Surgery, PT Restores Hand Function After Devastating Injury

Treatment TermsHand pain and injurySports physical therapy Author Hallie Potocki Overview Beth Hufner ’s body was shattered and one hand hung motionless after she was struck by a truck during a morning run near her Hillsborough neighborhood. Duke orthopedic specialists used complex surgery and extensive physical therapy to put her back together and help her regain use of her limp, lifeless left ha nd. Hero Image20170815_bethhufner_arm_01.jpg Preview Image Content Blocks Header Her Hand Hung Like a Rag Doll ContentIt was 6:30 on a crisp North Carolina morning in December 2016 when Hufner, 39, was struck by a pick-up truck that had veered out of control along Highway 57. Hufner had just reached mile 10 of a 14-mile pre-marathon practice run.“I woke up in a roadside ditch, said Hufner, who is a wife, mom and part-time fitness trainer.Her injuries included a broken pelvis and foot, neck fracture, three broken ribs, a leg gash, and a left arm completely broken in two. Her left hand, Hufner said, “just hung there like a rag doll.”An ambulance transported Hufner to Duke University Hospital, a Level 1 Trauma Center, where trauma teams and specialists treat the most severe injuries. Section Features Text Content Section Header Image/Videobethxray.jpeg Section Features Images/Media Text Content CalloutI assured Beth that our entire orthopedic team was in her corner and we would do everything possible to get her active quality of life back.   ...
Source: dukehealth.org: Duke Health News - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Source Type: news