Hand surgery is a broad term that covers many different types of procedures. Plastic surgeons who perform hand surgery seek to restore hand and finger function. But hand surgeons also try to make the hand look as normal as possible, as well. Hand reconstructive surgery may be done for many reasons, including:
- Hand injuries
- Rheumatic diseases, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, that change and damage the structures in the hand
- Degenerative changes to the structures in the hand
- Problems or defects of the hand that are present at birth, or congenital
- Infections of the hand
