The pattern of tissue damage in occupational trauma.

Objective: To study the pattern of tissue damage in occupational hand injuries.

Setting: Trauma and Orthopaedic Unit of the General Hospital, Colombo.

Patients: 190 patients with occupational hand injuries submitted to surgery by me were studied prospectively. The incidence of compound and simple fractures and dislocations, digital amputations, tendon injuries and skin loss were studied. The individual bones and tendons affected, the level of digital amputations and the involvement of individual fingers were recorded.

Results: Compound fractures accounted for 42.1% of injuries and in 56.4% the distal phalanx was involved. Finger tendons were affected in 66.6%. The highest incidence of compound fractures (30.6%), amputations (41.1%) and skin and subcutaneous tissue loss (28.5%) was seen in the index finger.

Conclusions: 1. Compound fractures and digital amputations were the main injuries. 2. Distal phalanx is more frequently affected in compound fractures. 3. Among the amputations loss of finger tip is the commonest. 4. Flexor tendons were more injured than the extensor tendons. 5. Index finger is the most frequently injured digit.