ABSTRACT
Very few body parts are as complex as the human hand, mainly because of its highly sophisticated anatomy designed to perform unique functions. The hand consists of multiple compartments and planes, and thus the knowledge of normal hand anatomy is crucial for the basic understanding of the pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of hand infections. So important is this knowledge that, in most literature, hand infections are described according to the involved anatomical planes.1-7
Although the overall incidence of hand infections is lower than those of lower extremities, a number of local or systemic factors can influence the outcomes of hand infections (Tables 114.1 and 114.2). The causative organism in any hand infection is usually directly related to how the organism was first introduced (e.g. infection following trauma is usually due to Staphylococcus aureus as this organism is found commonly on the skin). Bacterial infections account for 65% of all hand infections, with S. aureus being responsible for over 50% of these cases.1
