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Hand & Upper Extremity

The Montefiore Approach

The Division of Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery at Montefiore brings together a tremendous breadth of experience and expertise for the diagnosis and management of a wide range of hand and upper extremity conditions.

As an academic medical center, we are committed to the treatment and study of hand and upper extremity conditions. We are constantly striving to develop novel and cutting-edge techniques for the advancement of care within our own health system and beyond.

The experience of our patients and their loved ones—not simply their ailments—demands our full attention. Your dedicated care team will be there to discuss your condition, answer questions, assess treatment options and develop a treatment strategy that is best for you.

The hands and upper extremities are sites of frequent injury, which can result in chronic pain, loss of function, and time away from work. These areas are also commonly impacted by non-traumatic conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome, ganglion cysts, tendinitis and arthritis. At Montefiore, we believe that optimal outcomes are achieved through thorough evaluations, accurate diagnoses and intelligent patient-specific treatment plans.

Regardless of ailment or condition, our service offers robust technical and surgical experience and a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic options. Our mission is to provide our patients with empathetic care while minimizing discomfort, improving function and enhancing quality of life.

Our status as an academic medical center puts us at the forefront of our field. Together with our Albert Einstein College of Medicine, one of the highest NIH-funded institutions in the country, we are continually conducting research with the goal of discovering better treatment options for our patients. We routinely present our research findings and publish our study results in peer-reviewed publications.

Conditions We Treat

Montefiore treats a vast spectrum of conditions, a selection of which you will find listed below. In addition to these, we have experience treating many other conditions. Please contact us today to schedule a consultation so that we can review and discuss your specific healthcare needs.

Some Common Conditions
  • Fractures
  • Arthritis
  • Tendinitis
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Congenital hand defects
Minor arm injuries are common. Symptoms often develop from everyday wear and tear, overuse, or an injury. Arm injuries are often caused by:Your child may injure his or her arm during sports or play or from accidental falls. The chance of having an injury is higher in contact sports (such as wrestling, football, or soccer) and in high-speed sports (such as biking, in-line skating, skiing, snowboarding, and skateboarding). Forearms, wrists, hands, and fingers are injured most often. An injury to the end of a long bone near a joint may harm the growth plate and needs to be checked by a doctor. Read More
A pinched nerve (nerve entrapment) in or near the elbow can cause elbow pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness of the arm, wrist, or hand. The nerve that most commonly gets pinched in or near the elbow is the ulnar nerve. It is located in the elbow area, on the little finger side when the palm is facing up. Less often, the median or the posterior interosseous nerve, a branch of the radial nerve next to the elbow area on the thumb side when the palm is facing up, may get pinched.Examples of nerve entrapment syndromes that affect the elbow include: Read More
De Quervain's (say "duh-kair-VANZ") tenosynovitis, also called De Quervain's, is a problem that makes the bottom of your thumb and the side of your wrist hurt. When you have de Quervain's, the ropey fiber (tendon) that helps move your thumb away from your fingers becomes swollen. People can get de Quervain's when they hurt or use the thumb or wrist too much. Common activities that need your wrist and thumb can cause the problem. Some activities that might cause de Quervain's are: Read More
Mucous cyst ganglions usually occur when osteoarthritis symptoms develop, at middle age or older. This type of ganglion is more common in women than men.Mucous cyst ganglions are found at the joint nearest the fingernail (distal interphalangeal [DIP] joint). The ganglion is firm and does not easily move under the skin. These ganglions may be painful and may break open, increasing the risk of infection. The fingernail may grow irregularly or be misshapen because the ganglion is near the growth cells for the fingernail. Read More
Ganglions are small sacs (cysts) filled with fluid that often appear as bumps on the hands and wrists. They can also develop on feet, ankles, knees, or shoulders. A ganglion can grow out of a joint capsule, which surrounds the joint, or a tendon sheath, which covers the tendon (the fibers connecting muscle to bone). Ganglions aren't cancerous. Most people with ganglions notice that the bumps appear suddenly. Bumps may be very small or bigger than a cherry. Ganglions may get bigger as activity increases and more fluid collects in the sac. They may also shrink and may break and go away on their own. Read More
The elbow joints are common sites of tendon injuries. For more information about tendon injuries in these areas, see the topic Tennis Elbow. This topic does not address severe tendon tears or ruptures. To help you assess a tendon injury, see the topic  Finger, Hand, and Wrist Injuries. Read More
Tennis elbow is soreness or pain on the outer part of the elbow. It happens when you damage the tendons that connect the muscles of your forearm to your elbow. The pain may spread down your arm to your wrist. If you don't treat the injury, it may hurt to do simple things like turn a key or open a door.Your doctor may call this condition lateral epicondylitis. Read More
What is a navicular fracture of the wrist?A navicular fracture (also called a scaphoid fracture) is a break in a small bone on the thumb side of your wrist. Of the eight carpal bones in your wrist, your navicular bone is the most likely one to break. Read More
In Dupuytren's (say "duh-pwee-TRAHNZ") disease, tissue under the skin in the palm of your hand, called the palmar fascia, gets thicker and shorter. This can cause your fingers to bend in toward your palm. It most often affects the ring and small fingers, usually of both hands. The disease may only involve the palm and never affect your fingers. If it gets worse, it may be hard to use your hands. Read More
Everyone has had a minor problem with a finger, hand, or wrist. Most of the time our body movements do not cause problems, but it's not surprising that symptoms occur from everyday wear and tear or from overuse. Finger, hand, or wrist problems can also be caused by injuries or the natural process of aging.Your fingers, hands, or wrists may burn, sting, or hurt, or feel tired, sore, stiff, numb, tingly, hot, or cold. Maybe you can't move them as well as usual, or they are swollen. Perhaps your hands have turned a different color, such as red, pale, or blue. A lump or bump might have appeared on your wrist, palm, or fingers. Home treatment is often all that is needed to relieve your symptoms. Read More
At one time or another, everyone has had a minor injury to a finger, hand, or wrist that caused pain or swelling. Most of the time our body movements do not cause problems, but it's not surprising that symptoms develop from everyday wear and tear, overuse, or an injury.Finger, hand, or wrist injuries most commonly occur during: Read More
Carpal tunnel syndrome is numbness, tingling, weakness, and other problems in your hand because of pressure on the median nerve in your wrist.The median nerve and several tendons run from your forearm to your hand through a small space in your wrist called the carpal tunnel. The median nerve controls movement and feeling in your thumb and first three fingers (not your little finger). Read More

Our Treatments

The majority of conditions affecting the hand and upper extremities can be treated with non-surgical intervention using rest, ice, splinting, or physical therapy. In some instances, however, surgery represents the most effective solution. When surgery is needed, we always consider the most conservative approach appropriate. For those seeking further information, we have included a few examples of common procedures that we perform at Montefiore.

Highlighted Treatments

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