Injuries to children's hands caused by the engine belts of agricultural machines: classification and treatment.

Injuries to children's hands with farm machinery, particularly tractors, are common in rural areas. We present 58 cases of hand injuries in children aged from 3 to 7 (mean 4.5), caused by the engine belts of agricultural vehicles, who were referred from the cities in Central Anatolia. The injury patterns among patients were similar. The injury generally starts from the middle phalanx of the third finger, crosses the proximal phalanx of the fourth finger and ends in the hypothenar region. The patients were categorised into five groups and treatment planned accordingly. The most commonly involved digit was the third finger and the thumb the least. Surgical treatment depended on the severity of the injury and included primary closure of the lacerations, tendon repair, fixation of fractures, grafting, and local flaps. Results of these injuries are generally poor, so prevention is more important.