Your hand is a unique and highly sophisticated mechanical system. It is made up of:
- Twenty seven individual bones (together with their joints and supporting ligaments).
- Twenty four different muscle groups
- Tendons arising from muscles of the hand and forearm (including a system of pulleys for each finger)
- A highly sensitive and variable network of nerves
- A rich and complex blood supply
- Specialised skin with unique underlying soft tissue support.
When all of these elements work together in fine balance, they produce the versatile movements that you rely on for every day activities. However, if there is disease or injury to any one of these components, this will reduce your hands overall function.
Your hands are prone to trauma and mechanical wear & tear. They can suffer repetitive strain injuries and are sometimes affected by underlying medical conditions.
You may have been diagnosed with one of the following hand conditions:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis
- Stenosing Tenosynovitis (trigger finger/ thumb)
- Duputryens disease
- Ganglionic cysts
- Osteoarthritis (of the wrist, fingers and thumb)
- Fractures (of the wrist and hand)
- Scaphoid fractures
- Sports injuries (golfing, boxing, climbing, ball games)
- Nerve injury (due to pressure, stretching or cutting)
If you suffer from pain, stiffness or tissue changes (whether or not there has been an injury) it is important to have your hands looked at by an expert. With prompt and proper treatment, your hand and finger function may be preserved or restored. Importantly, this can prevent long-term disability and loss of earnings.
As a specialist hand surgeon, Dr Benjamin Hope works, every day, with this most intricate of systems. His expertise has helped many people to relieve pain, regain strength and restore dexterity using the following range of procedures:
– Basal thumb joint reconstruction (arthritis) »
– De Quervain’s release »
– Internal fixation of fractured distal radius (wrist) »
– Duputryen’s contracture release »
– Endoscopic carpal tunnel release »
– Excision ganglion »
– Finger joint replacement »
– Internal fixation of the arm/elbow/forearm/finger fractures »
– Joint fusion »
– Manipulation of wrist, forearm, elbow fractures
– Nerve repair »
– Scaphoid fracture »
– Skin graft or flap for hand reconstruction
– Tendon repair »
– Trigger finger »
– Wrist arthroscopy »