Health Topics for Sports Medicine

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

UI Family Care

Hand injuries

There are 27 muscles and 27 bones in each hand and wrist. As a result, the hand is very flexible, strong, and able to perform many fine movements. Even a minor injury to our fingers or hand reminds us of the hand's importance. Diagnosis and treatment of significant hand injuries are very complex and should be performed by a specialist.

Hand and finger injuries are common in sports that have a high risk of falling, such as skiing, biking, in-line skating, and gymnastics. In competitive team sports, the hands and fingers are the body parts injured most often.

Hand and finger injuries are usually caused by accidents and are hard to prevent. These include broken bones, dislocations, and sprains. A fall, direct impact, or a twisting or bending motion can cause one of these injuries.

A forceful backward bending of the thumb can cause a portion of the bone to break off. A bone in the palm may also be broken by punching a solid object or catching a ball in a way that forces the little finger backward.

A thumb sprain is a stretch, tear, or complete rupture of one of the ligaments that connect the bones of the thumb together. This injury may happen to downhill skiers, when the ski pole straps force the thumb backward during a fall.

Mallet finger occurs when a muscle that extends to the end of one of the fingers rips completely away. It leaves the last part of the finger crooked. If untreated, a mallet finger can become permanently painful and deformed. Arthritis can develop in that finger later in life.

There are two types of jammed fingers. A slight jam means that the cushion between the joint is injured and this causes swelling. With the second type, the joint dislocates and stretches or tears ligaments that normally hold the finger bones together. This also causes pain and swelling.

Flexor tendonitis is an overuse injury that causes irritation and pain to the muscles of the forearm. The condition is caused by constant forceful bending of the hand and fingers toward the palm, as in pitching and racquet sports. It can be treated with rest and ice.

If you injure your hand, place it in a splint. Ice the injury for 10 to 30 minutes intermittently for 48 to 72 hours. Get a medical evaluation for any extreme pain, swelling, or deformity.

Last Reviewed 2005

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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