Principles of Hand Fracture Management

The hand is essential in humans for physical manipulation of their surrounding environment. Allowing the ability to grasp, and differentiated from other animals by an opposing thumb, the main functions include both fine and gross motor skills as well as being a key tool for sensing and understanding the immediate surroundings of their owner

Long-term results of surgical release of de Quervain’s stenosing tenosynovitis

The management of de Quervain’s disease (DD) is nonoperative in the first instance, but surgery should be considered if conservative measures fail. We present the long-term results of operative treatment of DD. From July 1988 to July 1998, 94 consecutive patients with DD were treated operatively by a single surgeon. There were 80 women and 14 men. Average age at the time of operation was 47.4 years (range 22–76). The right wrist was involved in 43 cases, the left in 51 cases. All operations were done under tourniquet control with local infiltration anaesthesia using a longitudinal incision and partial resection of the extensor ligament. There were six perioperative complications, including one superficial wound infection, one delayed wound healing, and four transient lesions of the radial nerve. A successful outcome was achieved in all cases with negative Finkelstein’s test. Simple decompression of both tendons and partial resection of the extensor ligament with a maximum of 3 mm can be recommended in operative treatment of DD with excellent long-term results