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Condition

Hand Lacerations

Cuts to the hand and fingers. Sometimes deeper than they look — a careful exam is the only way to rule out tendon, nerve, or artery injury.

What is a hand laceration?

A laceration is a cut through the skin, most often from a knife, glass, box cutter, saw, or piece of metal. The hand has tendons, nerves, and arteries packed close to the skin, so even a cut that looks small on the surface can injure something important underneath. The palm side of the fingers and the base of the thumb are especially high-risk areas because the flexor tendons and digital nerves run just below the skin.

Common symptoms

  • A cut that is bleeding or will not stop bleeding with pressure
  • A cut on the palm side of a finger or the thumb
  • Inability to bend or straighten a finger after a cut (may mean a tendon is cut)
  • Numbness or tingling in a finger after a cut (a nerve may be cut)
  • A cut that feels deeper than the skin or that gapes open
  • A cut from broken glass or a saw where a fragment could be retained

Why does it happen?

Most hand lacerations happen in the kitchen, at work with hand tools, or from broken glass. Injuries from power saws, industrial machines, and falls onto sharp objects tend to be deeper and are more likely to injure tendons or nerves.

Treatment options

Non-surgical treatment

  • Wound washing and closure. Clean cuts can be closed with stitches, staples, or skin glue in the office or emergency room after the wound is washed out.
  • Tetanus update. A tetanus shot is given if you have not had one in the last 5 years or if the wound is dirty.
  • Splinting. A splint may be used for a few days if the cut is near a joint or if a tendon is partially involved.

Surgical treatment

  • Tendon repair. If a flexor or extensor tendon is cut, surgery is scheduled within 1 to 2 weeks to sew the tendon back together.
  • Nerve repair. A cut digital nerve is repaired under a microscope. Recovery of sensation takes months.
  • Wound exploration. Deep cuts are sometimes explored in the operating room to identify and remove retained glass or metal and to repair deep injuries.

What to expect at your visit

Dr. Barrera will examine the cut, test movement and sensation in every finger, and check for signs of a deeper injury. X-rays are taken if there is any chance a piece of glass, metal, or tooth is inside the wound. Treatment depends on how deep the injury is and whether anything is cut underneath.

When to seek care right away

Go to an emergency room for heavy bleeding that will not stop with direct pressure for 15 minutes, for a finger that has lost movement or sensation after a cut, for a cut on the palm side of a finger, or for any cut from a saw, industrial tool, or animal. These can progress quickly.

Related

Questions?

Call your office location for non-urgent questions:

See our office contact information for addresses and fax numbers.