Hand, Wrist, and Elbow

U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals - Orthopedics

Nationally Ranked in Orthopaedics

UT Southwestern Medical Center is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation's top hospitals for orthopaedic care.

Whatever hand, wrist, elbow, or arm condition is affecting a patient’s life, the orthopaedic surgeons at UT Southwestern Medical Center are ready to help resolve it.

We treat more wrist injuries than any hospital in Texas. We also offer revisions to previous hand, wrist, and elbow surgeries that weren’t as successful as expected, to help the patient restore function.

The Most Experienced Orthopaedic Physicians in Texas

The many bones, tendons, ligaments, and muscles in the hand, wrist, arm, and elbow are particularly prone to injuries. Timely, proper treatment of any injury is essential for the overall, long-term health of the hand or arm. Without proper care, patients might encounter long-term pain, stiffness, arthritis, or limited mobility later in life.

The orthopaedic surgeons at UT Southwestern Medical Center are experts at evaluating, diagnosing, and treating minor and complicated hand, wrist, elbow, and upper arm injuries.

Symptoms

Symptoms of hand, wrist, or arm injuries include:

Abnormally bent joints
Noticeable bumps or deformities
Numbness or stiffness
Persistent or intermittent pain
Restricted range of motion
Swelling of joints or tendons

Hand, Wrist, and Elbow Conditions We Treat

Conditions that often respond to treatment include:

Arthritis
Compression neuropathies, such as those affecting the median, ulnar, and radial nerves
Damaged nerves, tendons, or muscles
Degenerative conditions
De Quervain’s tenosynovitis
Dupuytren’s contracture
Fractures of the bones in the hand, wrist, or arm
Ganglion cysts
Hand tumors
Joint dislocations
Lacerations
Microvascular reconstruction, or replantation of fingers or limbs
Overuse injuries
Repetitive motion injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, and radial tunnel syndrome
Sports-related injuries such as golfer’s elbow, tennis elbow, skier’s thumb, and rotator cuff tendinitis
Torn cartilage or ligaments
Traumatic injuries

Treatment for Hand, Wrist, and Elbow Conditions

Our team begins treatment of hand, wrist, and elbow injuries or conditions using conservative, nonsurgical techniques, such as rest, ice, anti-inflammatory medications, splints, or physical therapy.

If conservative treatment fails to resolve a patient’s condition, we might recommend surgery for the wrist, hand, elbow, or arm. When surgery is required, we perform minimally invasive or open surgeries, based on the patient’s needs.

Minimally Invasive Techniques

For patients who require surgery at UT Southwestern, we perform the least invasive procedures possible for their situation. Minimally invasive techniques mean less scarring and a shorter recovery time, getting patients back to normal more quickly.

Minimally invasive surgery requires a small incision and a tiny camera to be inserted into the surgical site to guide surgeons through the procedure. Surgeons then insert small surgical instruments through the incision to perform the surgery.

Minimally invasive surgery can be used to align and stabilize fractures of the wrist, repair torn cartilage or ligaments, remove ganglion cysts, ease arthritis pain, and much more. Each case is different, however, and might require different treatment.

Open Surgery

Open surgery is required in some cases. For example, some fractures might require surgery to align the bones and secure them in place, using pins, screws, plates, or surgical wires to hold the bones still so they heal properly.

Thanks to ongoing advancements in open surgery techniques, incisions are smaller than ever. Our orthopaedic team will advise each patient on potential recovery time, which varies depending on the injury and the type of surgery. After surgery, rehabilitation helps patients improve function and regain strength and flexibility.