If you recently injured your finger and are wondering if it is broken, the best thing to do is get an x-ray to find out. You can get x-rays in your physician’s office, urgent care, or local emergency room. Many breaks or fractures in the fingers can be misdiagnosed as “just a sprain” or a […]
If you recently hurt your wrist and the emergency room or urgent care doctor told you that you broke a bone in your wrist, I am sure that you have a lot of questions. While you are waiting for your follow-up appointment with an orthopedic surgeon, you may be wondering several things including: do I […]
Boxer’s fractures are very common hand injuries. The typical cause is punching a wall with a clenched fist. These injuries are most common in young adult males. They can also occur from a variety of ways such as a fall, sports injury, or car accident. A “boxer’s fracture” is defined as a fracture of the […]
Many patients with carpal tunnel syndrome can be treated successfully without surgery. If the condition continues to get worse, however, non-operative treatment will no longer be effective. Symptoms over time can become harder to control, occur more frequently, and the numbness can become constant. Surgery is the best way to relieve the symptoms and prevent […]
Patients with carpal tunnel syndrome have numbness, tingling, and pain in the hand and fingers. The thumb, index, and middle fingers are usually feel the worst. Some patients notice that the hand feels cold, swollen, “asleep” or feel “poor circulation” in the fingers. Symptoms can awaken patients at night with “pins and needles” pain and tingling in […]
This patient sustained a glass injury to the wrist. The median nerve was lacerated, causing numbness in the thumb, index, and middle fingers. The thumb flexor tendon (FPL) and radial wrist flexor (FCR) were also lacerated causing loss of thumb flexion and weakness with wrist flexion. The patient underwent surgical repair of the flexor tendon lacerations […]
Nerves are fragile and can be injured by many different causes — including compression, lacerations, or blunt trauma. Compression of a nerve is caused by prolonged pressure placed against a nerve, such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Nerve lacerations are often caused by a sharp object such as a knife or broken glass. A nerve can […]
Dr. John M. Erickson of Raleigh Hand Center discussed the treatment options for patients with broken wrists at UNC Orthopedic Conference at WakeMed hospital on 4/23/2018. His talk was titled “Prevention of Complications in Distal Radius Fracture Surgery.” Local area hand surgeons, therapists, radiology staff, and ortho residents were in attendance. […]
“Texting thumb” is a common name for a trigger thumb. Trigger thumb occurs possibly more frequently with the use of smart phones and tablets these days. Symptoms occur when there is catching between the flexor tendon of the thumb and the sheath which surrounds the tendon. Instead of gliding smoothly through the sheath, the flexor pollicis […]
I traveled to Nicaragua to participate in a medical mission in January 2018. I joined Raleigh Hand Center colleague Dr. George Edwards, III and his wife Rebecca, a general orthopedic surgeon Dr. Jessica Hirschhorn, surgical technologist Roby Smith, and members of the not-for-profit organization COAN. We volunteered at the Hospital Escuela Oscar Danilo Rosales Arguello […]
