Missile hand injuries in basrah city

Abstract EN

Missile hand injuries (MHI) have increased in our locality, in this prospective study 130 patients (140 hands) with MHI were included, they were 86% male, and 42% were between 21 to 30 years of age.

Forty nine percent were injured by bullet and 26% by explosions of different objects.

Combined tissue injuries were presented in 62% of the patients with associated fractures in 63%.

In 70% of the hands initial surgical wound debridment was performed, 24% of the fractures were stabilized by K- wire and with the simple skeletal external fixations in 18%.

Serial different types of secondary and definitive surgical treatment were performed in 62% of the patients.

After the follow up period, most of the patients had multiple complains and only 14% had a satisfactory functional hand.

The initial, definitive management, the severity and mechanism of the injury that lead to multiple tissue damage had a great effect on final functional recovery.