Orthopedic Hand Surgery

Hand injuries can be a source of excruciating pain that makes it difficult to perform normal, everyday tasks. Common injuries that can happen to your hands and wrists include sprains, strains, and broken or fractured bones. Orthopedic hand surgeries are used to help improve damage to the hand and wrist region. Hand surgeons can help reduce pain and also improve movement and health. Before considering orthopedic hand surgery, you can speak with a surgeon who can advise you on whether this method is the right choice for you. Call Ceda Orthopedic Group to get more information.

What Is Orthopedic Hand Surgery Used For?

Orthopedic hand surgery is a broad category of medical treatments that aim to help restore mobility in the hand and finger region. Reconstructive surgery is often used by orthopedic surgeons to remedy damaged tendons, ligaments, bones, and nerves in the hands and wrists. This can be applied to many different disorders.

Tendon Repair

If you have an injured tendon in your hand or wrist that hasn’t healed or deteriorated beyond repair, you can have it surgically reattached. This can be completed through a minimally invasive technique. The tendon can be removed and replaced with a tendon from your own body or a donor graft. 

Fasciotomy

Fasciotomy is typically used to treat acute compartment syndrome and can help reduce the loss of circulation in the affected region. The surgery is used to cut the fascia to relieve the pressure caused by the injury. 

Joint Replacement

When you have a dysfunctional joint due to arthritis or injury that doesn’t improve from physical therapy, you can have the entire joint replaced. Total joint replacement helps by removing the damaged joint so that it can be replaced with a ceramic, plastic, or metal prosthesis. Prosthetic joints are designed to move the way a normal joint does. 

Surgical Drainage

Some injuries prevent proper drainage of the area, which can result in swelling and inflammation in the hand and wrist. In this procedure, a doctor places a thin tube in the area where the fluid has pooled and drains this fluid out to relieve pressure.

Closed Reduction and Fixation 

When you have a fracture in the hand or wrist, a closed reduction can be used to manipulate the bone fragments in your hand without surgery. This can help set the broken bones back in place so that the bones can heal.

Skin Flaps

This is a reconstructive surgery technique where the damaged tissue is replaced by donor tissue that has an intact blood supply. A graft can also be used, although new blood vessels would have to grow.

Nerve Repairs 

After a severe nerve injury, you can try orthopedic surgery to help you regain normal motor function. A surgeon can correct the injured nerves and remove the harmed tissue from the area.

Is Orthopedic Hand Surgery For Me?

The human hand has many delicate bones, ligaments, and tendons that can cause a lot of pain after an injury. If your hands are immobile or are unable to perform normal tasks, you may be qualified for surgery depending on the type of hand injury you have. Less serious problems, such as swelling, achiness, and other minor discomforts may be resolved over time by the natural process of healing. It is also possible to get prescription medicine, physical therapy, and other treatments to help bring relief. 

For more severe injuries, you may notice bones piercing the skin, dark bruising, shattered bones, numbness, immobility, and sharp pain; this may require surgical intervention. For more serious injuries, such as difficulty moving your hand for an extended period of time, you can consult with a doctor to find out if you would be a good candidate for orthopedic hand surgery.

What Are The Most Common Disorders Treated With Orthopedic Hand Surgery?

Orthopedic hand surgery has many different approaches to provide a solution for your hand or wrist issue. These are some of the most common forms of hand surgery:

Congenital Birth Defects

Polydactyly, Dupuytren, and other congenital hand deformities can be treated with orthopedic hand surgery. These hand deformities affect tissue underneath the skin and can only be remedied through surgery. 

Degenerative Diseases

There are many degenerative diseases that can benefit from orthopedic hand surgery, such as osteoarthritis, osteonecrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteonecrosis, Dupuytren’s contracture, and more. 

Infections

Some infections don’t heal naturally and can’t be fixed with antibiotics alone. Orthopedic hand surgery can be used to drain abscesses and infected areas that are swollen.

Trauma and Injury

After an accident, you may have broken bones, sprained, or strained ligaments and tendons. Injuries that may require surgery include ganglion cysts, DeQuervain’s disease, flexor tendon injuries, Dupuytren’s contracture, lacerations, nailbed injuries, mallet finger, and more. 

Rheumatic Diseases

These disorders affect mainly the bones and can be an injury or a degenerative disease. This mainly pertains to arthritis and other bone or joint deformities.

Should I Get Orthopedic Hand Surgery?

The health of your hands is incredibly important to all aspects of life, and it can be a struggle to perform normal tasks without functioning hands and wrists. It can be difficult to understand whether your condition requires an extensive approach, such as orthopedic hand surgery. However, not all orthopedic approaches require surgery and can be minimally invasive. Before beginning a surgical intervention, you can speak to a doctor who can screen you and use tests to decide how extensive your hand or wrist damage is. You may be able to try alternative methods before considering hand surgery. If these methods don’t work and you aren’t seeing any improvements, your doctor may recommend orthopedic hand surgery. To find out whether this is the best approach. Call Ceda Orthopedic Group for more information.