Education · hand
Hand
Last reviewed
Hand and finger problems grouped by theme — tendons, nerves, arthritis, lumps and cysts, infections and injuries — with each condition beside the operation that treats it.
Understanding your hand
Tendon problems
Trigger FingerTrigger finger causes painful catching or locking of a finger, often treated with splinting or steroid injection.
Trigger Finger ReleaseTrigger finger release — understanding the condition, conservative treatments, and surgical options for a stuck or clicking finger.
Mallet FingerMallet finger causes fingertip drooping after extensor tendon injury; splinting is key, surgery occasionally needed.
Jersey Finger (Flexor Tendon Avulsion)The deep flexor tendon avulses off the fingertip — why it is time-critical, and the surgery to reattach it.
Sagittal Band Rupture (Boxer's Knuckle)A knuckle injury where the tendon slips off the top of the joint — the "boxer's knuckle" — and how early splinting or surgery treats it.
Boutonnière DeformityExtensor central-slip injury at the middle finger joint; early splinting prevents the zigzag deformity, established cases need surgery.
Swan-Neck Deformity of the FingerA finger that hyperextends at the middle joint and bends at the tip — why it happens and how splints or surgery can correct it.
Extensor Tendon Repair
Flexor Tendon Repair
Nerve problems & repairs
Arthritis & joint replacement
Basal Thumb ArthritisBasal thumb arthritis — causes, symptoms, non-surgical options, and when surgery might help.
Trapeziectomy
Touch thumb arthroplasty
Pyrocarbon interposition arthroplasty
DIPJ arthritis
DIP Joint FusionDIP joint fusion stabilizes and reduces pain in the fingertip joint, often for arthritis or mallet finger.
PIP Joint ArthritisOsteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis of the PIP joint — non-operative and surgical options.
PIP Joint FusionPIP joint fusion stabilizes a severely damaged middle finger joint, relieving pain when other treatments fail.
PIP Joint ReplacementPIP joint replacement addresses painful arthritis in the middle finger joint when non-surgical options fail.
Knuckle Joint Replacement (MCPJ)
Lumps, cysts & Dupuytren's
Dupuytren's DiseaseDupuytren’s disease causes palm thickening and finger contracture—options range from observation to needle aponeurotomy or surgical excision.
Dupuytren's FasciectomyDupuytren’s fasciectomy — correcting hand contractures to improve function and daily activities.
Mucous CystMucous cysts – common bumps near finger joints, often linked to arthritis, and treatment options.
Mucous Cyst Excision (with Local Flap)
Flexor Tendon Sheath GanglionA benign, fluid-filled cyst arising from the flexor tendon sheath – often painless, but can cause clicking or limited finger movement.
Flexor Tendon Sheath Ganglion ExcisionExcision of a flexor tendon sheath ganglion — when surgery is considered for painful or limiting cysts.
Giant Cell Tumour of Tendon Sheath (Lump on a Finger or Thumb)A giant cell tumour of tendon sheath is a common, benign (non-cancerous) lump on a finger or thumb. What causes it, how it is diagnosed and removed, and how often it comes back.
Excision of Giant Cell Tumour of Tendon Sheath
Infections
Hand InfectionsParonychia, deep-space and flexor sheath infections — recognition, antibiotics, drainage.
Felon (Fingertip Pulp Infection)
Drainage of a Felon
Paronychia (Infection Beside the Nail)
Drainage of an Acute Paronychia
Eponychial Marsupialisation for Chronic Paronychia
Infected Flexor Sheath (Pyogenic Flexor Tenosynovitis)
Drainage of an Infected Flexor Sheath
Fractures & ligament injuries
Finger FracturesPhalangeal and metacarpal fractures of the hand — non-operative care and indications for fixation.
Phalangeal Fracture Fixation- PIP Joint Fracture-Dislocation
Metacarpal Fractures (including Boxer's Fracture)A broken hand bone in the palm — including the common boxer's fracture — how it is treated, the rotation check that matters most, and recovery.- Metacarpal Fracture Fixation
- Hamate Fractures and Ring/Little Finger CMC Fracture-Dislocations
- Hamate and CMC Fracture-Dislocation Fixation
Thumb UCL injury
Thumb UCL Repair
Fingertip InjuriesCrush, laceration, nail-bed and amputation injuries of the fingertip and their management.
Fingertip Repair and Reconstruction
Hand health & medical conditions
Medical Conditions That Affect the HandHow whole-body conditions — diabetes, thyroid, inflammatory arthritis, kidney disease and more — show up in the hand.
Pregnancy and Hand ConditionsCarpal tunnel in pregnancy and de Quervains "mummy thumb" — why they happen, what is safe, and when they settle.
Raynaud's PhenomenonFingers that go white, blue then red in the cold — primary vs secondary Raynaud's, keeping warm, and when it needs assessment.
