Common Clinical Conditions of the Hand and Wrist

Hand function is essential for activities of daily living. Hand disorders can also compromise patients’ ability to perform work-related duties. The most common clinical conditions of the hand and wrist have many etiologies including trauma, infection, degenerative change, and neuropathy. An understanding of these basic conditions is important for medical providers regardless of specialty. This chapter explores the nature of various common disorders in this anatomic area. Treatment of these conditions ranges from nonsurgical to surgical intervention; common treatment principles are also discussed.