Patients › Hand

Hand

Hand and finger problems grouped by theme — tendons, nerves, arthritis, lumps and cysts, infections and injuries — with each condition beside the operation that treats it.

Understanding your hand

Como a sua mão funciona Hand anatomy – bones of the wrist, palm, and fingers – understanding the structure supports diagnosis. Open →

Tendon problems

Dedo em gatilho Trigger finger causes painful catching or locking of a finger, often treated with splinting or steroid injection. Open → Liberação de dedo em gatilho Trigger finger release — understanding the condition, conservative treatments, and surgical options for a stuck or clicking finger. Open → Dedo em martelo Mallet finger causes fingertip drooping after extensor tendon injury; splinting is key, surgery occasionally needed. Open → Dedo de Jersey (avulsão do tendão flexor) The deep flexor tendon avulses off the fingertip — why it is time-critical, and the surgery to reattach it. Open → Ruptura da banda sagital (dedo de pugilista) 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 → Deformidade em botoeira Extensor central-slip injury at the middle finger joint; early splinting prevents the zigzag deformity, established cases need surgery. Open → Deformidade em formato de pescoço de cisne do dedo 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 → Reparo do tendão extensor Open → Reparo do tendão flexor Open →

Nerve problems & repairs

Síndrome do túnel do carpo Carpal tunnel syndrome causes hand numbness, tingling, and weakness—diagnosis and treatment options explained. Open → Liberação do túnel carpal Carpal tunnel release surgery relieves median nerve compression—when it’s needed and what to expect. Open → Neuropatias por compressão Hand numbness, tingling, or weakness – understanding carpal tunnel, cubital tunnel, and other compression neuropathies. Open → Lesões dos tendões e nervos da mão Hand tendon and nerve injuries – understanding symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options. Open → Envoltório de nervo Remplir Open →

Arthritis & joint replacement

Artrite basal do polegar Basal thumb arthritis — causes, symptoms, non-surgical options, and when surgery might help. Open → Trapeziectomia Open → Artroplastia do polegar Touch Open → Artroplastia com interposição de pirocarbono Open → Artrite da articulação interfalângica distal Open → Fusão da articulação interfalângica distal DIP joint fusion stabilizes and reduces pain in the fingertip joint, often for arthritis or mallet finger. Open → Artrite da articulação PIP Osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis of the PIP joint — non-operative and surgical options. Open → Artrodese da articulação PIP PIP joint fusion stabilizes a severely damaged middle finger joint, relieving pain when other treatments fail. Open → Substituição da Articulação PIP PIP joint replacement addresses painful arthritis in the middle finger joint when non-surgical options fail. Open → Artroplastia da Articulação Metacarpofalangeana (MCPJ) Open →

Lumps, cysts & Dupuytren's

Doença de Dupuytren Dupuytren’s disease causes palm thickening and finger contracture—options range from observation to needle aponeurotomy or surgical excision. Open → Fasciectomia de Dupuytren Dupuytren’s fasciectomy — correcting hand contractures to improve function and daily activities. Open → Cisto mucoso Mucous cysts – common bumps near finger joints, often linked to arthritis, and treatment options. Open → Excisão de cisto mucoso (com retalho local) Open → Gânglio na bainha do tendão flexor A benign, fluid-filled cyst arising from the flexor tendon sheath – often painless, but can cause clicking or limited finger movement. Open → Excisão de gânglio da bainha do tendão flexor Excision of a flexor tendon sheath ganglion — when surgery is considered for painful or limiting cysts. Open → Tumor de células gigantes da bainha do tendão (nódulo no dedo ou no polegar) 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 → Excisão do tumor de células gigantes da bainha do tendão Open →

Infections

Infecções da Mão Paronychia, deep-space and flexor sheath infections — recognition, antibiotics, drainage. Open → Felon (infecção da polpa da ponta do dedo) Open → Drenagem de felon Open → Paroníquia (infecção ao lado da unha) Open → Drenagem de uma paroníquia aguda Open → Marsupialização da epóniquia para paroníquia crônica Open → Bainha do flexor infectada (Tenossinovite flexora piogênica) Open → Drenagem de bainha flexora infectada Open →

