Mutilating shredder/chipper hand injuries.

Outdoor recreational and vocational hand injuries occur with a predictable seasonal fluctuation and regional variation. An increasing demand in less urban areas for efficient yard and garden waste removal, combined with the availability of more affordable shredder/chipper machines, has increased their utilization. Potential hazards have been well recognized, but, not surprisingly, this behavior pattern has concomitantly introduced another characteristic syndrome of self-inflicted operator injury most prevalent in the fall and spring months. The seriousness of the possible upper extremity mutilation caused by these devices cannot be understated, as invariably, complex reconstruction modalities are essential to restore a useful hand.