Hot Topics in Hand

In an interview with Healio, Steven S. Shin, MD, associate professor and executive vice chair in the department of orthopedics at the Cedars-Sinai Health System, discussed common diagnoses in hand.

 

• Can be caused by acute or chronic inflammation in joints and the tissues surrounding them, trauma to the joint, or genetic and environmental factors; and
• symptoms include pain, reduced motion in joint, deformity and loss of function.

 

• Can be caused by joint dislocation, fracture, arthritis or a build-up of fluid during pregnancy; and
• symptoms include tingling, pain, numbness and clumsiness in the hand.

 

• Tissues in the hand thicken until cords are formed, with nodules of bumps in the hand also developing in some patients. The cords and nodules may become larger over time and cause fingers to bend toward the palm; and
• the condition is typically not painful and is first noticed by patients when they cannot place their hand on a flat surface.

 

• Trauma to the hand causes bones to break; and
• symptoms include pain and stiffness in the hand, wrist or fingers and deformity in the hand.

 

• The exact cause is unknown, but changes in hand use may be a cause, along with additional factors such as hormonal changes, repetitive movements, and swelling; and
• symptoms include pain in the base of thumb or wrist.

 

• Tendons in the fingers or thumb do not fit through pulleys, causing them to lose the ability to bend or straighten;
• can be caused by repetitive and strong gripping, but the cause is often unknown; and
• symptoms include pain or discomfort, swelling, stiffness, loss of motion and abnormal sensations during movement in the affected area.

References:

Healio Interview

ASSH. Broken Hand. Available at: https://www.assh.org/handcare/condition/broken-hand. Accessed May 25, 2021.

ASSH. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Available at: https://www.assh.org/handcare/condition/carpal-tunnel-syndrome. Accessed May 21, 2021.

ASSH. De Quervain's Tenosynovitis. Available at: https://www.assh.org/handcare/condition/dequervains-tenosynovitis. Accessed May 25, 2021.

ASSH. Dupuytren’s Contracture. Available at: https://www.assh.org/handcare/condition/dupuytrens-contracture. Accessed May 21, 2021.

ASSH. Trigger Finger. Available at: https://www.assh.org/handcare/condition/trigger-finger. Accessed May 25, 2021.