Acute Hand Injuries

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department for uncontrolled bleeding, an amputated or partially amputated finger, a pale or blue finger, severe crush injury, exposed bone, loss of circulation, or another potentially limb-threatening injury.

Tendon Injuries

Tendons allow the fingers and thumb to bend and straighten. A tendon may be cut, torn, pulled away from bone, or injured by a fracture or crush mechanism.

• Difficulty bending or straightening a finger
• Loss of normal finger motion
• Weakness or instability
• Pain with movement
• A deep cut over the hand, finger, or wrist

Tendon injuries often need timely evaluation because delayed diagnosis can complicate repair and rehabilitation.

Nerve Injuries

Nerves provide sensation and help control hand movement. Cuts, crush injuries, fractures, and dislocations can injure or compress a nerve.

• Numbness or loss of sensation
• Tingling or burning pain
• Weakness
• Difficulty with pinch or fine motor tasks
• Electric-shock sensations near the wound

Finger, Thumb, Hand, and Wrist Fractures

Some fractures can be treated with splinting or casting. Surgery may be considered when a fracture is displaced, unstable, rotated, open, involves a joint, or threatens alignment and function.

Possible signs include pain, swelling, bruising, tenderness, visible deformity, loss of motion, or a finger that crosses another finger when making a fist.

Deep Cuts and Lacerations

A deep laceration may involve tendons, nerves, blood vessels, joints, or bone. Numbness, weakness, heavy bleeding, or difficulty moving a finger after a cut should be evaluated promptly.

Crush Injuries

Crush injuries may damage skin, nail beds, tendons, nerves, blood vessels, bones, and joints. Swelling and tissue injury can evolve after the initial accident, making follow-up important.

Soft-Tissue Loss and Complex Wounds

Some injuries leave exposed tendon, bone, joint, or other structures. Treatment may require wound care, local tissue rearrangement, skin grafting, or another reconstructive approach.

Dr. Lovelace can evaluate motion, sensation, circulation, wounds, alignment, and imaging to determine the next step.

Recovery varies according to injury severity, the structures involved, and whether surgery is required. Protecting the repair while avoiding unnecessary stiffness is an important part of hand-injury rehabilitation.

• Early healing Wound care, swelling control, splinting, and protection of repaired structures may be required.
• First several weeks Follow-up visits monitor healing, circulation, motion, sensation, and the stability of any fracture or repair.
• Therapy phase Hand therapy may focus on range of motion, scar management, tendon glide, coordination, and gradual strengthening.
• Return to activity Work, sports, gripping, lifting, and tool use are resumed according to healing and functional progress.

Complex tendon, nerve, fracture, or multi-structure injuries may require several months of recovery. Some severe injuries may not regain completely normal motion, sensation, or strength.

Dr. Lovelace can explain whether splinting, therapy, restrictions, or additional follow-up may be needed.