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Hypothenar Hammer Syndrome: rare or underdiagnosed?

Abudakka M, Pillai A, Al-Khaffaf H

Department of Surgery, Burnley General Hospital, Casterton Avenue BB10 2PQ, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, UK.

Hypothenar hammer Syndrome (HHS) is a condition characterised by digital ischaemia as a result of repetitive trauma to the hypothenar eminence of the hand. It occurs in people who repeatedly use the palm of the hand as a hammer to push, grind or twist objects. It is a curable and a preventable cause of upper digital ischemia. In this report we present a case of HHS and discuss the causes and pathogenesis of this syndrome. We review the incidence, clinical characteristics, differential diagnosis, investigation and treatment.

Published 18 August 2006 in Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg, 32(3): 257-60.
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