Hand & Finger Replantation
Overview
Your hands are vital to almost all your everyday functions. You need them to execute practically every task. Without them, you would experience significant disability, and life would likely be far more challenging.
Anatomy
The hands are made up of finger bones, muscles, and a host of soft tissues, including joints, ligaments, and tendons. Also, your hands have blood carrying channels known as veins and arteries.
A partially or completely severed hand is a significant trauma. But with quick action and prompt evaluation followed by a treatment known as hand replantation, you might not only be able to have the severed feature reattached but regain a significant amount of strength and mobility.

Description
Replantation is often performed to reposition severed hands or components like fingers or other separated tissues or structures.
In most cases, replantation is used following a traumatic injury, such as an automobile accident. Hands and fingers are often severed as the result of sharp, slashing actions or crushing.
Treatment Overview
The goal of reattachment is to not only replace the severed body part but attempt to restore all lost movement. Unfortunately not everyone will be a suitable candidate. Your Florida Orthopaedic Institute surgeon will determine your eligibility for replantation based upon your injury’s severity. Certain detached parts are simply too damaged to be attached.
That said, not all hope is lost. If your doctor determines you are not a good candidate for replantation, there are other treatment options, such as prostheses insertion or revision amputation. A prosthesis is an artificially created finger or hand. During revision amputation, a surgeon might remove lingering tissue from the accident site to prevent potentially serious consequences like infections.
The Replantation Process
Replantation is a delicate, multi-step procedure. Before your hand or finger or other tissue is reinserted, you go through several phases.
Phase One. Any remaining damaged tissue at the trauma site is carefully and thoroughly removed.
Phase Two. The bone ends of the severed site must be joined together. Typically, this process is performed using objects, such as:
- Screws
- Wires
- Pins
- Plates
The purpose of this undertaking is to provide a stable base, which will enable the reinserted hand or finger to fit into place.
Phase Three. During this final stage of replantation, a surgeon repairs whatever damage exists in the severed feature. For example, injuries to muscles, soft tissues, or blood vessels will be fixed.
The Recovery Process
Following replantation surgery, expect to undergo an extensive recovery process. The specific time you need to regain movement and strength varies depending upon several factors, including:
- Joint involvement. Injuries that do not involve damage to joints stand a better chance of regaining mobility.
- Age. Typically, younger persons experience quicker and more efficient nerve regrowth, which is crucial to regaining movement and strength.
- Trauma Type. Many surgeons suggest that cleanly severed hands or fingers are more likely to regain a significant degree of movement than crushed or mangled body parts.
- Climate. Colder climates tend to slow the recovery process.

Patients who smoke can speed up their recovery by stopping smoking. This habit interrupts circulation and limits blood flow to the replanted region. Additionally, you may be encouraged to hold the replanted body part above your heart. Performing this action can improve blood circulation to the affected area.
Once surgical wounds have sufficiently healed, you will need to undergo a course of physical therapy. In coordination with your surgeon, these are exercises designed by a medical professional known as a physical therapist. Physical therapy improves your hand’s mobility and strength.
Orthopedic and vascular surgeons stress that you should not expect to regain full mobility in the replanted hand, digit, or tissues. Recovery is gradual, and most medical professionals maintain that ultimately recapturing anywhere from 60 to 80 percent mobility is considered a good result.
Potential Complications
Complications do not always occur and may be minor. Specific issues of concern that might need additional surgical intervention include scar tissue removal, the release of stiff or locked joints, or the repair of damaged or scarred nerves.
When Additional Surgery Is Needed
Some patients who have undergone replantation surgery may need additional surgery to regain full use of their hand or finger. Some of the most common procedures are:
- Tenolysis: Freeing tendons from scar tissue.
- Capsulotomy: Releasing stiff, locked joints.
- Tendon or muscle transfer: Moving tendons or muscles to an area that needs the tendon or muscle more.
- Nerve grafting: Replacing a scarred nerve or a gap in the nerves to improve how the nerve works.
- Late amputation: Removing a part later because it does not work or has become painful.
Next Steps
If you sustained a partial or complete loss of a finger or hand, we strongly urge you to call the Florida Orthopaedic Institute for your treatment and recovery needs. Our professional team of acclaimed hand specialists offers a comprehensive evaluation as well as the most appropriate surgical plan.
