Ask a Doctor: Brachial Plexus Injuries

Mar 27,2018 / By The Hand Society / 3 Comments

Hand surgeon Ryan Zimmerman, MD answers your questions about brachial plexus injuries.

What is the brachial plexus?

The brachial plexus is a complicated web of nerves located near the base of your neck and top of your shoulder. Typically, five nerves from the spinal cord at your neck weave together and eventually form the nerves for your shoulder, arm and hand.

How do brachial plexus injuries happen?

Brachial plexus injuries usually happen due to a stretching injury across the nerves. Most of the time, the nerves get stretched but stay connected. In severe cases, the nerves can tear. There are a few common ways for brachial plexus injuries to happen. In newborns, the injury can occur during birth, This is more likely if the baby gets stuck during delivery. During sports, tackles or collisions can cause a stretch injury. This is commonly referred to as a “stinger” or “burner.” In car or motorcycle accidents, the brachial plexus can be stretched by the force of the impact.

What are the symptoms of a brachial plexus injury?

Each injury is unique, and the symptoms are due to the exact nerves that get stretched and how badly they get stretched. Many patients with brachial plexus injuries describe “electrical” or shooting pains that can run all the way down to the hand. Numbness and weakness are also common. The numbness can range from a slight funny feeling to total numbness. Weakness can range from mild loss of strength to total inability to move the shoulder, elbow, or hand.

Finger Hand Jammed Finger Mallet Finger

Advice from a Certified Hand Therapist: What is a Mallet Finger and How is it Treated?

Mar 22,2018 / By the American Society of Hand Therapists / No Comment

A mallet finger involves injury to the tendon that straightens the tip of the finger. This type of injury can occur when the tip of the finger is jammed, forcing it to bend quickly and forcefully. Banging the tip of the finger while doing everyday tasks or having a ball hit the end of the finger while playing sports are common ways this injury can occur. The forceful bending causes a tear in the tendon or a small piece of bone can break off along with the tendon.

This injury can cause pain and swelling. Along with the pain and swelling, the tip of the finger rests in a bent position and the person is not able to straighten it. There may be bruising after this type of injury as well.

A mallet finger injury is most often treated with a small finger splint that keeps the tip of the finger straight. Keeping the tip of the finger straight for up to eight weeks allows the tendon to heal. The small splint can be provided by the doctor or can be custom made by a hand therapist.

Arthritis Hand Thumb Thumb Arthritis

Losing Your Grip? How to Treat Your Thumb Arthritis

Mar 19,2018 / By The Hand Society / No Comment

from the Cleveland Clinic

Imagine how frustrating it would be to try to open a jar or button a shirt without your thumb. This feeling is all too common for those with one of the most common types of hand osteoarthritis.

Hand osteoarthritis is second in prevalence only to knee arthritis in the United States. Osteoarthritis in the thumb joint nearest the palm — the carpometacarpal (CMC) or basal joint — is the type that most commonly causes patients to seek the care of a hand or orthopaedic surgeon. The CMC joint, which is between the thumb metacarpal and a small bone called the trapezium, allows the swiveling, pivoting and pinching needed to grip things in your hand.

Patients older than age 40 are at risk for thumb arthritis, with women affected five to 10 times more frequently than men, says orthopaedic surgeon David Shapiro, MD.

“While men and women can get basal joint arthritis, women seem to have more joint laxity, which leads to malalignment of the joint, cartilage wear, arthritis and pain, “ Dr. Shapiro says.

Read the full blog post.

Hand Hand Surgery Smoking

How Smoking Can Affect Your Hands

Mar 15,2018 / By The Hand Society / 4 Comments

Due to the chemical nicotine – which is present in cigarettes, cigars and pipes – smoking can affect many parts of the body other than the lungs. This includes the hands and upper extremities. First, nicotine can make existing hand conditions worse. Two examples of this are:

Broken bones: A broken bone (fracture) can have more trouble healing in people who smoke. If you break your hand, wrist or arm, the fracture may not even heal.
Dupuytren’s Contracture: This is a common condition that causes fingers to permanently bend into the palm, making it impossible to straighten the fingers. It may be more common in smokers.

Finger Hand Trigger Finger

5 Signs You Have Trigger Finger

Mar 11,2018 / By The Hand Society / 12 Comments

Trigger finger is a condition that can cause discomfort at the base of the finger or thumb, right where the finger joins the palm. Officially known as stenosing tenosynovitis, trigger finger can also be referred to as “trigger thumb.” This condition involves the tendons that bend the fingers. These tendons normally glide easily with the help of pulleys, which hold the tendons close to the bone. In individuals with trigger finger, the pulley becomes too thick, making it difficult for the tendon to glide.

Here are five signs that you may have trigger finger:

Pain/discomfort at the base of the finger or thumb
Popping-sound when you move your finger
Catching feeling
Limited finger movement
Lump at the base of the finger or thumb

Hand Hand Surgeon Hand Surgery

Best Hand Surgeons in the U.S.

Mar 8,2018 / By The Hand Society / 9 Comments

The American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) includes a membership of more than 3,800 prestigious hand surgeons in the United States and around the world. Hand surgeon members of ASSH are required to meet rigorous standards. They are required to:

Pass the Certification in the Subspecialty of Surgery of the Hand, a difficult exam that tests their hand surgery knowledge
Be certified in general, orthopaedic or plastic surgery by their Board
Be of high moral, ethical and professional standing
Have made worthwhile contributions in areas of hand surgery