A ‘Remarkable’ Comeback After a Serious Hand Injury

It was a devastating hand injury, one that could have ended Sue Kline’s work as a jeweler and taken away her favorite hobbies – bicycling and pickleball.

But she was determined to fight her way back, and after surgery and extensive occupational therapy at Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute, she is well on her way to a recovery that her surgeon calls “remarkable.”

The Whitehall woman was helping to clear the table on a friend’s patio when she stumbled while holding a glass, which broke and severed an artery at the base of her hand.

Her quick thinking, using a man’s necktie as a tourniquet, and fast work by the emergency room and operating room staff at Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest stopped the bleeding so the artery could be repaired. 

But a deeper problem remained: The glass also had cut through four tendons and two major nerves. Without successful surgery, she would lose nearly all the function in her hand and fingers, and might have debilitating nerve pain for the rest of her life.

The nerves were too damaged to simply sew back together, so Paul Sibley, DO, Chief of the Division of Orthopedic Surgery, Section of Hand Surgery at Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute, part of Jefferson Health, grafted pieces of donor nerves to restore the connections. It was her median and ulnar nerves, which supply the sensation to all fingers and also are key to a person’s ability to use the hand to pinch and grip.

Dr. Sibley also used special stainless steel implants to reconnect the ends of the damaged tendons, and he used strong tendon suture techniques. This allowed Kline to move her hand while it was healing, helping to prevent scar tissue from adhering to the tendons.

Today, 15 months later and following more than 100 sessions of occupational therapy at LVH Rehabilitation Services–Cetronia Road, Kline is extremely pleased with her progress.

“I can write again,” she says. And, after working her entire life as a bench jeweler, repairing jewelry, sizing rings and setting stones, “I am back to being able to do some jewelry work.”

Kline, 69, says she is “not completely back” to where she was before the injury. “But,” she says quickly, “I’m not done healing yet!”

The best news, according to Kline, is that after a year of feeling no pain because of the nerve damage, her hand is starting to hurt again. “That shows that the nerves are regenerating,” she says.

“The fact that Sue is regaining strength in her hand and has sensation in her fingertips again is remarkable,” says Dr. Sibley. “I always tell patients that half of their recovery will be from the surgery, and the other half will be from therapy. 

“It takes a motivated patient and a dedicated hand therapist to get a good outcome,” Dr. Sibley says.

Betsy Green has been that dedicated therapist, helping Kline regain motion and strength, and building the specialized splints and braces she needs to return to her beloved activities.

Kline’s case was extremely complex, says Green, a registered and licensed occupational therapist and a certified hand therapist. Kline has recovered very well, says Green, “because she was compliant during every aspect of her treatment.”

“I wanted to get back to pickleball with my friends, but I didn’t yet have full use of a couple of fingers I needed for the grip, so Betsy made me a brace that I can use to strap my hand onto the racket,” Kline says. “It works great, for now, until I get my full grip back.”

“She’s been a great patient, always showing off her progress during office visits,” says Dr. Sibley. “She’s really getting back in the ‘swing’ of things.” 

Dr. Sibley notes that patients come to Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute from far and wide because of the top-notch hand doctors and other clinicians. He says the program is growing, and plans to start a fellowship later this year to train the next generation of hand surgeons.

In addition to her now-regular pickleball games, Kline is looking forward to being able to ride her bike again as she regains strength and function in her hand. She’s very happy with her progress so far and with how far she has come.

“First, Lehigh Valley Hospital saved my life by stopping the bleeding, and now they’ve given me back the use of my hand,” says Kline. “My doctor, my therapist and the entire team are amazing.”