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Hand

Plain-English information about hand conditions, operations, and recovery.

How your hand works

How your hand works Hand anatomy – bones of the wrist, palm, and fingers – understanding the structure supports diagnosis. Open →

Conditions

Basal Thumb Arthritis Basal thumb arthritis — causes, symptoms, non-surgical options, and when surgery might help. Open → Boutonnière Deformity Extensor central-slip injury at the middle finger joint; early splinting prevents the zigzag deformity, established cases need surgery. Open → Compression Neuropathies Hand numbness, tingling, or weakness – understanding carpal tunnel, cubital tunnel, and other compression neuropathies. Open → DIPJ arthritis Open → Dupuytren's Disease Dupuytren’s disease causes palm thickening and finger contracture—options range from observation to needle aponeurotomy or surgical excision. Open → Finger Fractures Phalangeal and metacarpal fractures of the hand — non-operative care and indications for fixation. Open → Fingertip Injuries Crush, laceration, nail-bed and amputation injuries of the fingertip and their management. Open → Flexor Tendon Sheath Ganglion A benign, fluid-filled cyst arising from the flexor tendon sheath – often painless, but can cause clicking or limited finger movement. Open → Giant Cell Tumour of Tendon Sheath (Lump on a Finger or Thumb) A giant cell tumour of tendon sheath is a common, benign (non-cancerous) lump on a finger or thumb. What causes it, how it is diagnosed and removed, and how often it comes back. Open → Hand Infections Paronychia, deep-space and flexor sheath infections — recognition, antibiotics, drainage. Open → Hand Tendon and Nerve Injuries Hand tendon and nerve injuries – understanding symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options. Open → Jersey Finger (Flexor Tendon Avulsion) The deep flexor tendon avulses off the fingertip — why it is time-critical, and the surgery to reattach it. Open → Mallet Finger Mallet finger causes fingertip drooping after extensor tendon injury; splinting is key, surgery occasionally needed. Open → Medical Conditions That Affect the Hand How whole-body conditions — diabetes, thyroid, inflammatory arthritis, kidney disease and more — show up in the hand. Open → Metacarpal Fractures (including Boxer's Fracture) A broken hand bone in the palm — including the common boxer's fracture — how it is treated, the rotation check that matters most, and recovery. Open → Mucous Cyst Mucous cysts – common bumps near finger joints, often linked to arthritis, and treatment options. Open → PIP Joint Arthritis Osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis of the PIP joint — non-operative and surgical options. Open → Pregnancy and Hand Conditions Carpal tunnel in pregnancy and de Quervains "mummy thumb" — why they happen, what is safe, and when they settle. Open → Raynaud's Phenomenon Fingers that go white, blue then red in the cold — primary vs secondary Raynaud's, keeping warm, and when it needs assessment. Open → Sagittal Band Rupture (Boxer's Knuckle) A knuckle injury where the tendon slips off the top of the joint — the "boxer's knuckle" — and how early splinting or surgery treats it. Open → Swan-Neck Deformity of the Finger A finger that hyperextends at the middle joint and bends at the tip — why it happens and how splints or surgery can correct it. Open → Thumb UCL injury Open → Trigger Finger Trigger finger causes painful catching or locking of a finger, often treated with splinting or steroid injection. Open →

Operations

DIP Joint Fusion DIP joint fusion stabilizes and reduces pain in the fingertip joint, often for arthritis or mallet finger. Open → Dupuytren's Fasciectomy Dupuytren’s fasciectomy — correcting hand contractures to improve function and daily activities. Open → Flexor Tendon Sheath Ganglion Excision Excision of a flexor tendon sheath ganglion — when surgery is considered for painful or limiting cysts. Open → PIP Joint Fusion PIP joint fusion stabilizes a severely damaged middle finger joint, relieving pain when other treatments fail. Open → PIP Joint Replacement PIP joint replacement addresses painful arthritis in the middle finger joint when non-surgical options fail. Open → Pyrocarbon interposition arthroplasty Open → Remplir Nerve Wrap Open → Touch thumb arthroplasty Open → Trapeziectomy Open → Trigger Finger Release Trigger finger release — understanding the condition, conservative treatments, and surgical options for a stuck or clicking finger. Open →

