3 Common Hand Injuries Among Athletes: Should You Consider Regenerative Medicine?

Got Your Hands Full With A Strange Hand Pain?

The hands are an athlete’s tools for success. The basketball player’s silky-smooth shot, the pitcher’s fastball, or the quarterback’s perfect spiral all need strong, healthy hands. Yet, hand injuries are common among athletes. These can be a nuisance at first, but some can leave the best of the best frustrated on the sidelines. Some injuries may not need extensive treatment like surgery, but non-surgical techniques. For instance, regenerative medicine is quickly becoming an option to treat the hand injuries athletes face. These are the 3 most typical hand injuries among athletes and the most effective therapies to get back into action as soon as possible.

1. A devastating dislocation

Athletes can experience bumps and collisions involving the hands. Some may use the arm or hand to brace a fall, leading to injury. A dislocated finger is a common injury to the hand. A bone in a finger hyperextends after bending too far backward from a fall. Overextension, jamming, or twisting are other movements that lead to a finger dislocation. One of the many bones in the finger shifts out of place, leading to pain, stiffness, instability, and weakness. The finger can look deformed, swelling, and bruising. While finger dislocation can heal quickly, a doctor is still needed to realign the finger and provide a treatment plan.

2. Typical tendonitis injuries

A multitude of tendons exist in the hand, connecting muscle to bone. These tendons give athletes the power, flexibility, and dexterity to perform amazing feats. However, these tendons are prone to stretching, tearing, and overuse, leading to inflammatory issues called tendonitis. Trigger finger, where the flexor tendon in a finger becomes inflamed and thickened, is a common hand injury. De Quervain’s tenosynovitis is another common issue caused by damaged tendons at the base of the thumb. Tendonitis can also lead to torn ligaments, which may need extensive treatment.

3. Facing the fracture

With the many bones located in the hand, the risk of fracture exists, especially for athletes. One or more bones can break, often due to a fall or collision involving the hand. These fractures occur in either the metacarpals, the long bones that connect the wrist to the fingers, or the smaller phalanges that form the fingers. Most fractures are caused by direct blows, pressing, or crushing injuries. Repetitive stress fractures are also common, as throwing, gripping, and other actions can weaken and break bones over time.

Traditional treatments can help

These 3 hand injuries often present symptoms of pain, discomfort, swelling, and weakness. Some injuries, like fractures or dislocations, may have some type of deformity of the fingers or hand. Athletes must see a doctor immediately for an accurate diagnosis. Treatment includes placing the hand in a brace or soft cast, rest, and temperature therapy. Painkillers or corticosteroid injections can help with pain and inflammation, while physical therapy (PT) improves strength and flexibility. Some severe injuries require surgery. Thanks to minimally invasive surgery (MIS), which uses arthroscopy, surgeons can repair bone or ligaments. This technique ensures a faster recovery, fewer scars, and minimal complications.

Regenerative medicine to the rescue

While most hand injuries do not require surgery, the recovery timeline can be extensive. Doctors are exploring the use of regenerative medicine to speed up and improve the quality of recovery. The body contains healing factors, such as stem cells and platelets. Regenerative medicine leverages these elements by transferring these stem cells or platelets to the damaged area. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), for example, involves separating the plasma from a blood sample. The remaining plasma is then injected into the hand. Other techniques include harvesting stem cells from bone marrow. Regenerative medicine helps with natural healing while avoiding surgery. The therapy can be combined with PT and different methods for the best results.

Take matters into your own hands

Hand injuries can impact sports performance and keep athletes on the sidelines. Identifying the source of the injury is the first step to treatment. Look for pain, swelling, and discomfort, then seek help from a doctor immediately. There are surgical and non-surgical options to help athletes get back into the game as soon as possible. Regenerative medicine is becoming a viable, non-surgical alternative for hand injuries. By combining strategies like PRP with therapy and pain management, the symptoms caused by ligament damage, fractures, and dislocations can be resolved.