Hand preference and the incidence of accidental unilateral hand injury.

Four hundred and eighty-six individuals gave detailed descriptions of an accidental unilateral hand injury and answered questions about their hand preference. Their handedness data were compared to 402 respondents (matched for sex and age) with no experience of hand injury. The risk of hand injury was similar for right- and left-handers. Individuals with consistent hand preference, regardless of side, were more likely to injure their preferred hand when compared to mixed preference types. The present data argue for a use explanation of hand injury risk (one is more likely to injure the hand that is used most frequently) rather than an explanation based on inherent risk factors present for left- but not for right-handers.