Hand injuries: causes, diagnosis, treatment in Yaroslavl

Injuries to the hand can be different, both in location and in the nature of the damage. They arise in everyday life, during sports and professional activities. Injuries to the hands can lead to structural changes in tissue, including sprains and fractures. Therefore, immediately after injury, it is recommended to contact a traumatologist who will prescribe an X-ray examination and other diagnostic methods to make an accurate diagnosis and assess the extent of damage to the limb.

At the CONSTANTA Clinic, qualified specialists in the field of traumatology with extensive practical experience are always ready to receive you. Even if it seems to you that the hand injury is minor and you can get by with home treatment, you should not take risks - it is better to visit a doctor who will conduct an examination and assess the extent of the damage. Our Clinic is considered one of the best in Yaroslavl, as we have innovative equipment that is actively used for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Competent employees are always ready to discuss questions of interest to the patient and provide qualified medical care within the framework of a specific clinical case.

How do hand injuries occur?

Symptoms of hand injuries depend primarily on the degree of damage. Contrary to popular belief, some patients do not feel significant pain even with arm fractures. Therefore, without professional skills and knowledge, the patient cannot visually determine what kind of injury was received.

Main signs of hand injury:

pain at the site of injury;
swelling;
hematoma formation;
limited mobility;
tissue redness;
local temperature increase.

Immediately after the injury, carefully examine the hand: there are no deep abrasions, cuts on the skin, or any visible bone fragments. Even if the integrity of the skin is not compromised, carry out antiseptic treatment before contacting a doctor. Use any antiseptic you have at home - hydrogen peroxide, chlorhexidine, diluted alcohol. Wipe or irrigate the injured area with an antiseptic solution to reduce the risk of secondary infection. Then apply a loose sterile bandage and go to see a traumatologist.

Many patients cannot accurately describe the mechanism of injury. If the pain intensifies even after first aid, the specialist may suspect the development of compartment syndrome, which is characterized by increased pressure in the fascial space. A common cause of the development of compartment syndrome is shrapnel injuries, which often lead to disruption of the nutrition of muscle tissue and the spread of the infectious process.

In most cases, hand injuries are not accompanied by long-term pain and a high risk of complications. The most dangerous are open injuries, which can be complicated by infection and occur with severe disruption of the blood supply (ischemia). In such cases, timely medical assistance is necessary. Only a qualified specialist can assess the degree of damage to the soft and hard tissues of the hand, identify hidden and obvious disturbances in blood flow and injuries to large or small vessels.

Fortunately, up to 70% of hand bruises are mild and do not require hospitalization or serious treatment. Most often, patients injure their fingers during sports training and solving everyday problems. With age, bone density decreases, so even gentle behavior or compression can cause a crack or fracture.

Hand injuries often occur in childhood. They arise as a result of active games during physical education. The problem with early diagnosis of trauma in children is that the child often cannot specifically describe his feelings and evaluate them. Even with cracks and fractures, some children do not complain of severe pain, and sometimes children cry for a long time even from a slight bruise, greatly frightening their parents. It is better to play it safe and still contact a specialist so that the doctor examines the site of the injury and, if necessary, prescribes additional diagnostics.

How to identify a crack in a bone

After the patient is taken to the hospital, the doctor conducts an initial visual examination and palpation of the damaged area. To determine whether a crack or fracture has formed, an x-ray examination is performed. The image shows the bone crack itself, its size and other damage caused by the injury.

If after the x-ray the doctor has doubts about the depth of the damage, the patient is referred for magnetic resonance imaging.

After making an accurate diagnosis, the doctor prescribes treatment and gives recommendations on what can and cannot be done with a crack.

Bruises of the hand

Classic contusion of the soft tissues of the hand occurs very often in the practice of traumatologists. It is accompanied by redness of the tissue, moderate pain and swelling, and a local increase in temperature. and no serious treatment is required in this case. Specialists limit themselves to local anesthetics that help quickly relieve swelling and relieve pain.

If, in addition to a bruise, a violation of tissue integrity is detected, it is necessary to use antiseptics, and, if necessary, antibacterial agents. This will prevent the spread of infection. In some cases, it is necessary to immobilize the limb until the diagnosis is clarified.

The quality of primary antiseptic treatment directly affects the purity of infectious complications. Many patients do not pay attention to the need to disinfect the injury site before meeting with a traumatologist. After treatment with an antiseptic and applying a bandage, it is recommended to apply dry cold to reduce the risk of bleeding and the formation of a large hematoma.

First aid

If an injury occurs, the victim must be taken to a medical facility as soon as possible. Before this, the damaged part of the body must be immobilized so that it remains at rest. Available materials for making a tire are suitable for this purpose. If possible, apply an ice compress to the bruised area.

If the bones of the foot are injured, you should not lean on the injured leg. The foot is fixed. The patient cannot independently understand that it is a crack and not a fracture. This is only possible after X-ray diagnostics in a medical institution.

