak with a specialist about this condition. Your primary care physician can refer you to a specialist, who will want to know more about your medical history and how you have been dealing with the condition. For example, they want to know whether there is a history of Dupuytrens Contracture in your family, if youve tried any treatments, and what medications you are taking.

The doctor will also want to know when the symptoms first started. Since this condition comes on slowly, it can be difficult to pinpoint when it began. Let them know if you are in pain, if the condition has been getting worse, and how it currently affects your daily life.

Most of the time, the doctors will be able to diagnose you based on examining your hands. The signs of Dupuytrens Contracture are very obvious.

What Are the Treatments?

Doctors can help to treat the condition in a number of different ways. They may use a needle technique, in which the doctor will insert a needle into the affected area to break up the hardened tissues that is causing the finger to contract. They may also utilize enzyme injections. Those who have advanced stages of the disease can also have surgery to help remove the hardened tissue.

If you suffer from Dupuytrens Contracture, speak with a doctor about your condition to find the best treatment options.

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Stories

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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.