Hand and Wrist Surgery

This complex procedure utilizes microsurgical techniques to transfer a nerve from a functional nerve to a nerve which has been injured. After axonal regeneration, this procedure can enable restoration of muscle function and/or sensation with little to no deficit from the donor nerve.

The brachial plexus is a complex network of nerves that controls your arm and hand. Injuries may occur if your arm is pulled with force, nerves get stretched or cut as with motor vehicle accidents, motorcycle accidents, and/or other trauma. Treatments include: brachial plexus repair or reconstruction, nerve transfer surgery, tendon transfers, and/or fusion surgery. We collaborate closely with occupational hand therapists and mental health professionals throughout the healing process.

A Nonunion is when a fractured bone fails to heal correctly leading to ongoing pain and potential deformity. There are many bones of the hand and wrist that are at risk for developing a nonunion. This can occur both after surgery or with fractures that are treated without surgery. The team at MUSC Health has innovative techniques for allowing these bones, such as the clavicle, humerus, radius, or scaphoid to heal using innovative bone grafting techniques including the addition of vascularized bone graft which allows for the bone graft to bring its own blood supply, increasing its healing potential.

Dupuytren's disease, stroke, cerebral palsy, surgery, or injuries can cause hand contracture or permanent stiffness of the fingers or wrist. Contracture makes it painful and difficult to use your hands. Our hand surgeons release tight tissue, decreasing contracture and allowing more natural hand movements.

We perform nerve transfers after amputation of your hand, arm or lower extremity. TMR may decrease post-amputation pain and lessen the amount of medications you need. In the upper extremity, our orthopedic hand surgeons use TMR to generate electrical signals (myosites) that can provide for more intuitive control of a myoelectric prosthetic. TMR is also used in the lower extremities to remove painful neuromas and secondarily to decrease phantom limb pain and phantom limb sensation. The goals of TMR are to decrease stump pain, lessen pain medication use, and to better enable prosthetic wear.

If a previous hand surgery did not produce the results you were hoping for, our experts can evaluate and treat (surgically or non-surgically) with the goal of improving symptoms.

There are multiple causes and locations of avascular necrosis but all have the end result of bone collapse, pain, and arthritis. MUSC Health offers innovative techniques to combat this rare, debilitating disease including vascularized osteochondral grafting, arthroscopic techniques, joint leveling procedures, as well as salvage procedures based on stage of disease and patient functional needs.