Five Most Common Work-Related Hand Injuries

Whether you are a construction worker, a nurse, a musician, or an office worker you likely use your hands almost constantly throughout your workday. So it’s no surprise that, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are almost 200,000 reported cases of workplace injuries involving the hands or wrists every year.

In fact, hand and wrist injuries account for almost 17% of all work-related injuries nationwide. And while manual labor can lead to many hand injuries (such as lacerations and crushed or amputated fingers), office work can lead to repetitive hand injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome and De Quervain’s tenosynovitis.

In this article, board certified Detroit area hand surgeon Doctor Uzma Rehman discusses the five most common hand injuries in the workplace.

Types of Work-Related Hand Injuries

#1. Laceration Hand Injuries

The most common work-related hand and wrist injuries involve cuts and lacerations – accounting for roughly 63% of hand injuries at work.  Treatment for these injuries often involves little or no treatment – or perhaps just stitches – and typically require very little recovery time.

#2. Crushed Hand Injuries

Injury by crushing is the second most common work-related hand injury – accounting for 13% of occupational hand trauma. Workers at high risk for crushing hand injuries include employees working with machinery or lifting heavy objects. Construction workers, factory workers, longshoreman and warehouse workers are particularly susceptible to occupational hand injury.

Crushed hands or fingers usually result in intense pain followed by severe swelling – and may or may not be accompanied by broken hand or finger bones. After a crush injury, patients may also experience weakness, loss of motion, cramping, tingling, and/or numbness in the hand.

#3. Avulsions

“Avulsion” is the medical term for the surface layers of the skin being peeled away. Often an avulsion occurs when a body part containing muscles and tendons is pulled in the opposite direction of the bone to which they are attached surround. Avulsions are often the result of machinery-related accidents. They account for roughly 8% of work-related hand injuries.

Avulsion injuries can be quite gruesome, exposing tissues, muscles, tendons, or even bone from beneath this layer of skin. Nerve damage is also quite common after an avulsion injury – so repair by a skilled and experienced board-certified hand surgeon is essential.

#4. Puncture Wounds

Puncture wounds comprise 6% of occupational hand injuries – just slightly more than fractures.

While puncture wounds typically do not bleed much, treatment is necessary to prevent bacterial infection – especially Clostridium that cause tetanus. Deep puncture wound can also cause damage to tendons or muscles, which may take a couple of months to heal.

#5. Fractured (Broken) Fingers

Fingers are some of the most fragile body parts, making them vulnerable to breaks and fractures.  Finger fractures make-up about 5% of occupational hand injuries. Machinery, power tool accidents, getting slammed in a door, crushing, and even slip-and-falls can result in broken fingers.

The entire hand relies on each and every one of the tiny bones in the fingers to stay properly aligned and properly function. So, if a fracture in the hand is left untreated, it can result in permanent deformity, loss of mobility and impaired sensation. Always seek medical treatment immediately of you suspect a broken bone in the finger, hand or wrist.

Other Occupational Hand Injuries

Sprains and strains in the hand can happen in just about any professional – from a sudden blow or from repetitive use.

Repetitive injuries – such as carpal tunnel syndrome and De Quervain’s tenosynovitis – are far less common than acute hand injuries due to trauma. However, their long-term effects can be much more sever and even produce career-ending symptoms.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) occurs when the median nerve is compressed in the wrist, resulting in pain, tingling, weakness, or numbness in the hand or the wrist. De Quervain’s tenosynovitis is swelling of the tendons that run along the thumb side of the wrist and attach to the base of the thumb, often due to overuse of the thumb and wrist.

Additional work-related hand injuries include electrical burns, exposure to chemicals, and frostbite. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports more than 70 percent of employees who suffered hand injuries at work were not wearing gloves at the time – while the remaining 30 percent of injured workers were not wearing the right type of glove for the activity.

Hand Doctor – Work Injuries | Detroit Area

If you are suffering from a work-related injury or pain in your fingers, wrist, elbow or arm, contact board-certified Detroit area hand doctor Uzma Rehman, MD  for comprehensive evaluation, consultation and treatment. As with any medical condition, early detection, awareness, and a prevention or treatment plan is the most effective way to preserve the function, mobility and sensation in your hand.

Doctor Rehman will assess your individual situation, and prescribe the treatments that are best for your condition. She will also work with your employer, insurer, and workers comp provider – to ensure you have all of the required medical documentation to ensure that you receive the treatment you need for your work-related hand, wrist or arm injury.

Detroit Area Hand Doctor – Work Injuries: 248.335.2638