'Hand injuries are common during holy festivals in the sultanate. Knife lacerations are more common during Eid festivals than any other time. Emergency and plastic services should be aware of the pattern of hand injuries during such times in order to prepare and plan services accordingly,' said Dr Sultan al Shaqsi, who is currently a resident at Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Toronto.

He added that muslim countries observe the holy festivals with a traditional sacrifice of an animal in order to share the meat with beloved ones. 'During such festivals hand injuries have been reported to increase. Our study aimed to review hand injuries treated at the National Trauma Centre at Khoula Hospital during a ten-year time period.'

There were 1,091 hand injuries assessed at the National Trauma Centre in Oman during the study period of which 442 cases recorded during 'Ramadan Eids' (Eid al Fitr), 353 during 'Haji Eids' (Eid al Adha) and 296 control cases (hand injuries reported during three non-festival days). The study took into account all traumatic hand injuries during the three days of both holy festivals.

The Ramadan Eid in 2004 recorded the highest number of cases among all years reviewed. The study found out that knife laceration was 2.4 times more common during holy festivals than any other time. Extensor tendon injuries were 2.7 times more common during holy festivals than non-festival times.

Thumb and index fingers constituted around 40 per cent of the total injuries. 'The aim of this study is to highlight the burden of injuries during the Islamic festive times. The study showed that at baseline, hand injuries are mostly of the crush type, while during the religious festival days the mechanism is predominantly knife-related. The increase in knife injuries is likely related to the sacrificial practices taking place during the festivals and this increased prevalence in turn reflects how common this practice is,' said Dr Shaqsi.

He added that the study only examined the injuries reported at one hospital and it is likely that there are many other injuries reported at other hospitals as well as a significant number do not seek medical attention.

'The number is alarming. Khoula Hospital gets the most serious hand injuries, so if we look at national numbers then it will be more.' Tendons were injured in 143 cases during Eid festivals compared to only eight cases during controls. Thumb and index fingers constituted about 40 per cent of all cases reviewed in cases and controls alike. Over the ten-year period of the study, there was no trend towards a decline in the number of injuries, although it was expected to come down with the increasing availability of slaughterhouses.

'Our study is pioneering in describing the unique pattern of injuries during sacrifice season in Oman. Policymakers need to gear healthcare resources during such times to meet the actual injury burden. Furthermore, preventive efforts need to be set in place to reduce the incidence of such injuries,' he concluded.

The study has just been accepted for publication in one of the most prestigious hand surgery medical journal called HAND, which is the official journal for the American Association of Hand Surgery.