Fractures & ligament injuries

Fraturas de dedos Phalangeal and metacarpal fractures of the hand — non-operative care and indications for fixation. Open → Fixação de fratura da falange Open → Fratura-luxação da articulação PIP Open → Fraturas dos metacarpos (incluindo a fratura do boxeador) 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 → Fixação de fratura do metacarpo Open → Fraturas do hamato e fraturas-luxações CMC do dedo anelar e do dedo mínimo Open → Fixação de fratura-luxação do hamato e das articulações CMC Open → Lesão do ligamento colateral ulnar do polegar Open → Reparo do ligamento colateral ulnar do polegar Open → Lesões na ponta dos dedos Crush, laceration, nail-bed and amputation injuries of the fingertip and their management. Open → Reparo e reconstrução da ponta do dedo Open →

Hand health & medical conditions

Condições médicas que afetam a mão How whole-body conditions — diabetes, thyroid, inflammatory arthritis, kidney disease and more — show up in the hand. Open → Gravidez e afecções da mão Carpal tunnel in pregnancy and de Quervains "mummy thumb" — why they happen, what is safe, and when they settle. Open → Fenômeno de Raynaud Fingers that go white, blue then red in the cold — primary vs secondary Raynaud's, keeping warm, and when it needs assessment. Open →

Recovery and rehabilitation

A vida cotidiana após a cirurgia no ombro Washing, dressing, sleeping and managing day-to-day with the operated arm in a sling after shoulder surgery. Open → A vida cotidiana após cirurgia na mão, no punho ou no cotovelo Keeping a hand or wrist dressing dry, elevation to control swelling, and one-handed living after hand, wrist or elbow surgery. Open → Alimentação adequada para a recuperação Everyday food to support recovery after surgery — protein, energy, healing vitamins, and preventing constipation. Open → Anticoagulantes no período cirúrgico How anticoagulants and antiplatelets work, and why the timing of stopping each before surgery differs — platelet turnover, half-lives and clot risk. Open → Calor vs. Gelo When ice helps, when heat helps, and how to use either safely on the upper limb. Open → Constipação e cuidados intestinais após a cirurgia Why constipation is common after surgery (especially with strong painkillers) and how to prevent and manage it. Open → Controle da dor após a cirurgia What pain to expect, how to use pain relief well, and when to call. Open → Cuidados com a sua cicatriz Massage, silicone, sun protection and the 12-month timeline for surgical scars to soften and fade. Open → Cuidados com a sua ferida Dressings, showering, and signs of infection after upper-limb surgery. Open → Cuidados com gesso e tala em casa 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 → Dirigir após cirurgia no ombro e no braço: quando é seguro e 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 → Inchaço e elevação após a cirurgia Why a hand or arm swells after surgery, how elevation and gentle movement control it, and when swelling is a warning sign. Open → Jejum antes da cirurgia: o que se pode comer e beber, e por quê 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 → Melatonina após cirurgia no ombro Why we prescribe melatonin after shoulder surgery, what the trial evidence shows, the dose we use, and what to expect from it. Open → Mente, estresse e recuperação How stress, low mood, anxiety and worry about pain affect recovery and surgical outcomes — and what helps. Open → Minha ferida está infectada? How to tell normal healing from a wound infection after surgery — the warning signs and when to seek help. Open → Noções básicas sobre terapia da mão What to expect from hand therapy, how often you'll go, and what good rehab looks like. Open → O dia da sua cirurgia 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 → O seu bloqueio nervoso do ombro 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 → Preparação para a cirurgia General checklist for the days before upper-limb surgery — fasting, what to bring, medications. Open → Prevenção de coágulos sanguíneos em casa Reducing the risk of deep vein thrombosis after upper-limb surgery — mobilisation, hydration, medication. Open → Retorno ao trabalho When you can return to desk, light, and heavy work after upper-limb surgery. Open → Retorno às atividades esportivas Phased return to sport after upper-limb surgery, and when contact sport is safe again. Open → Sono, dor e recuperação How sleep and pain affect each other, why surgery and shoulder problems disturb sleep, and what helps you rest and recover. Open → Uso e dormir com uma tipóia para o braço 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 → Verificação da ferida e remoção dos pontos What happens at the post-op wound check, dissolvable vs removable stitches, what removal feels like, and when to seek help sooner. Open → Voos e viagens após a cirurgia Clot risk, cast tightness at altitude, fitness to fly and the practicalities of travelling after upper-limb surgery. Open →

Explore Hand in the evidence explorer →