Recovery and rehabilitation

Blood Thinners Around Surgery How anticoagulants and antiplatelets work, and why the timing of stopping each before surgery differs — platelet turnover, half-lives and clot risk. Open → Cast and splint care at home Looking after a plaster or splint at home — keeping it dry, elevation, keeping joints moving, and the urgent signs of a too-tight cast. Open → Constipation and gut care after surgery Why constipation is common after surgery (especially with strong painkillers) and how to prevent and manage it. Open → Daily life after hand, wrist or elbow surgery Keeping a hand or wrist dressing dry, elevation to control swelling, and one-handed living after hand, wrist or elbow surgery. Open → Daily life after shoulder surgery Washing, dressing, sleeping and managing day-to-day with the operated arm in a sling after shoulder surgery. Open → Driving After Shoulder and Arm Surgery: When Is It Safe and Legal? After most shoulder surgery, including rotator cuff repair, you usually cannot drive for about six weeks, and not while your arm is in a sling. When it is safe and legal to get back to the wheel after hand, wrist, elbow or shoulder surgery. Open → Eating well for healing Everyday food to support recovery after surgery — protein, energy, healing vitamins, and preventing constipation. Open → Fasting Before Surgery: What You Can Eat and Drink, and Why Why you must stop eating before an anaesthetic, when you can still sip water, and what can happen if you do not fast. The clear fasting rules that keep your stomach empty and your lungs safe during surgery. Open → Flying and travel after surgery Clot risk, cast tightness at altitude, fitness to fly and the practicalities of travelling after upper-limb surgery. Open → Hand therapy basics What to expect from hand therapy, how often you'll go, and what good rehab looks like. Open → Heat vs Ice When ice helps, when heat helps, and how to use either safely on the upper limb. Open → Is my wound infected? How to tell normal healing from a wound infection after surgery — the warning signs and when to seek help. Open → Looking after your wound Dressings, showering, and signs of infection after upper-limb surgery. Open → Managing pain after surgery What pain to expect, how to use pain relief well, and when to call. Open → Mind, Stress and Recovery How stress, low mood, anxiety and worry about pain affect recovery and surgical outcomes — and what helps. Open → Preparing for Surgery General checklist for the days before upper-limb surgery — fasting, what to bring, medications. Open → Preventing Blood Clots After Surgery Reducing the risk of deep vein thrombosis after upper-limb surgery — mobilisation, hydration, medication. Open → Returning to sport Phased return to sport after upper-limb surgery, and when contact sport is safe again. Open → Returning to work When you can return to desk, light, and heavy work after upper-limb surgery. Open → Scar Management Massage, silicone, sun protection and the 12-month timeline for surgical scars to soften and fade. Open → Sleep, Pain and Recovery How sleep and pain affect each other, why surgery and shoulder problems disturb sleep, and what helps you rest and recover. Open → Swelling and elevation after surgery Why a hand or arm swells after surgery, how elevation and gentle movement control it, and when swelling is a warning sign. Open → The day of your surgery What to expect on the day of day-case upper-limb surgery, from arrival and meeting the team to waking up and going home. Open → Wearing and Sleeping in an Arm Sling How to sleep in an arm sling, get the sling position right, and look after it after shoulder, elbow or wrist surgery, including whether to keep the sling on overnight. Open → Your shoulder nerve block The nerve block we use for shoulder surgery — how it numbs your arm, why it controls pain so well, and what to expect as it wears off. Open → Your wound check and stitch removal What happens at the post-op wound check, dissolvable vs removable stitches, what removal feels like, and when to seek help sooner. Open →

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