Hand, wrist or elbow pain can come from trauma, arthritis, even overuse, and can stop you from doing many things required of you in your daily life. This team of surgeons, therapists and nurses at the University of Michigan Health System is specially trained to treat all forms of hand, wrist and elbow problems with a variety of surgical and non-surgical treatments individualized for your specific needs.
We treat the full scope of hand, wrist and elbow problems, including:
- Fractures
- Fracture Nonunion/Malunion
- Dislocations
- Tendon Injuries
- Nerve Injuries
- Nerve compression, including carpal tunnel
- Rheumatoid Arthritis or Osteoarthritis
- Post-traumatic Arthritis
- Congenital Hand Differences (in infants)
- Tennis Elbow
- Trigger Finger
- Dupuytren’s Contracture (fingers difficult to extend because tissue under skin thickens and shortens)
- Kienbock’s Disease (blood supply to bone in wrist stops and bone dies)
- Sport-Related Injury of the Hand/Wrist/Elbow
If you have suffered a trauma, from a fall to a sports injury, it’s important to seek treatment, or you could risk further complications, such as stiffness, atrophy or a malunion (where a fracture heals in a bad position that is difficult to undo). Getting that diagnosis accurately means we can treat you while the injury is simpler to treat.
To diagnose, we conduct a clinical exam, get your history and take X-rays. Occasionally, we may need to order a CT scan or an MRI. Sometimes a condition only requires non-surgical care, from splinting to injections. However, if the issue is too severe or there isn’t an effective non-surgical treatment for a particular problem, we’ll recommend surgery.
A variety of surgical options are available, depending on the issue, from fracture fixation (putting a bone in place and supporting it until strong enough to bear weight) to tendon repair and nerve decompression. We also perform wrist arthroscopy (minimally invasive technique of diagnosing and treating problems through small incisions) and elbow joint replacement.
Rehabilitation is an important part of your treatment process, which will help you restore your hand, wrist or elbow’s function, range of motion and strength. We manage all of our patients’ rehabilitation, with the aid of our Certified Hand Therapists.
Many types of specialists collaborate to bring our patients the best care possible, including Plastic Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery, Radiology, Sports Medicine, Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Rheumatology, Neurology, Emergency Medicine and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. This team environment allows us to take advantage of our experts’ knowledge and experience to better care for our patients.