Hand and Wrist Surgery

Why Choose UCLA Health for Hand and Wrist Surgery

Your hands and wrists are essential to how you move through the world. When something’s not right, you want care you can trust. At UCLA Health, that’s precisely what you’ll find. People turn to our highly regarded team because we listen, provide comprehensive care and partner with you at every step.

Highlights of our program include:

Expertise: Our hand surgeons have advanced fellowship training and deep experience treating the delicate structures of the hand and wrist. They excel in protecting your mobility, restoring function and helping you return to the activities you care about. Our team also includes physicians focused exclusively on shoulder and elbow issues.

Comprehensive approach: We offer a broad range of treatments, including specialized hand therapy and injections. These options may delay or prevent the need for a procedure. When surgery is the right choice, we tailor care to your needs. Our extensive experience performing these procedures translates to excellent results for our patients — even if it’s a rare or difficult-to-treat condition.

Coordinated care for complex cases: Your care begins with a hand surgeon who takes time to understand your needs. If additional expertise is necessary, we may collaborate with radiologists, rheumatologists, neurologists, and plastic and reconstructive surgeons. For children, we may involve pediatricians . When possible, you can see multiple experts in a single visit.

Rehabilitation after surgery: You recover safely and efficiently with help from a certified hand therapist, typically an occupational or physical therapist with training in hand, wrist and arm rehabilitation. Care may include guided exercises, splinting or techniques that ease pain and restore natural movement.

Innovation: Through research, experts at UCLA Health are developing new treatments that provide relief from hand and wrist issues. These efforts include one of the nation’s first hand transplant programs, which has helped patients regain the use of their hands after life-altering injuries.

Care That Fits You

With locations throughout the region, UCLA Health makes it easy to get timely, expert care for hand and wrist issues.

Same-day orthopedic services: For sprains, strains and fractures that can’t wait for an appointment, visit our Santa Monica Orthopedic Walk-In Clinic. Orthopedic and sports medicine specialists are available to assess and treat common issues.
Hand clinics: For ongoing symptoms or specialized care, our hand clinics offer expert evaluations, imaging and therapy all in one location.
Trauma center: Our Level 1 trauma center at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center provides the highest level of emergency care. Hand surgeons are available on short notice when needed.
Pediatric orthopedic urgent care: Children with urgent hand or wrist concerns can be seen without an appointment. Learn more about our partnership with Luskin Orthopaedic Institute for Children.

Our Areas of Care

No matter what type of hand or wrist concern you have, we can help. Our hand surgeons work with multiple experts to evaluate, diagnose and treat:

Children’s congenital hand anomalies: This team includes hand surgeons, pediatricians, geneticists, social workers, occupational therapists and prosthetists. We offer comprehensive diagnosis and surgical reconstruction.
Hand arthritis: Hand surgeons, hand therapists and rheumatologists work together to evaluate patients with arthritis. We help restore function through medical treatment, splinting or surgical reconstruction.
Peripheral nerve injuries and brachial plexus: Our hand surgeons and neurologists work together to diagnose and treat patients with peripheral nerve injuries of the shoulder, arm and hand. Treatments may include nerve grafting or tendon transfers.
Wrist pain: Hand surgeons and radiologists work together to offer a full spectrum of imaging techniques. We perform a comprehensive evaluation to find the source of wrist pain and offer treatment to bring relief.

Hand and Wrist Conditions We Treat

Hand surgery may help if you have a complex or traumatic injury, including:

Dislocations: Occurs when one of the wrist or hand bones is forced out of its usual position, potentially damaging surrounding tissue and nerves
Extensor tendon injuries: Injuries to the bands of connective tissue running along the top of the hand and wrist, often caused by a cut on the back of the hand or a jammed finger
Flexor tendon injuries: Injuries to the bands of connective tissue running across the wrist and palm, often caused by a cut on the palm side of the forearm, wrist or hand
Fractures: Any break in the bones of the forearm, wrist or hand
Peripheral nerve injuries: Damage to the nerves carrying information between the brain and the arms and hands

We also care for patients with ongoing (chronic) conditions, including:

Arthritis: Inflammation and tenderness in one or more joints, possibly caused by an autoimmune disease (rheumatoid arthritis) or cartilage deterioration (osteoarthritis)
Carpal tunnel syndrome: Compression of the median nerve, which runs through the passageway in the wrist and palm side of the hand (carpal tunnel)
Congenital hand deformities: Any irregularity in the hands or fingers present at birth
Cubital tunnel syndrome: Compression or stretching of the nerve running from the elbow through the forearm and hand
Dupuytren’s contracture: Gradual thickening of the skin in the palm, eventually leading to one or multiple fingers bending toward the palm
Radial tunnel syndrome: Compression of the nerve that starts in the neck and runs through the arm
Tumors: Masses of irregular cells that grow uncontrollably and can be cancerous (malignant) or noncancerous (benign)

Hand and Wrist Surgeries We Offer

Our surgeons use the latest techniques to promote excellent outcomes. Surgeries we offer include:

Amputation: Removing all or a portion of a finger or hand, often to keep a life-threatening infection from spreading
Fracture repair: Fixing a broken bone by placing pins, screws, plates or rods to hold the bone in place while it heals
Microsurgical replantation and revascularization: Reattaching an amputated hand or finger and restoring blood flow
Needle aponeurotomy: Straightening bent fingers due to Dupuytren’s contracture
Nerve decompression: Making an incision in a ligament to release pressure on nerves
Nerve grafting: Repairing a damaged nerve by taking a healthy nerve and rerouting it to the damaged one
Tendon transfers: Repairing a damaged tendon by replacing it with a working muscle and tendon from elsewhere in the body
Wrist arthroscopy: Inserting a tiny camera inside the wrist joint to examine or operate on tissues

Meet Our Team

Our hand surgeons are nationally recognized experts in diagnosing and treating the full spectrum of hand and wrist conditions, including complex injuries and rare disorders. They use the most current surgical techniques to preserve function, support healing and deliver results that make a lasting difference in your daily life.