Frozen-food-related hand injuries

Attempting to separate frozen food with a knife can result in serious injury to the hand. This injury is prevalent and is a common reason for referral to hand surgeons. Ten cases were reviewed over a 3-month period; the causative frozen food varied widely. Seven of the 10 patients required surgical exploration, and of these 7 patients, 3 were found to have significant injury. The injuries varied from digital nerve injuries to damaged flexor tendons. The other 4 patients were all found to have only soft tissue damage.