Author Description

Orthopaedia: Hand is the second volume of the Orthopaedia series, published by The Codman Group (a 503C IRS-approved public charity) in collaboration with the United States Bone and Joint Initiative. Orthopaedia aims to serve as a free, up-to-date, peer-reviewed open educational resource for students and practitioners, thereby improving the welfare of patients. (A free version of this text is available at http://www.orthopaedia.com/page/Hand; this printed copy is offered as a service to readers, and all of the revenue is retained by Amazon.) Within the broad field of musculoskeletal medicine, where many topics do not get from teachers the attention they deserve, the hand is perhaps most susceptible to traumatic injuries since we use it ceaselessly. Intricate, delicate, and strong, but prone to severely disabling injuries and conditions, hand injuries can significantly lower the patient’s quality of life. Therefore, it is important that medical students and doctors understand the basics of hand pathophysiology. This book attempts to explain hand injuries and conditions to medical students and residents in a way that is both engaging and educational. It is the result of a collaboration of a group of committed and experienced orthopaedic hand surgeons. The chapters have been written to emphasize the key concepts of each condition. The diseases described are those that are most commonly encountered in medical practice. The writers, editors and reviewers hope that students can use their work as a learning tool during their studies and as a reference throughout their medical careers, regardless of specialty.