Musculoskeletal Key

Nail Bed and Fingertip Injuries General Information Fingertip injuries are the most common trauma in the hand, accounting for up to 50% of emergency room visits for hand care. Traditional…

Congenital Anomalies Congenital anomalies of the upper extremity occur in approximately one out of 626 live births. The most widely accepted clinical classification of congenital limb anomalies was adopted by…

Amputations General Information Upper extremity amputations are common injuries. Rates of limb salvage have increased during the last 20 years with improvements in microvascular techniques. Any patient desiring replantation should…

Dupuytren’s Disease General Information Dupuytren’s disease is a condition of the hand that replaces normal digital and palmar fascia (bands and sheaths) with abnormal fibrous tissue (nodules and cords) consisting…

Bites Human Bites General Information Human bites commonly occur on the hand following fights (fight bite) (Fig. 1). These wounds are often complicated by bacteriologic infection because of the complex…

High-Pressure Injection Injuries General Information High-pressure injection injuries (HPII) occur when patients sustain an injury from a high-pressure injection tool. Usually, the material that is injected is an organic solvent…

Burns General Information Thermal burns to the hand occur as a result of energy dissipated from flame, liquid, or gas. Chemical burns arise from direct contact with acidic or extremely…

Tendonitis of the Wrist and Hand General Information Tendonitis of the hand and wrist is a common upper extremity disorder. Tendonitis should not be used as a “waste basket” term…

Arthritis Osteoarthritis General Information In degenerative arthritis or osteoarthritis of the hand, the most commonly involved joints are the distal interphalangeal joints (DIPJ), proximal interphalangeal joints (PIPJ), and thumb carpometacarpal…

Tumors Ganglions General Information Ganglion cysts are the most common soft-tissue tumor of the hand. Ganglions are formed from modified synovial cells. The cyst is usually connected with an underlying…