Medical malpractice in hand surgery.

The rise in medical malpractice claims over the past few decades has altered physicians' practice patterns and has had a considerable financial impact on the medical community as a whole. While numerous studies have analyzed the content and effect of these claims, only a handful of articles have addressed specifically the issue of medical malpractice in hand surgery. This article outlines the available literature on malpractice in hand surgery, offers guidance to hand surgeons on managing medical malpractice claims, and discusses preventative measures they might take to limit such claims from being filed in the future.