Explore Plastic SurgeryPlastic Surgery Hand and Wrist
Put Your Hands in Ours
A wide range of daily activities would be difficult without healthy and functioning hands and wrists. This area of the body is very intricate and most vulnerable to injury. Hand and wrist injuries can impact quality of life and have a lasting effect on future functioning.
With the latest technology, a beautiful facility designed for your comfort, and a variety of services available, UConn Health offers world-class treatment to individuals suffering from bone and soft-tissue conditions of the hand and wrist.
Whether you need treatment for a minor hand injury or advanced care that requires expert surgical intervention, UConn Health is here to help. We provide everything from minimally invasive treatments to complex nerve construction for your hands and wrists.
Expert Care When You Need It
Expert care and innovative interventions are available for patients with conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, fractures of the hand and wrist, tendon and nerve injuries, sports injuries, arthritis of the hand and wrist, and more.
For surgical procedures, the intricate anatomy of the arm and hand requires delicate surgery, sometimes with microscopic techniques. Our hand and wrist surgeon is fellowship-trained in hand and wrist surgery and will carefully evaluate if a minimally invasive, endoscopic approach, such as an injectable, will work for you or if more complex care or surgery will provide you with the best outcomes.
Collaboration Across Specialties
We work closely with the hand therapy team at the UConn Musculoskeletal Institute outpatient rehabilitation department. Care is provided by occupational therapists with specialized training to help patients restore full function and resume normal activities.
Your physician will work closely with you and your care team to determine the best treatment for your specific needs.
Comprehensive List of Conditions We Treat
Hand & Finger Conditions
- Arthritis
- Acute and chronic injuries to tendons, nerves, or vessels
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Contractures and stiffness
- Cysts
- Fractures and dislocations
- Hand and finger pain
- Muscle or ligament tears
- Nerve damage
- Numbness or weakness in the hand or arm
- Rheumatoid disease
- Scleroderma and vascular problems
- Sprains and strains
- Sports-related hand and finger injuries
- Trigger finger
- Tumors and masses
Wrist Conditions
- Arthritis
- Dislocations
- Fractures
- Ganglion cysts (swelling around joints and tendons)
- Tenosynovitis (inflammation of tendon lining)
- Tendonitis (injury and inflammation of tendons)
- Triangular fibrocartilage complex (injury of ligaments)
- Sports-related wrist injuries
- Sprains and strains
- Wrist pain
Nerve Conditions
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Cubital tunnel syndrome
- Nerve compression
- Nerve injuries and lacerations
- Nerve pain
Treatment for Hand & Wrist Conditions
Arthritis in the Base of the Thumb
Arthritis at the base of the thumb is a genetic predisposition: like graying and thinning of the hair, it comes with age, and it shows up earlier in some families. Patients with arthritis of the base of the thumb report pain and weakness with pinching and grasping.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is essentially a pinched nerve in the wrist. There is a space in the wrist called the carpal tunnel where the median nerve and nine tendons pass from the forearm into the hand. Carpal tunnel syndrome happens when swelling in this tunnel puts pressure on the nerve.
Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
With the condition Cubital Tunnel Syndrome, patients experience pressure or stretching of the ulnar nerve (also known as the “funny bone” nerve). This can cause numbness or tingling in the ring and small fingers, pain in the forearm, and/or weakness in the hand.
de Quervain syndrome
Patients with de Quervain syndrome have painful tendons on the thumb side of the wrist. Tendons are the ropes that the muscle uses to pull the bone. You can see them on the back of your hand when you straighten your fingers.
Dupuytren's Disease
Dupuytren's disease is an abnormal thickening of the tissue just beneath the skin known as fascia. This thickening occurs in the palm and can extend into the fingers. Firm pits, nodules, and cords may develop and cause the fingers to bend into the palm. This is called Dupuytren contracture.
Elbow Fractures
Elbow fractures may result from a fall, a direct impact to the elbow, or a twisting injury to the arm. Sprains, strains, or dislocations may occur at the same time as a fracture. X-rays are used to confirm if a fracture is present and if the bones are out of place.
Extensor Tendon Injuries
Extensor tendons are just under the skin. They lie next to the bone on the back of the hands and fingers and straighten the wrist, fingers, and thumb. They can be injured by a minor cut or jamming a finger, which may cause the thin tendons to rip from their attachment to bone.
Flexor Tendon injuries
The muscles that bend (flex) the fingers are called flexor muscles. These flexor muscles move the fingers through cord-like extensions called tendons, which connect the muscles to bone. Deep cuts can injure the tendons and nearby nerves and blood vessels.
Additional Resources
Explore resources and education related to cosmetic hand and wrist surgery from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
- Discover more details about thumb arthritis
- Learn about carpal tunnel syndrome
- Find more details on cubital tunnel syndrome
- Read up on de Quervain syndrome
- Learn more about Dupuytren's disease
- Find more information about elbow fractures
- Explore details on extensor tendon injuries
- Read more about flexor tendon injuries
Learn more about hand care from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand