LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 6, 2011) — Our hands are amazing. Everything we do in the course of a day, whether at work or play, requires the use of our hands. They are capable of generating tremendous force for gripping, but are also able to perform precise and delicate manipulations. They work so well that we hardly give them a second thought - that is, until something goes wrong with them. When suddenly we can't button a shirt, open a jar or caress a loved one, we realize how much we depend on our hands.

Dr. Brian Rinker is an associate professor of plastic surgery at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and the Medical Director of UK HealthCare's Hand Surgery Service.