This patient sustained a fracture-dislocation of the 5th carpometacarpal (CMC) joint at the base of the small finger. The CT scan shows the comminuted fracture fragments and the joint malalignment. The red arrows point to the injury site and highlight the joint out of place. The patient underwent surgery, involving manipulation of the fracture site, […]
I’m writing this article for people who want to avoid carpal tunnel surgery. Yes, I am an orthopedic surgeon and I’m trained to operate on patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). But I’m also a physician, and part of our jobs as physicians is to educate patients about prevention of disease. Hopefully I can teach […]
This patient had a crushing injury to the fingertip with a laceration to the skin, disruption of the nail, and laceration of the nailbed. Repair of the nail was performed with local anesthesia numbing medicine and a finger tourniquet to minimize bleeding. The nail was replaced at the end of the procedure. The nail typically […]
Case #1 This patient had an amputation to the index fingertip with exposed distal phalanx bone. A V-Y flap was performed to reconstruct the soft tissues. Case #2 The patient in the pictures below had a near-amputation to the middle finger with fracture of the distal phalanx. Surgery was performed to stabilize the injury. Case […]
Finger fractures can lead to permanent stiffness, weakness, and limited function in the hand. If these are not treated carefully, patients can have a poor hand function. Much can be done to prevent many of these problems. There are a variety of techniques available for treatment of these injuries including splints, casts, therapy, and surgery. […]
Nerves are fragile and can be injured in many ways — including compression, lacerations, or blunt trauma. Compression is caused by prolonged pressure on a nerve, such as in carpal tunnel syndrome. Nerve lacerations are caused by a sharp object such as a knife or broken glass. A cut nerve in the finger will make […]
What is a SLAC wrist? SLAC wrist is a type of wrist arthritis. SLAC stands for “Scapho-Lunate Advanced Collapse.” This occurs when the bones of the wrist abnormally wear down the cartilage surfaces, causing osteoarthritis. SLAC wrist can occur after injury to the ligaments which stabilize the wrist bones, most commonly the scapholunate ligament. Some […]
As the weather gets nice, we see more pediatric wrist fracture injuries as kids are active, playing outside on trampolines, monkey bars, scooters, and bicycles. Children are not just little adults. Kids have developing bodies which respond much differently to injuries than adults. Injuries to the bones and joints of pediatric patients take special orthopedic […]
“Broken wrists” are a very common type of injury. These fractures frequently occur from a fall at home, a sports injury, or during a car accident. These injuries are very common in children and in older patients with osteoporosis. The radius and ulna bones are the skeletal foundation of the forearm. At the wrist, the […]
Dr Erickson was elected to be the Treasurer of the North Carolina Society for Surgery of the Hand (NCSSH). in 2021, he will serve as the society’s president.
