Hand, Elbow and Upper Extremity
Video: Learn about the UCSF Peripheral Nerve and Complex Limb Reconstruction Center. Our interdisciplinary center dedicated to non-surgical treatment and surgical reconstructive options for patients with complex upper and lower extremity peripheral nerve problems.
Our approach
The UCSF Hand, Elbow and Upper Extremity Program works to restore range of motion, decrease pain and increase strength. Our experts are world-renowned for treating adults and children suffering from all bone and soft-tissue conditions of the hand, elbow and upper extremity.
Our team
Our team has earned international acclaim due to its multidisciplinary approach to restoring and preserving hand, elbow and upper extremity function in both adults and children. Treatment is highly individualized with options ranging from therapy and nonsurgical care to surgery correction. Our providers work to restore range of motion, decrease pain and increase strength.
Adult services
Our physicians treat the entire spectrum of upper extremity conditions in adults, including problems with bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles, nerves, and other tissues. Injuries, as well as other conditions are diagnosed and managed using the latest techniques.
Pediatric services
We provide full service, family-centered care to children with musculoskeletal conditions of the hand, elbow and upper extremity -- whether congenital or traumatic in origin. Our Upper Extremity specialists have additional training in the care of children and are experts in dealing with problems as simple as trigger thumbs and as complex as making thumbs, fracture care, birth trauma and injuries.
Appointments & Locations
Appointments: 415-353-2808
Hand, Elbow and Upper Extremity Services are available in multiple locations in the Bay Area.
Quick Links: Peripheral Nerve Clinic | Elbow Injury Clinic | Get a Second Opinion
Hand, Elbow and Upper Extremity People
Children’s hand, wrist and elbow
Congenital hand and upper extremity differences
Cubital tunnel syndrome
Dislocations of the hand, wrist, forearm and elbow
Dupuytren’s disease
Fractures of the hand, wrist, forearm and elbow
Ganglions
Hand numbness
Hand paralysis
Hand stiffness
Hand, wrist, and elbow infections
Joint replacements in the hand, wrist, and elbow
Kienbock’s disease
Ligament injuries of the fingers, wrist, elbow
Nail and fingertip injuries
Nerve injuries in the hand and arm
Olecranon bursitis
Pain in the fingers, hand, wrist, forearm, or elbow
Rheumatoid arthritis
Sports injuries in the hand, wrist and elbow
Sprains
Stiffness of the hand, wrist and elbow
Tendinitis
Tendon injuries of the fingers, hand, wrist, elbow
Trigger finger
Tumors in the fingers, hand, wrist, forearm, or elbow
Vascular problems in the hand
Complex elbow problems
At UCSF, our physicians have special expertise in treating complicated problems of the elbow joint. For example, the world’s first elbow transplant between same patient’s arms was performed at UCSF, by a multidisciplinary team which included Dr Lisa Lattanza, Dr Scott Hansen, and Dr Michael Terry.
3D Planning
Our physicians utilize 3-D planning for complicated surgeries. Patients with malunions (incorrectly healed fractures), and other conditions, can benefit from this state-of-the-art technology. A special scan is done before surgery, and the surgeon and an engineer use special software to design custom-made devices that help guide the actual surgery. This technology vastly improves the accuracy of surgery, and can lead to superior outcomes.
Wide-Awake Surgery
Our experts offer wide-awake surgery for many of the common procedures done on the hand, wrist, or elbow. This technique was recently profiled in the New York Times. It allows patients to experience painless surgery but without the downsides of general anesthesia. In some cases, this can even improve the final results of the treatment.
Minimally-invasive surgery
Our surgeons utilize the latest minimally-invasive surgical techniques, such as percutaneous, arthroscopic, and endoscopic techniques, to expedite recovery and provide patients with superior outcomes. Examples include endoscopic carpal tunnel release, percutaneous release and Xiaflex injections for Dupuytren’s disease, percutaneous trigger finger release, as well as hand, wrist, and elbow arthroscopy.
Complex soft-tissue coverage and reconstruction
Our experts utilize the latest advances in plastic surgery and microsurgery to treat complicated bone and soft tissue reconstruction problems, including amputations, chronic wounds, scars, contractures, and congenital differences.
Nerve injuries
Peripheral nerve injuries, including injuries to the brachial plexus, require a careful and multi-disciplinary approach. At UCSF, patients with nerve injuries are treated by a team approach, utilizing the latest in diagnostic and treatment techniques, in order to provide the best possible outcome in these complex injuries.
Despite the increasing number of women entering medical and graduate school, women constitute only 12 percent of the academic faculty in orthopaedics (research and clinical) and 7 percent of practicing orthopaedists, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Only 11 percent of the faculty at engineering schools are women, with that percentage being lower for mechanical engineering.
The Perry Initiative is committed to inspiring young women to be leaders in the exciting fields of Orthopaedic Surgery and Engineering. We advance our mission principally by sponsoring hands-on outreach programs across the country for high school women. For more information, please visit the Perry Initiative.
Perry Initiative Outreach Programs
Perry Outreach Program Application (High School Students)
Medical Student Outreach Program Application
Orthopaedics In Action, a
hands-on curriculum for middle and high school STEM classrooms
Hand Therapy Locations
Download Bay Area Hand Therapy Locations by region.
- Please make sure to bring your therapy prescription to your appointment.
- Please verify your health insurance coverage with the facility prior to making an appointment.
- Brown and Toland patients: For any durable medical equipment (splints, walkers, etc.) contact your insurance or call the UCSF Orthotic and Prosthetic Center (1500 Owens) at (415) 353-7491 or Hanger (2761 Geary Blvd. between Wood and Emerson streets) at (415) 387-8500.