conditions

Trauma to soft tissues

Damage to these structures needs to be urgently assessed and, when necessary, repaired surgically as soon as possible after the trauma occurs.

Your General Practitioner may refer you to the London Hand and Wrist Unit for an urgent consultation if this is needed.

Following surgical repair, a hand therapist would assess the affected hand or upper limb, fabricate a protective splint when necessary, if indicated commence early mobilisation exercises and provide general post operative advice. There are normally precautions that the patient must strictly follow for several weeks, to allow the repaired structures to heal. These will be taught and reinforced by the hand therapist during each session.

On-going hand therapy is normally required which may last several weeks or months, depending on the severity of the injury and the recovery made by the patient. See hand therapy section for further information about treatment modalities used by hand therapists, many of which are used in these cases.

For further information about these conditions follow these links:

• Extensor Tendons - more information >
• Flexor tendons - more information >
• Nerve Injuries - more information >