This book's title is somewhat misleading, as the injuries covered include the fingers and thumb down to the carpometacarpal joint level and encompass not only bone and joint injuries but also infections and tendon problems, at least insofar as they relate to fractures and joint injuries of the hand. The book is the product of a symposium that was held at the Federation of European Societies for Surgery of the Hand Congress in Bonn, Germany, in May 1999, and it may represent some sort of record for advancing material from the stage of presentation to that of publication.
The stated purpose of the text is to present the European state of the art with regard to bone and joint injuries of the hand. The book is not meant to be encyclopedic and is clearly targeted to the hand surgeon rather than the generalist or trainee.
There are three sections. The first covers extra-articular injuries; the second, joint injuries and complications; and the third, problems specific to children. All but one of the authors are European; the majority are either German or French. As might be expected in a multi-authored text, there is some overlap between chapters, particularly in the introductory sections. The chapters also vary to some extent in their organization. Some authors mostly discuss the results reported in the literature, others review treatment options, some give their preferred treatment, and still others include step-by-step surgical outlines. Some chapters are heavily illustrated, with line drawings to guide surgical technique as well as intraoperative and clinical photographs, while others have more cursory illustrations showing a few typical injuries and their treatment.
The volume is well assembled, and the illustrations are well reproduced. Although English probably is the second language for the vast majority of the authors, the text is written quite clearly. I recommend this book to hand surgeons who are interested in the management of hand fractures and joint injuries and particularly to those who infrequently review the European literature, as there is much of value to be gained there. Unfortunately, Americans who are unable to read anything not in their native English often ignore that body of work. For those for whom such a language barrier exists, I heartily recommend this as a useful addition to their hand-surgery library.
Peter C. Amadio, M.D.
Department of Orthopedic Surgery
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota