Sport-related fractures and dislocations in the hand.

The long-term prognosis regarding any sport-related injury should remain guarded. Although optimism may be expressed by the physician regarding a specific injury, the athlete must be adequately informed of the natural history of his or her injury. The hand surgeon's management efforts must always be exact and appropriate, but the athlete must understand from the outset that the final functional and cosmetic result may depend more on the nature of the specific injury than on the treatment provided.