Areas of Focus
- Hand & Wrist
- Basal Joint Surgery
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Colles’ Fractures (Broken Wrist)
- De Quervain's Tenosynovitis
- Dupuytren’s Disease
- Finger Dislocation
- Flexor Tendonitis
- Functional Nerve Transfers of The Hand
- Ganglion Cysts
- Hand & Finger Replantation
- Hand Nerve Decompression
- Hand Skin Grafts
- Nerve Pain
- Peripheral Nerve Surgery (Hand) Revision
- Revascularization of the Hand
- Rheumatoid Arthritis Of The Hand
- Sudden (Acute) Finger, Hand & Wrist Injuries
- Targeted Muscle Reinnervation (TMR)
- Tendon Transfers of The Hand
- Trigger Finger
- Ulnar Neuritis
- WALANT (Wide Awake Local Anesthesia No Tourniquet)
- Wrist Arthroscopy
- Wrist Fractures
- Wrist Sprains
- Wrist Tendonitis
The following Florida Orthopaedic Institute physicians specialize in Hand & Finger Replantation:
Specialties
- Achilles Tendinitis - Achilles Insertional Calcific Tendinopathy (ACIT)
- Achilles Tendon Rupture
- Achilles Tendonitis
- ACL Injuries
- ALIF: Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion Surgery
- Ankle Fracture Surgery
- Ankle Fractures (Broken Ankle)
- Ankle Fusion
- Arthritis & Adult Reconstruction Surgery
- Arthroscopic Chondroplasty
- Arthroscopic Debridement of the Elbow
- Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair
- Artificial Disc Replacement (ADR)
- Aspiration of the Olecranon Bursa
- Avascular Necrosis (Osteonecrosis)
- Back Surgery Types
- Bankart Repair
- Basal Joint Surgery
- Bicep Tendon Tear
- Bicep Tenodesis
- Bioinductive Implant
- Broken Collarbone
- Bunions
- Bursitis of the Shoulder (Subacromial Bursitis)
- Calcific Tendinitis of the Shoulder
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- CARTIVA® Implant For Big Toe Joint Arthritis
- Charcot Joint
- Chiropractic
- Colles’ Fractures (Broken Wrist)
- Community Outreach
- ConforMIS Knee Replacement
- Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
- De Quervain's Tenosynovitis
- Degenerative Disc Disease
- Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis (DISH)
- Discitis
- Dislocated Shoulder
- Dupuytren’s Disease
- Elbow
- Elbow Bursitis
- Elbow Injuries in Throwing Athletes
- Epidural Injections for Spinal Pain
- Finger Dislocation
- Flexor Tendonitis
- Foot, Ankle & Lower Leg
- Fractures Of The Shoulder Blade (Scapula)
- Fractures Of The Tibial Spine
- Functional Nerve Transfers of The Hand
- Ganglion Cysts
- General Orthopedics
- Glenoid Labrum Tear
- Golfer's Elbow
- Growth Plate Injuries Of The Elbow
- Hallux Rigidus - Cheilectomy
- Hand & Finger Replantation
- Hand & Upper Extremity
- Hand & Wrist
- Hand Nerve Decompression
- Hand Skin Grafts
- Hip & Thigh
- Hip Arthroscopy
- Hip Dislocation
- Hip Flexor Strains
- Hip Fractures
- Hip Hemiarthroplasty
- Hip Muscle Strains
- Hyperextension Injury of the Elbow
- Iliotibial Band Syndrome
- Interventional Pain Management
- Interventional Spine
- Intraarticular Calcaneal Fracture
- Knee & Leg
- Kyphosis
- Labral Tears Of The Hip (Acetabular Labrum Tears)
- Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL) Injuries
- Lisfranc Injuries
- LITTLE LEAGUER'S ELBOW (MEDIAL APOPHYSITIS)
- MACI
- MAKO Knee Replacement Surgery
- MAKO Total Hip Replacement
- Mallet, Hammer & Claw Toes
- Medial Collateral Ligament Injuries
- Meniscus Tears
- Metatarsalgia
- Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
- Morton’s Neuroma
- Muscle Spasms
- NAVIO Surgical System
- Nerve Pain
- Neuromas (Foot)
- Olecranon Stress Fractures
- Orthopaedic Total Wellness
- Orthopedic Trauma
- Osteoarthritis of the Hip
- Osteoporosis
- Outpatient Spine Surgery
- Partial Knee Replacement
- Patellar Fracture
- Pelvic Ring Fractures
- Peripheral Nerve Surgery (Hand) Revision
- Pinched Nerve
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Podiatrist or Orthopaedic Physician?
- Primary Care Orthopedics Sports Medicine
- PROstep™ Minimally Invasive Surgery for Bunions
- Quadriceps Tendon Tear
- Revascularization of the Hand
- Reverse Total Shoulder Replacement
- Revision Knee Surgery
- Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) of the Shoulder
- Rheumatoid Arthritis Of The Hand
- Robotics
- ROSA® Knee Robotic Surgical Assistant
- Sciatica
- Scoliosis
- Senior Strong
- Shin Splints
- Shoulder
- Shoulder Arthritis
- Shoulder Arthroscopy
- Shoulder Replacement
- Shoulder Socket Fracture (Glenoid Fracture)
- SLAP Tears & Repairs
- Spinal Fusion
- Spine
- Spondylolisthesis and Spondylolysis
- Sports Hernias (Athletic Pubalgia)
- Sports Medicine
- Sprained Ankle
- Sudden (Acute) Finger, Hand & Wrist Injuries
- Targeted Muscle Reinnervation (TMR)
- Tendon Transfers of The Hand
- Tennis Elbow
- Thigh Fractures
- Thigh Muscle Strains
- Total Ankle Replacement
- Total Hip Arthroplasty
- Total Hip Replacement - Anterior Approach
- Total Knee Replacement
- Triceps Tendonitis
- Trigger Finger
- UCL (Ulnar Collateral Ligament) Injuries
- Ulnar Neuritis
- Valgus Extension Overload
- Verilast
- Vertebroplasty
- WALANT (Wide Awake Local Anesthesia No Tourniquet)
- Whiplash and Whiplash Associated Disorder (WAD)
- Wrist Arthroscopy
- Wrist Fractures
- Wrist Sprains
- Wrist Tendonitis
Services
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