Advances in hand surgery improve recovery and function

Our hands make it possible to conduct our daily business and do the tasks essential to our survival and well-being—eat, dress, drive, create things, use tools, comfort loved ones, express ourselves, and use the equipment and devices that dominate modern life.

Continuous use, exposure to elements, and the many diverse activities that our hands conduct every day bring greater risk of injury. “The hands are the most commonly injured part of our body because we use them for everything,” says Mark Gelfand, M.D., plastic and reconstructive surgeon with Legacy Medical Group-Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. When serious hand injury happens, surgical therapy may be necessary to repair the injury and regain function.

Dr. Gelfand recently discussed advancements in hand surgery techniques in an article with The Scribe magazine. He talked about specific techniques being used in hand reconstruction surgery that are helping people better regain function after hand injury. Dr. Gelfand says the use of internal fixation techniques—including use of plates, screws and rods—to set and stabilize broken bones has proven very effective in helping patients heal quicker, reduce painful recovery, and provide better stability and function after injury.

Click here to read The Scribe magazine article Advances in hand surgery lead to regaining function faster, greater range of motion (Page 4).