Epidemiology and injury characteristics of children with acute traumatic hand injuries undergoing surgery: a 10-year retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: The epidemiology of acute hand injuries that require surgery in children is poorly defined. The purpose of this study was to outline the epidemiological and injury characteristics of surgically treated acute traumatic hand injuries in children and offer preventive recommendations.

Methods: We performed a retrospective descriptive epidemiological study of surgically treated acute traumatic hand injuries observed between 2004 and 2024 in a tertiary university hospital. The analysis included patients under 18 years of age, and examined demographics, injury mechanisms, causes, injury characteristics, and severity using the Modified Hand Injury Severity Scale (MHISS).

Results: Two hundred ninety-five patients were enrolled in the study. Injuries were most common among males and adolescents. The most frequent mechanism of acute hand injury was laceration (78.6%). Accidental falls with glass cups in toddlers and preschool children, street glass shards in schoolchildren, and punching glass and chainsaw injuries in adolescents were the most common causes of lacerations. The Modified Hand Injury Severity Score (MHISS) indicated that most hand injuries were moderate (35.9%). Complex injuries accounted for 39.7% of all cases, and 10.8% of patients required additional surgeries.

Conclusions: The main cause of acute traumatic hand injuries requiring surgery in children is laceration due to glass, motorized and non-motorized farming equipment, cutting machines, knives, and various sharp objects. Raising parental awareness and educating the community can help to reduce the incidence of these injuries.