Advanced Care for Hand Trauma

Hand trauma can include a wide range of injuries that can have an immense effect on your quality of life, including the ability to perform everyday tasks. From simple lacerations to more complex fractures and even amputations, these injuries can have a major impact on your hand function (including limiting your range of motion) and overall hand health. 

The orthopedic specialists at Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine understand the critical nature of these injuries and are here to provide you with comprehensive, innovative and compassionate care to help you restore functionality while minimizing discomfort as you recover. 

Understanding Hand Trauma

The term “hand trauma” refers to a wide range of injuries to the musculoskeletal, neurologic and vascular parts of your hand. This can include injuries to your bones, ligaments, tendons or nerves.

In many cases, these injuries are the result of falls, crush injuries, cuts or other kinds of high-impact incidents (i.e., car accidents) that lead to compromised vascular functions, dislocations, closed or open fractures and more. 

From minor sprains and fractures to nerve and tendon pain, hand injuries can be complex and challenging to diagnose without the expertise of a board-certified hand specialist. 

Recognizing Hand Trauma Signs and Symptoms

Unlike some conditions, the signs and symptoms of hand trauma are fairly clear. Depending on the cause of the injury, the first signs of hand trauma can include but aren’t limited to:

• Deformities or open fractures
• Noticeable swelling
• Restricted mobility in your fingers or thumbs
• Significant pain

Whether you’re experiencing a loss of vascularity in your hand, which refers to the reduced visibility or function of blood vessels, severe wrist injury, or moderate hand trauma such as fractures, dislocations, or deep cuts, the earlier these symptoms are recognized, the faster you can seek effective treatment and decrease pain (even if that requires a trip to the emergency department).

A few examples of specific hand injuries include dislocated joints, damaged tendons, or even broken bones. Crush injuries or conditions like mallet finger usually cause more obvious deformities.

Diagnosing Hand Trauma

Diagnosis of severe hand trauma starts with a thorough physical examination. This can include imaging tests like X-rays, MRI scans or even ultrasound imaging to assess the full extent of your injury. In addition to the immediate cause of the injury, your hand specialist will also take into account other factors like bone density, arthritis and other aspects of your medical history. 

Accurate diagnosis is important in determining the most effective method of treatment, which could range from physical therapy and tetanus shots (for open wounds) to more advanced surgical interventions like arthroscopic surgery, amputation, replantation assessment and more.

Treatment Options for Hand Trauma

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to treating hand injuries. Depending on the cause and extent of the trauma, your physician may recommend a range of treatment options:

• Immediate care: This can include first-aid steps like cleaning the wound, applying antibiotic ointment or immobilization. In more serious cases, we may recommend you seek immediate medical attention at one of our orthopedic injury clinics or head to one of our emergency care centers or emergency departments. 
• Surgical interventions: Depending on the type of injury, your orthopedic physician may recommend surgical options like fracture and tendon repairs, plastic surgery for severe lacerations or replantation of amputated parts of your hand.
• Rehabilitation: After you’ve received medical attention, you may need physical therapy to help recover full hand function. This may include specialized exercises that target mobility and strength restoration.

Choose Houston Methodist for Hand Trauma Care

The specialists at Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine are fellowship-trained and specialize in treating specific arm, wrist, elbow and conditions. This means we have the expertise and experience to treat all types of hand injuries, from broken bones and sprains to more serious injuries that require surgery. We’re here to help you heal and improve your quality of life. Contact us today to schedule your first appointment.