Surgery, OT Restores Hand Function After Devastating Injury (Video)
Treatment TermsHand pain and injuryPhysical and occupational therapy
Author
Hallie Potocki
Overview
Beth Hufner ’s body was shattered and her left hand hung motionless after she was struck by a truck during a morning run near her Hillsborough neighborhood. Duke orthopaedic specialists used complex surgery and extensive rehab to help her regain the use of her lifeless hand.
Hero ImageHand Function Restored After Devastating Injury
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 orthopaedic team was in her corner, and we would do everything possible to get her active quality of life back.
Callout...
Source: dukehealth.org: Duke Health News - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: dg62 at duke.edu Source Type: news
More News: Back Pain | Grants | Health | Hospitals | Learning | Occupational Health | Occupational Therapy | Orthopaedics | Pain | Universities & Medical Training