Department of
Orthopaedic Surgery

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Call us: 617-732-5322

Hand and Upper Extremity Service

About the Hand and Upper Extremity Service

The hands and the upper extremities—the wrists, arms, elbows, and shoulders—are vital to everyday life. They enable us to eat and dress, to lift, carry and drive, and to enjoy sports and hobbies. Many professions require hands-on work, making proper functioning of the upper extremity crucial.

When injury or disease strikes these areas, it’s important that you find expert care. The Hand and Upper Extremity Service at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) provides comprehensive diagnostic and treatment services (surgical and non-surgical) for a range of conditions—from traumatic injuries (fractures and dislocations) to nerve and tendon issues, to diseases, deformities, and tumors.

Our experienced, board-certified orthopaedic surgeons offer the highest level of expertise with fellowship training in hand surgery and upper extremity surgery. Voted top doctors for hand surgery by Castle Connolly and Boston magazine, our surgeons train tomorrow’s leaders in this specialized field through the Harvard Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery Fellowship program.

Complete Care from Diagnosis to Treatment and Rehabilitation

From your first visit—through diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up—your orthopaedic surgeon and a physician assistant will provide personalized care. If imaging tests are needed, we’ll coordinate onsite radiology services as well as electromyography (EMG)/nerve conduction studies.

We provide non-surgical treatments such as splints and injections as well as perform thousands of surgical procedures each year, including minimally invasive arthroscopic procedures and reconstruction surgery. Our orthopaedic surgical suites ensure state-of-the-art environments should you require surgery. Following surgery, our physical therapists and occupational therapists will help you regain normal function and return to the activities you enjoy.

For complex cases, we collaborate with orthopaedic specialists from sports medicine and trauma as well as with physicians from plastic surgery, neurology, rheumatology, physiatry and pain management. In association with the Performing Arts Clinic, we care for musicians with performance-related injuries. Our goal is to decrease pain and restore mobility and quality of life.

Multiple Services at Multiple Locations

Services are available at three locations:

Why Choose Brigham and Women’s Hospital for Hand and Upper Extremity Care?

Our hand and upper extremity team offers individualized treatment to each patient. You can trust our orthopedic specialists to provide expert, compassionate patient care.

The Hand and Upper Extremity Service is part of our Orthopedic & Arthritis Center of Excellence, a unique, collaborative, and multidisciplinary union of specialists wholly devoted to the treatment and research of bone and joint conditions. We are a nationally recognized leader in clinical and basic research on orthopedic conditions and diseases. Our robust musculoskeletal research programs continuously lead to advancements in patient care.

As a patient at Brigham and Women's Hospital, you can count on:

  • Prompt evaluation and implementation of a treatment plan
  • A comprehensive approach to orthopedic surgery that uses modern anesthesia and pain management techniques combined with rapid rehabilitation to focus on a smooth recovery that gets patients home faster, with less pain
  • The option for virtual visits during which you can consult with your doctor about your treatment over your computer, tablet, or phone

Watch our animations of joint replacements and other orthopaedic surgical procedures.

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For over a century, a leader in patient care, medical education and research, with expertise in virtually every specialty of medicine and surgery.

About BWH