Trust us to provide the care you need
For pain-free motion and peace of mind, turn to the fellowship-trained hand specialists at MedStar Orthopaedic Institute.
Appointments are available within days, not weeks:
How we can help you?
Fellowship-trained surgeons.
Hear from our patients.
We can treat your injury or condition
MedStar Orthopaedic Institute specialists design individualized treatment plans based on their years of experience treating nearly every type of hand, wrist and elbow condition, from the very common to the very rare.
-
Carpal and cubital tunnel syndromes
Your nonsurgical treatment options for carpal and cubital tunnel syndrome include:
- Splinting or bracing to immobilize and rest the wrist
- Oral anti-inflammatory medications
- Steroid injections
- Physical therapy
If these methods are not successful, you may need surgery to widen the carpal or cubital tunnel. During this minimally invasive procedure, specialists make a small incision and divide the ligament in your wrist or arm, alleviating the pressure on the nerve that is causing the pain. This procedure is typically done under local anesthetic and you can return home later that day. -
Tendon injuries
Most tendon injuries require surgery to repair the cut tendon and the sooner the tendon is repaired, the better the outcome. -
Fractures
Immediate pain relief is the first goal if you sustain a fracture. Then, your specialist will work with you on a treatment plan that will get you back to your normal life as quickly and safely as possible. Generally, fractures heal without surgery and treatment includes casting, splinting and physical therapy. If your fracture caused bones to shift out of place or break through the skin, however, you may require surgery to realign your bones.
If surgery is required, our specialists draw on their extensive experience in minimally invasive surgical methods. During your surgery, your physician will make a cut over the fractured bone. Once the bone is repositioned, the surgeon will use wires, screws or plates to secure your bones in place. -
Arthritis
Your arthritis treatment depends on whether you suffer from osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, as well as the severity of your disease. Individualized treatment plans are designed to ease your pain and improve your ability to use your hands, wrists and elbows.
Nonsurgical treatment options include anti-inflammatory medications, steroid or anti-inflammatory medication injections, splinting the hand and wrist, and physical therapy. If these treatments do not relieve your pain, you may require surgery.
The most advanced surgical procedures for arthritis treatment include:
- Arthroscopy, a minimally invasive procedure where your surgeon uses a thin tube inserted into your affected joints, as well as special instruments, to repair damage to your joints
- Joint fusion surgery, a procedure that fuses bones to remove a problematic joint and minimize pain
- Joint replacement surgery (arthroplasty), a procedure used to replace the damaged joint with a prosthetic, or artificial one
-
Chronic deformities
Treatment for chronic hand deformities typically begins with nonsurgical methods. Your specialist may recommend a splint to prevent hyperextension, extension of the finger beyond the normal limit. You may also need to complete rigorous hand therapy, which includes daily exercise, massages and stretching to restore and maintain joint flexibility.
When nonsurgical methods are not effective, you may require surgery. In milder cases, your surgeon will realign, release and repair the soft tissues surrounding your affected joint. You will then require hand therapy following the surgery. In more serious cases, you may require joint replacement surgery to replace your damaged joint with a prosthetic, or artificial, one. -
Tendinitis
Tendinitis can be painful, but surgery is rarely required if it is caught early and treated with:
- Rest
- Ice
- Cortisone injections to reduce inflammation
- Stopping or changing your activity
- Wrist splints
If these methods are not effective, you may require surgery. -
Cysts and tumors
Your physician will generally try to heal cysts without surgery. In some cases, cysts disappear without any treatment. For cysts that do not resolve themselves, treatment options include:
- Bracing or splinting: Wearing a brace or splint keeps your wrist from moving. Resting your wrist keeps the cyst from growing and helps to relieve your pain.
- Aspiration: Your physician may drain the fluid within your cyst, helping it to heal and disappear.
- Surgery: Surgery is recommended for most tumors, as well as cysts that return even after aspiration. Your fellowship-trained surgeon will perform minimally invasive hand surgery to remove the cyst or tumor, as well as any affected surrounding joint tissue.
-
Trigger finger
Treatment for trigger finger varies, depending on the severity of your problem and how stiff your fingers are. For less severe cases, you may be able to rest the finger, take anti-inflammatory medications or receive injections of steroids or anti-inflammatory medications.
For more severe cases, you may require surgery to open the protective layer around the affected tendon and give your tendon more room to move. If you need surgery, our specialists offer the least invasive, most advanced surgical treatments available. -
Traumatic injuries
If trauma has caused you to lose the use or partial use of your hand or arm, your physician will determine the extent of your injury and work with you to develop a treatment plan that may include surgical reconstruction or prosthetics, if necessary.
Hear from our patients
A Symphony of Success: Lisa Emenheiser's Story
A diagnosis of arthritis in the thumb is troubling for anyone, but when you're a concert pianist whose passion and livelihood rely on the use of your hand, the stakes are even greater.
Desmond Barr's Story
Dessmond Barr, 50, had just dropped his wife off at work one day, when suddenly another vehicle struck his car. Mr. Barr immediately felt severe pain in his right arm. He was transported by ambulance to a nearby Level I Trauma Center because there was concern he had a head injury as well.
X - rays at that hospital confirmed Mr. Barr had fractured his wrist. Doctors there aligned the displaced bone and ultimately elected to treat him in a cast.
Ehlers Danlos Syndrome - Beating the Odds Once Again with a Surgeon’s Expertise.
For most of her 79 years, the odds were stacked against Alice “Bunnie” Boswell. Yet she beat them one after another. A lifelong resident of Montgomery County, Md., she was one of the first African Americans to integrate public schools. When a mysterious illness made movement difficult, she powered through.
At 18, doctors finally diagnosed her with an inherited disease called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, which affects the connective tissues. They predicted she would likely not walk, but she did. And when told she would not graduate high school; she proved the naysayers wrong. Then after doctors told Alice she could not have children, she gave birth to two sons.