Background: Hand injuries are the most frequent bodily traumas sustained at work. The aim of the study was to assess hand injuries and the results of their treatment in a group of our patients.
Materials and methods: The study covered 275 patients with occupational hand injuries treated in the II Department of Surgery, Collegium Medicum, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, during the years 1987-2000. The injury severity was estimated according to our own injury severity scale and the degree of hand disability according to the norms for certifying permanent posttraumatic disability issued by the Ministry of Health. The control group comprised 924 patients with non-occupational hand injuries treated in our Department in the same period.
Results: The study revealed that occupational hand injuries were more severe than those sustained in other conditions, their treatment was longer and posttraumatic disability more severe.
Conclusions: More severe occupation-related injuries should be treated in hand surgery specialized centers.