Hand Injuries and Disorders
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Summary
No matter how old you are or what you do for a living, you are always using your hands. When there is something wrong with them, you may not be able to do your regular activities.
Hand problems include
- Carpal tunnel syndrome - compression of a nerve as it goes through the wrist, often making your fingers feel numb
- Injuries that result in fractures, ruptured ligaments and dislocations
- Osteoarthritis - wear-and-tear arthritis, which can also cause deformity
- Tendinitis - irritation of the tendons
- Disorders and injuries of your fingers and thumb
Diagnosis and Tests
-
Bone X-Ray (Radiography)
(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
Also in Spanish
- Hand/Wrist/Arm Problems (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
- Stiff Hands (American Society for Surgery of the Hand)
Prevention and Risk Factors
- Hand Safety (American Society for Surgery of the Hand)
Treatments and Therapies
- About Hand Surgery (American Society for Surgery of the Hand)
- Amputation and Prosthetics (American Society for Surgery of the Hand)
- Dislocation: First Aid (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
- Hand splint - slideshow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Hand Surgery: Anesthesia (American Society for Surgery of the Hand)
- Tendon Transfer Surgery (American Society for Surgery of the Hand)
Living With
- Hand and Finger Exercises (Ohio State University Medical Center) - PDF
- Hand Therapy (American Society for Surgery of the Hand, American Society of Hand Therapists)
- Tendon Injuries (American Occupational Therapy Association)
- Unique Role of Occupational Therapy in Rehabilitation of the Hand (American Occupational Therapy Association) - PDF
Specifics
- Animal Bites of the Hand (American Society for Surgery of the Hand)
- Arthritis of the Hand (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Society for Surgery of the Hand)
- Arthritis of the hand - Rheumatoid (American Society for Surgery of the Hand)
- Cold Hands (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
- Ganglion Cysts (American Society for Surgery of the Hand) Also in Spanish
- Hand Fractures (American Society for Surgery of the Hand) Also in Spanish
- Hand Infections (American Society for Surgery of the Hand)
- Itchy Hands or Feet (Logical Images)
- MP Joint Arthritis (American Society for Surgery of the Hand)
- Musician's Dystonias (Dystonia Medical Research Foundation)
- Osteoarthritis of the Hand (American Society for Surgery of the Hand) Also in Spanish
- Skin Cancer of the Hand and Upper Extremity (American Society for Surgery of the Hand)
- Vascular Disorders (American Society for Surgery of the Hand)
- Writer's Cramp (Dystonia Medical Research Foundation)
Genetics
-
Genetics Home Reference: Baller-Gerold syndrome
(National Library of Medicine)
-
Genetics Home Reference: Duane-radial ray syndrome
(National Library of Medicine)
-
Genetics Home Reference: Feingold syndrome
(National Library of Medicine)
-
Genetics Home Reference: Greig cephalopolysyndactyly syndrome
(National Library of Medicine)
-
Genetics Home Reference: hand-foot-genital syndrome
(National Library of Medicine)
-
Genetics Home Reference: Holt-Oram syndrome
(National Library of Medicine)
-
Genetics Home Reference: oral-facial-digital syndrome
(National Library of Medicine)
-
Genetics Home Reference: Pallister-Hall syndrome
(National Library of Medicine)
-
Genetics Home Reference: Poland syndrome
(National Library of Medicine)
-
Genetics Home Reference: RAPADILINO syndrome
(National Library of Medicine)
-
Genetics Home Reference: Timothy syndrome
(National Library of Medicine)
-
Genetics Home Reference: Townes-Brocks Syndrome
(National Library of Medicine)
Images
- Hands in Systemic Disease (American Society for Surgery of the Hand)
Clinical Trials
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Hand Injuries
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Reference Desk
- Hand Anatomy (American Society for Surgery of the Hand)
Find an Expert
- American Society for Surgery of the Hand
- Find a Hand Surgeon (American Society for Surgery of the Hand)
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Also in Spanish
-
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Also in Spanish
Patient Handouts
- Brachial plexopathy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Claw hand (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Dupuytrens contracture (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Hand fracture - aftercare (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Hand or foot spasms (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Hand x-ray (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Radial nerve dysfunction (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Ulnar nerve dysfunction (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish