[High-pressure injection of paint into the hand: a severe injury that should not be underestimated]. / Inyección de pintura a alta presión en la mano: una grave lesión que no debe ser subestimada.

High-pressure injection into the hand causes a small skin lesion but severe subcutaneous tissue damage, which can result in permanent functional loss or amputation. Urgent and appropriate treatment is decisive. We present the case of an industrial painter who injected oil-based paint with a high-pressure gun into his left index finger. He was admitted to Accidents and Emergencies, where tetanus prophylaxis and antibiotic therapy were adminis-tered. Then, within four hours of his arrival at the hospital, the patient was brought to the operating room for surgical debridement. A year after the injury the finger's active and passive range of motion was complete, although paling of the skin together with hypersensitivity and dysfunction occurred on exposure to cold. The severity of these lesions, even if their initial appearance is benign, must be recognized and an immediate surgical debridement of the entire ischemic tissue should be performed, because delay in treatment is associated with higher rates of complication. Keywords. High-pressure injuries. Paint injection. Hand. Management.

Z-Elongation of the transverse carpal ligament vs. complete resection for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. / Elongación en Z del ligamentum carpi transversum vs. apertura completa para el tratamiento del síndrome del túnel del carpo.

BACKGROUND: Carpal tunnel syndrome is treated successfully by surgical release of the transverse carpal ligament (TCL). However, persistent weakness of grip and pain over the thenar and hypothenar ends of this ligament, and "pillar pain", are reported to be common complications. In order to reduce these complications, different ligament reconstruction or lengthening techniques have been proposed. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is compare effectiveness and complications of TCL z-lengthening technique with complete TCL section. METHODS: A prospective, randomised, intervention trial was conducted on 80 patients. The patients were divided into 2 groups: 1) complete release of TCL; 2) z-lengthening of TCL according to a modified Simonetta technique. Grip strength, pillar pain and clinical and functional assessment were carried out using the Levine et al. questionnaire. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed (p>.05) in the postoperative reviews between the two groups as regards grip strength loss and pillar pain. There were significant differences between preoperative and postoperative mean Levine scores, but there was no difference in the mean scores of the two procedures at any time. DISCUSSION: In conclusion, according to the results, TCL z-lengthening is more effective than simple division, but there is no identifiable benefit in z-lengthening for avoiding complications.