Ax injuries of the hand
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 1, 2026

Vascularized Composite Hand Allograft Procurement and Preparation for Distal and Proximal Forearm Allotransplantation: A Stepwise Approach
Published on: May 23, 2025
L Muir1, G Foucher, F Marian-Braun
1S.O.S. Main, Clinique du Parc, Strasbourg, France.
Objective:
To review a series of ax injuries of the hand.
Design:
Retrospective epidemiological review of 125 cases.
Materials:
Assessment from the notes of all injuries, with more detailed follow-up of 26 cases.
Measurements:
Levels of injury, surgery required, complications, results, patient satisfaction, methods of prevention.
Conclusions:
Ax injuries are rare. They usually affect the thumb and index finger of the nondominant hand. As with all hand injuries, expertise in dealing with bone, tendon, nerve, and skin cover is essential. Even "minor" injuries may give rise to considerable morbidity. Our complication rate in replantation was 50%. Care should be taken here not to compromise the result by attempting to maintain the length of the bony skeleton. The long-term results (at 11 months to 12 years) were generally satisfactory, but cold intolerance may persist for many years. As with all accidents, prevention would be better than cure. Neither we nor the patients could think of any way of significantly reducing the incidence of these accidents. However, holding the ax by the neck seemed a common way of sustaining injury.
Related Concept Videos
Bones of the Upper Limb: Radius
The radius has a nail-shaped head, and a short...
Bones of the Upper Limb: Ulna
Muscles of the Forearm that Move the Hand and Fingers
Anterior Compartment
The anterior compartment muscles originate from the humerus. They primarily function as flexors and are also known as flexor muscles. They typically insert on the carpals, metacarpals, and phalanges. The superficial layer includes the flexor carpi radialis,...
Arteries of the Upper Limbs
Spinal Nerves: Plexus I
The Cervical Plexus
The cervical plexus, formed by the anterior rami of the first four...
Bones of the Upper Limb: Humerus