Fractures of the bones of the hand

Fractures of the hand bones account for up to 30% of all injuries to the skeletal system. As a rule, the injury occurs in everyday life, when falling with emphasis on the hand. A fracture of the wrist, phalanges of the fingers or metacarpal bones may occur. An accurate diagnosis can be established based on the results of an x-ray examination. Most often, specialists encounter bone fractures as a result of accidental injuries or when heavy objects fall on the hand.

Fractures of the metacarpal bones are open and closed, with and without signs of displacement, multiple, single, intra-articular and extra-articular. They can be combined with damage to other structures of the hand. Medical tactics are selected individually, based on examination data, taking into account the patient’s general well-being, his age and the nature of the injury. Diagnosis of hand injuries includes taking a medical history and conducting certain diagnostic tests. During the examination and communication with the patient, the doctor finds out the approximate time of injury, the patient’s complaints, and determines the presence or absence of motor restrictions.

Symptoms of a jaw fracture

A bone fracture is always painful, so it is impossible not to notice it. And yet, people sometimes confuse the signs of a jaw fracture and a dislocation and, not realizing the seriousness of the situation, try to solve the problem at home. To correctly identify an injury, you need to know its main symptoms:

Pain that intensifies when touching the chin and any movement of the jaw.
Unnatural bone mobility.
Malocclusion. In many cases, a person cannot close his jaw at all.
Photo: spaces between teeth due to a jaw fracture
Gaps almost always form in the dentition.
In most cases, teeth break or fall out.
Changes in the relief of bones, especially in the chin area. The injury noticeably displaces him.
Hematomas and bruises appear on the face and in the oral cavity.
Increased salivation.
Recession of the tongue.
In most cases, the patient is completely unable to speak, eat or move his jaw normally.
General malaise occurs. The patient suffers from headache and dizziness. Sometimes the temperature rises and drowsiness appears.

All these symptoms can be considered general. They are typical for any type of similar injury, but there are also narrower signs on which the classification of fractures of the lower and upper jaw depends.

Dislocations of the hand

Dislocation of the wrist joint occurs mainly during falls with emphasis on the hand or during a direct blow with a fist or a heavy object. Injury also occurs when the hand is strongly arched. After the injury, the patient complains of sharp pain in the wrist joint. Visually, you can determine pronounced swelling of the tissues and sharp pain during palpation. Motor activity in the joint is sharply limited. If the median nerve is compressed during an injury, there will be a loss of sensitivity in the innervated area.

Causes

There is only one reason for the occurrence of a crack - the impact on it of a force exceeding the degree of its strength. This can happen under different circumstances, such as a fall, a strong blow, a traffic accident, an industrial accident, etc. A crack in the bone is considered a type of fracture, so the reasons for their occurrence are similar.

The general health of the victim is important. If a patient has reduced bone density due to osteoporosis, is overweight, has thyroid disease, or has a reduced amount of calcium in the body, then the risk of injury increases.

First aid for bruises and other injuries to the hand

Immediately after the injury, the patient must make sure that he received a minor bruise and that no bone remains are visible at the site of the injury. The wound is washed with warm water and soap, gently dried and treated with antiseptic. Then you need to apply dry ice for 5-10 minutes. After this time, the hand must be examined again, finger activity and range of motion checked.

In case of damage to the hand with a violation of the integrity of the skin, it is necessary to apply a bandage of a sterile bandage. When applied correctly, the bandage completely covers the damaged tissue, does not hinder movement and does not cause any pain. Make sure that the bandage does not squeeze the skin. If the tissues begin to turn blue and sensitivity decreases, this indicates that the bandage urgently needs to be loosened or replaced.

Dry ice must be applied every hour for 5-10 minutes. Usually this is enough to reduce pain and prevent the appearance of a hematoma. Intermittent cold therapy is an effective treatment for minor bruises and injuries. More serious injuries require specialist consultation and a comprehensive examination.

The main tasks of first aid for hand injuries:

immobilization of the limb to prevent the development of complications;
stopping bleeding from a wound;
antiseptic treatment for prophylactic purposes;
reduction of swelling, pain, signs of an inflammatory reaction.

Patients are not always able to provide first aid for hand injuries, especially if the wound is bleeding and there is severe pain. If you cannot adequately assess the complexity of the situation and your condition, it is recommended to immediately contact medical professionals. They will carry out antiseptic treatment themselves, relieve pain and, if necessary, use immobilization.

Complications and consequences of a root crack

In this situation, timely treatment is important: seeing a doctor at the initial stage will help avoid consequences. If this is not done, you may encounter the following complications:

abscess.
A crack without treatment can provoke an inflammatory process, which in the future will turn into suppuration of soft tissues and lead to the formation of an abscess. Treatment of a purulent cavity is much longer, more expensive and unpleasant than treatment of a fissure;
phlegmon.
Suppuration, which, unlike an abscess, does not have clear boundaries and does not flow into the formation of a cavity. Cellulitis is a decay of cells that can spread to any tissue in the cavity;
periodontitis.
Inflammation of the periodontium, that is, the tissues surrounding the tooth, leads to their death and the inability to hold the tooth in the gum. The result is the complete loss of one or more teeth; pulpitis. The death of the pulp - the neurovascular bundle of tissues in the tooth through which it receives nutrition. Pulpitis is quite painful and can affect neighboring tissues;
tissue injury.
A root fragment can injure soft tissue. In this case, the doctor will have to extract a piece of the root and remove the infected tissue.

