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General
treatment principles of Hand and Finger Dislocations
Patients may reduce their own finger dislocations or the accident ward physician may easily reduce a dislocation, which may give the impression that the injury was inconsequential. However, the mechanics of the very large surface area to volume ratio of small joints makes them much more slow and difficult to recover than might be expected. The first thing to explain to the patient is that in terms of recovery, there is no such thing as a "simple dislocation": it is common for a patient who has sustained a proximal interphalangeal joint dislocation to have swelling, stiffness, and some pain with use for six to twelve months following injury. This should be explained to them at the first possible opportunity.
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American Society for Surgery of the Hand assh.org The Best Resource For Your Hands, Period. |
