Evaluation
Hand injury evaluation follows a step-wise process of listen, look, feel and stress.
Fig.1
Important considerations are:
- Mechanism of injury
- Degree and duration of any crushing force
- Whether there is any break in the overlying skin or penetrating injury.
Use of diagrams and clear documentation are valuable.
The key points in the history when evaluating a hand injury are:
- Age
- Hand dominance
- Occupation/hobbies
- Where, when and how did the injury occur?
- What was the position of the hand at the time of injury? Injuries with the digits in flexion can result in retraction of the cut end of the tendon when the hand adopts the neutral position
Compare both hands to better assess baseline function.