TRAVERSE CITY ORTHOPEDICSHAND - TRAVERSE CITY ORTHOPEDICS

THE HAND

Your hands are a vital part of your daily living, so they shouldn’t be trusted to just anyone. Hand surgery is a specialized type of procedure that may be performed for both medical and cosmetic purposes to treat a wide variety of ailments, injuries and imperfections that cause pain or affect appearance.
Because of they are used so frequently, the hands are a common place for injuries and degenerative disorders, such as arthritis, to develop. Hand surgery has the capability to restore function, relieve pain and improve the appearance of the hands for patients who develop problems as they age or for those born with malformations of the hand. Anything from cysts, carpal tunnel syndrome, and arthritis, to re-attachment or reconstruction of severed fingers after a traumatic event, can be addressed by our surgeons help you live a pain free life. Successfully treating afflictions of and restoring full function to the hand requires both skill and precision on the part of an experienced surgeon. Your individual situation will be treated utilizing the latest techniques, training and technologies in hand surgery to leave your hands looking and feeling their best.

PRE-OP WRIST

POST-OP WRIST

COMMON CONDITIONS

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a common condition in which restriction of the nerves of the wrist cause numbness, pain, tingling and instability in the wrist, hand and fingers. It develops when pressure is put on the median nerve, which controls motor function in the wrist and hand. Known as impingement, this pressure can be caused by injury, bone spurs, rheumatoid arthritis, or repetitive use.

Trigger Finger

Stenosing tenosynovitis, or, trigger finger, is a condition that involves one of the fingers becoming stuck in a bent position, as if positioned to fire a rifle. The affected finger may then rapidly straighten – with a snap – from one extreme to the other. Common in people who perform repetitive gripping activities, this condition is caused by a narrowing of the sheath that surrounds the tendons in the finger. Trigger finger causes stiffness and pain and may eventually lead to an inability to completely straighten the finger.

Wrist Tendonitis

Also called deQuervain’s tendinitis or tenosynovitis, wrist tendonitis is an inflammation of the tendons that cross the wrist and attach to the thumb. Patients suffering from deQuervain’s tendonitis find that it hurts to bend, extend or turn your wrist or form a fist with the thumb tucked inside the palm. Typically, pain radiates from the front of the wrist and is exacerbated with repetitive activity. Other symptoms can include things like sensitivity to touch, limited mobility, and wrist weakness.

COMMON PROCEDURES

Carpal Tunnel Release

This outpatient procedure is routinely performed to alleviate pressure on the median nerve and decrease the painful symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal Tunnel Release is a last resort to restore muscle strength and dexterity to those patients who maintain persistent symptoms that have not responded to conservative treatment methods.

Open Reduction Internal Fixation (ORIF)

Open Reduction Internal Fixation is commonly used in cases where casting or splinting are not sufficient enough to treat fractures within the wrist, forearm and hand. In order to effectively restore proper function to the injured site, an internal fixation device such as pins, rods, screws or plates are used to hold the broken bone together as it heals. As long as no symptoms arise at the incision sites, this surgical hardware is often left in the bone permanently.