Hand

DUPUYTREN CONTRACTURE

Dupuytren contracture is a painless thickening and contracture of the tissue beneath the skin on the palm of the hand and finger. One or both hands may be affected. The ring finger is affected most often, followed by the little, middle, and index fingers. A small painless nodule or lump develops in the tissue below the skin on the palm side of the hand. Over time, it thickens into a cord-like band. This makes it difficult to then extend or straighten the fingers. In severe cases, straightening them is impossible. Your doctor may recommend exercises, warm water baths, splints, or surgery for treatment depending on the severity of the contracture along with other factors.

FRACTURE – METACARPALS

Metacarpals are the long bones in your hand that connect your wrist to the short bones of your fingers. Breaking these bones can be a result of a twisting injury, a fall, a crush injury, or a direct contact in sports. Symptoms may include swelling, tenderness, deformity, inability to move finger, shortened finger, finger crossing over its neighbor, and/or depressed knuckle. The goal of treatment is to realign the bone so that proper healing can take place. Depending on the alignment of the break, your surgeon may or may not recommend surgery.

HAND TENDINITIS

Tendinitis of the hand is an inflammation of the tendons in the hand. Tendons are cords that attach muscle to bone. The tendons are used to control the movements of the fingers and wrist through finger and arm muscles. The most common cause of hand tendinitis is overuse. These injuries are common in people working in the technology industry and they engage in repetitive finger movements like typing. When the tendons are inflamed in their respective sheath or encasement, it makes it more difficult to move the fingers making the hand feel stiff and tender. Symptoms include stiffness, tightness, trouble gripping, aching, burning, and tend to be worse in the morning and late at night with inactivity. Goals of therapy are to relieve pain and reduce inflammation.