Replantation refers to the surgical reattachment of a finger, hand, or arm that has been completely cut from a person’s body. The goal of replantation surgery is to give the patient back as much use of the injured area as possible. In some cases, replantation is not possible because the part is too damaged. If the lost part cannot be reattached, a patient may have to use a prosthesis (a device that substitutes for a missing part of the body). In some cases, a prosthesis may give a person without hands or arms the ability to function.

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy, also known as RSD, is a condition of burning pain, stiffness, swelling, and discoloration of the hand. RSD includes other medical diagnoses such as casualgia, Sudeck’s atrophy, and shoulder-hand syndrome. RSD occurs from a disturbance in the sympathetic (unconscious) nervous system that controls the blood flow and sweat glands in the hand and arm.

When the nervous system becomes overactive, burning pain is felt and swelling and warmth are left in the affected arm. If not treated, RSD can cause stiffness and loss of use of the affected part of the arm.

Mallet finger injuries occur when the tip of a finger or the thumb is forcefully bent. This condition is also known as baseball finger. It happens when a ball or other object strikes the tip of the digit. The force tears the thin tendon that allows you to straighten the finger. The force of the blow may even pull away a piece of bone along with the tendon.

Bone is living tissue that requires a regular supply of blood for nourishment. If the blood supply to a bone stops, the bone can die, a condition known as osteonecrosis. That’s what happens in Kienböck’s disease, which affects the lunate, one of the small bones of the hand near the wrist.

Human bite wounds may not sound very dangerous, but they are. Human bite wounds contain very high concentrations of bacteria, so the risk of infection is high. Even though the wound may appear insignificant, an infection can lead to a severe joint infection. About one third of all hand infections result from human bite wounds. These infections can progress quickly and result in significant complications, so early treatment is necessary.