Treatment of hand injuries

Treatment tactics for hand injuries are selected individually, depending on the degree of damage. Closed soft tissue injuries are treated on an outpatient basis using special tight bandages that help with sprains and joint damage. Additionally, it is recommended to use warm compresses, but their use is prohibited in the first three days after injury (due to the risk of infection and bleeding).

To reduce pain, local agents with anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties are used. Cold is applied for 2-3 days, and then heat compresses with medical alcohol can be used. It is allowed to apply warming ointments to injured tissues to quickly resolve bruises and reduce pain.

If joints and bones are damaged, immobilizing and plaster bandages are used for a period of two weeks. Physiotherapeutic treatment, which includes various procedures: UHF, electrophoresis using a 10% calcium chloride solution or 0.5% novocaine, diadynamic currents, has a good therapeutic effect for hand injuries.

Patients with injuries to the soft and hard tissues of the hand need to be examined by a qualified specialist. As a rule, it is enough to follow the general recommendations of a traumatologist in order to quickly recover. It is necessary to limit physical activity for the first 2 weeks and protect the injured hand from negative influences from the outside. The patient is prescribed cold, rest and elevated position of the limb. Often, for injuries, compression is used with elastic bandages, elastic bandages or splints. The first day the arm should be in an elevated position to ensure effective lymph circulation and prevent the occurrence of edema.

If using a plaster cast, it is necessary to inspect the skin around the cast daily in order to promptly detect areas of inflammation or discoloration of the tissue. If you notice bluishness of the skin, you should seek medical help to restore normal blood supply to the tissues. If areas of tissue with signs of an inflammatory reaction are detected, it is recommended to use special lotions with anti-inflammatory and moisturizing effects.

Patients who suspect that they have a dislocated hand should urgently consult a traumatologist. The doctor will realign the hand after high-quality anesthesia, and then fix the joint from the elbow to the base of the fingers with a plaster splint. If, even after reduction, the doctor determines that the joint is unstable, additional fixation with Kirschner wires will have to be used. If the median nerve is compressed, surgery is required.

Kinds

There are several types of bone cracks. Depending on their number, multiple and single ones are distinguished. Cracks are considered multiple when more than 3 fault lines are present.

Based on the depth of the damage, the crack is classified as superficial or through. In the first case, only the top layer of bone (periosteum) is affected. If the entire surface is affected, then the crack in the bone is considered through. The latter requires more time to heal, but the prognosis for healing is favorable.

Based on their location relative to the axis of damage, they are distinguished as longitudinal, oblique, transverse and spiral. The doctor evaluates the direction and severity of the bone injury using a visual examination and x-ray.

Rehabilitation after hand injuries

Rehabilitation is a mandatory stage in the treatment of hand injuries. Rehabilitation measures may include physiotherapeutic techniques, massage, spa therapy, physical therapy, warming compresses, and the use of medicinal ointments. The patient’s motor activity and quality of life in the future depend on the effectiveness of rehabilitation. It is forbidden to subject the hand to increased physical stress in the first months after the end of treatment.

In our Clinic in Yaroslavl you will receive the necessary assistance with hand injuries of any complexity. We are ready to answer all your questions and provide high-quality information support.

If you have any questions or make an appointment with a specialist, please call: (4852) 37-00-85 Daily from 8:00 to 20:00

Prevention of root injuries

The best treatment is disease prevention. To prevent cracks at the root, try to follow a few recommendations:

be careful and attentive, because half of the cases of root cracks are household injuries, which can be avoided if you take care of yourself and your health;
carefully choose a clinic and a doctor - before visiting a dentist, check the reviews and ratings of the clinic, certificates and specialist diplomas, do not go to questionable dentists;
strengthen your teeth - eat healthy foods, do not forget about the importance of calcium and fluoride in strengthening your teeth, choose suitable dental hygiene products.

If symptoms of a root crack occur, do not self-medicate and do not wait for the pain to go away on its own. See your doctor. If the pain is caused by a temporary phenomenon, you will be calm, and if a crack is discovered at the root, treatment at the initial stage will help maintain the health and beauty of your smile, avoid complications and unnecessary expenses.

Possible complications

There are several dangerous consequences that are likely to develop if the doctor’s recommendations or the specifics of the injury are not followed:

Osteoporosis. Dystrophic phenomena in the bone can occur as a result of its damage. It is also likely that an inflammatory process will develop in bone or joint tissue, which is also fraught with dire consequences in the form of lifelong disability.
Impaired motor function and sensitivity as a result of injury to the nerve pathways. If surgeons fail to restore the integrity of the nerve in time, this is fraught with loss of sensitivity and conscious control over the limb.
In the case of an old crack (more than 2-3 weeks), the bone heals incorrectly. This threatens to impair mobility in the form of its disappearance or, conversely, the appearance of extreme mobility in places where it should not exist.