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Hand and Upper Extremity Division at AHN

We rely on our hands and arms all day long — for work, play, and when spending time with the people we love. But if pain is interrupting your life, experts at AHN can help. Our Hand and Upper Extremity Division is one of the most advanced hand surgery programs in the region. We deliver focused care for everything from the shoulder to the fingertip.

At AHN, we treat more than the whole upper extremity, including the wrist, arm, elbow, and shoulder. We treat you as a unique person, developing personalized treatment plans that take into account your life and your priorities. Whether you're looking to get back to work, back to the garden, or back to a pain-free life, AHN can help.

Highlights of our program include:

Exceptional care: AHN provides advanced, personalized care to successfully treat some of the most complex cases, helping patients regain sensation, movement, and function.
Uncommon expertise: Our care and surgical teams have deep expertise, allowing us to offer highly specialized, highly personalized treatment plans.
Nonsurgical and minimally invasive treatment options: When developing care plans, we always take into account our patients and what approach will get them the best result while being the least disruptive to their lives.
Shaping the future: We lead advances in the field, both through our commitment to research and by training the next generation of surgeons through our fellowship program. This results in better care and better outcomes for our patients — both now and for future generations.

Treatments for shoulders, elbows, wrists, hands, and fingers

At AHN, you have access to a wide range of treatment options for hand and upper extremity injuries and concerns. We first focus on giving you a clear diagnosis. We then build a personalized treatment plan based on your condition, age, activity level, and goals. Finally, we'll help you understand what recovery will look like and what to expect when safely returning to the activities you enjoy.

Comprehensive nonsurgical care and support

Many hand and arm conditions can be improved or even resolved without surgery. We'll work with you to incorporate a variety of nonsurgical options into your care plan to help relieve pain and restore function. Non-surgical treatment options may include:

Bracing: We offer custom-fitted braces to stabilize the affected area while it heals.
Medications and injections: We use targeted medications and injections to reduce inflammation and effectively manage pain.
Physical therapy: Our dedicated team of physical therapists will guide you through exercises designed to strengthen your muscles, reduce pain, and improve mobility.
Preventive care: We offer programs like strength training, as well as a specialized arm care program for athletes, to help you safely return to your favorite activities and reduce your risk for future injuries.

Orthopaedic surgery for hand and upper extremity problems

You and your doctor may determine that orthopaedic surgery offers you the best chance for a successful recovery. We perform advanced procedures that bring lasting relief, including:

Arthroscopy: This procedure allows your doctor to examine and repair joint problems using sophisticated equipment and tiny incisions. Find out more about arthroscopy.
Shoulder replacement surgery: Doctors replace arthritic shoulder joints with an artificial joint made of metal and plastic. Read more about shoulder replacement surgery.
Microvascular surgery: During this procedure, small blood vessels are reconnected, restoring blood supply and function. You may need microvascular surgery after an injury that results in a deep cut or amputation.
Nerve repair: These sophisticated procedures are done to repair damaged or pinched nerves. One of the most common nerve repair surgeries is carpal tunnel release for finger numbness.
Reconstructive surgery: Reconstructive surgery restores function and improves appearance after an injury or disease, or when a congenital defect is present.

Minimally invasive procedures for hand and upper extremity conditions

When your treatment plan calls for surgery, our hand and upper extremity specialists frequently use advanced, minimally invasive techniques. Unlike traditional open surgery, which requires larger incisions and more tissue disruption, these procedures use much smaller incisions — sometimes just tiny punctures — to address issues with precision.

With minimally invasive surgery, you'll likely have less pain, reduced scarring, a lower risk of infection, and a faster recovery. Many minimally invasive procedures can be done on an outpatient basis, so you can go home the same day.

Our minimally invasive technology and services include:

ExactechGPS® technology: This allows our surgeons to perform shoulder replacement surgery using subscapular-sparing techniques, resulting in fewer complications and a faster recovery when treating conditions like arthritis, acute trauma, and various forms of bone cancer and disease.
Wide-awake local anesthesia no tourniquet (WALANT): This technique allows patients with both acute and chronic conditions to remain awake without a tourniquet and actively participate in the procedure as needed. It eliminates the need for medical clearance before surgery, preoperative testing, fasting, and sedation/general anesthesia. Patients can often drive themselves home after their procedure.
Percutaneous techniques: We perform many procedures without large openings, typically for trigger finger and specific fracture repair with pins.
Mini-open surgery: For some procedures, like carpal tunnel release, we use smaller incisions, which can support a faster recovery time.

Meet our team

The nationally recognized Hand and Upper Extremity Division of the AHN Orthopaedic Institute is home to orthopaedic surgeons who are fellowship-trained in treating problems affecting the hands and fingers, wrists, elbows, and shoulders. Our team of specialists also includes sports medicine physicians who use advanced, nonsurgical approaches to relieve orthopaedic pain.