Hand Injuries (cont.)

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Medical Author:

Chad Tarr, MD

Coauthor:

Philip Shayne, MD

Editor:

Scott H Plantz, MD, FAAEM

Editor:

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD

Editor:

Ron Fuerst, MD

Outlook

Most hand injuries will heal without significant loss of function if evaluated by a doctor soon after the injury. Almost all hand injuries require a medical evaluation because even the most insignificant hand injuries have the potential for serious or crippling loss of function.

Many factors will play a role in determining how well the injury heals with the least limitation of function.

Type of injury
Severity of injury
Delay of definitive medical evaluation and treatment
Compliance to treatment plan (keeping appointments, taking medications, and changing dressings as directed, for example)