Whether
the defect is congenital or acquired,
plastic surgeons can usually restore
comfort, mobility, and normal appearance
to patients with hand problems. Acquired
defects include carpal tunnel and other
painful conditions caused by pressure
on the nerves (usually at the wrist
or elbow); trigger fingers, a condition
caused by swelling of a flexor tendon
in the hand; ganglion cysts, a benign
cystic growth and scar contracture which
occurs when a wound or burn on the hand
heals poorly and forms scar tissue that
curls the fingers or restricts mobility.
Dupuytren's disease causes a similar
problem of hand contracture.
Children
born with syndactyly (webbed fingers)
can benefit from finger separation,
where a zig-zag-type incision separates
the fingers and rearranges the tissue
between them, preventing growth deformities.
If a child had polydactyly (extra fingers),
correction is often more than simply
removing the extra digits. The surgeon
may also need to balance the tendons
of the hand and stabilize the remaining
finger joints so that the hand functions
as normally as possible. Plastic surgeons
also reconstruct missing digits, including
the thumb, which supplies half of the
hand's function.
