We need our hands, wrists, and elbows to interact with the world around us. Because we use our hands and elbows for so much, we can also easily injure them.
We treat a variety of hand and elbow trauma injuries, including:
Hand and Elbow Injury Care in Washington, D.C.
At MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, we understand that injuring your hand, wrist, or elbow can be extremely overwhelming. You can feel confident that our orthopaedic hand and elbow surgeons have the experience to treat your injury and help you return to your favorite activities healthy and pain-free. All of our surgeons completed fellowship training in hand surgery and focus exclusively on treating hand and upper extremity problems.
We perform around 1,000 hand and upper extremity surgeries every year using the most cutting edge procedures. We offer the most advanced arthroscopic surgery techniques in the area, and sophisticated post-traumatic reconstruction of the hand, wrist, and elbow.
No matter how complex your injury, we are always ready to pursue the most innovative treatment options. We will work together with you to find a solution that will effectively heal your injury and that is tailored to the demands of your daily life.
Learn more about:
- Surgical approaches we use to treat hand and elbow trauma.
- Why MedStar Georgetown is nationally recognized for excellence in orthopaedic care.
Schedule an appointment with our team today.
Hand and Wrist Fractures
The hands, wrists, and fingers have many bones. We can fracture these bones in any number of ways, including dropping a heavy object on the hand, twisting it, or hitting it while playing sports. It is particularly common to break the long bone beneath the pinky finger. This injury, nicknamed the “boxer’s fracture,” causes an indentation in the knuckle.
Broken Hand and Wrist Symptoms
If you have a broken bone anywhere in your hand, wrist, or fingers, your symptoms may include:
- Pain
- Swelling
- Finger or hand looks misaligned
- Finger looks shorter than normal
- Indentation in the knuckle
Learn more about bone fractures in our health library.
Broken Hand and Wrist Diagnosis
The orthopaedic surgeons at MedStar Georgetown are experts at diagnosing injuries to the hand, wrist, and fingers. Our initial exam generally includes:
- Taking your medical history – This includes asking questions about how the injury occurred, whether you have other medical problems, and if you take any medications.
- Physical exam – Your orthopaedist will examine your injured hand, wrist, and fingers to determine the precise location of the injury and how much movement you can tolerate. Your orthopaedist will also check how much feeling you have in your fingers to see if you have any nerve damage.
- Imaging tests – To confirm a broken bone in the hand, wrist, or fingers, the orthopaedist will likely order an X-ray, which shows a picture of the inside of your affected area.
Broken Hand and Wrist Treatment at MedStar Georgetown
Generally, broken hands, fingers, and wrists will heal without surgery. Our orthopaedists will examine your injury carefully. Then, we will recommend the best treatment to help you heal and rebuild strength. Treatment options aside from surgery include:
- Splints and Casts – If your bones are broken but have not shifted out of place, we will likely recommend that you wear a splint and/or cast to keep your bones in the right position as they heal. Your orthopaedist will monitor your condition closely, and may repeat imaging tests to assess your progress.
- Physical therapy – Your orthopaedist may recommend physical therapy or exercises to help you regain strength in your hand, wrist, or fingers.
Hand and Wrist Surgery at MedStar Georgetown
If your injury caused your bones to shift out of place or break through the skin, you may need surgery to restore the proper alignment. During surgery, your orthopaedic surgeon may use wires, screws, or plates to secure your bones back to the correct position. MedStar Georgetown offers the most advanced technology and surgical options in the region to repair broken bones in the hands, wrists, and fingers.
Learn more about the advanced surgical options we offer, which include:
Elbow Fractures and Dislocations
Three bones come together to form the elbow joint, which helps the arm bend, straighten, and twist. Tendons, ligaments, and muscles hold the bones together. A hard knock to any of these bones can cause a fracture.
A dislocation occurs when any of the elbow bones get moved out of place. Falling with force onto your hand can push elbow bones out of place, and is the most common cause of cause an elbow dislocation.
In some cases, elbow bones may only be partially dislocated. They may fall back into place on their own, but still cause some pain or bruising, and can happen again.
Elbow Fracture and Dislocation Symptoms
Fracturing or dislocating any of the bones of the elbow can cause the following symptoms:
- Pain
- Swelling
- Bruises
- Cannot bend or move the elbow
- Lack of feeling in any of the fingers
- Arm looks obviously bent out of shape
Learn more about in our health library about:
Broken and Dislocated Elbow Diagnosis
The orthopaedic surgeons at MedStar Georgetown are experts at diagnosing elbow injuries. Our initial exam generally includes:
- Taking your medical history – This includes asking questions about how the injury occurred, whether you have other medical problems, and if you take any medications.
- Physical exam – Your orthopaedist will examine your injured elbow and surrounding area carefully. The orthopaedist will look to see if the bone is cutting through the skin, if any bones are dislocated, how much movement and feeling you have in your fingers, and will check your pulse to see if blood is flowing freely through the arm.
- Imaging tests – To confirm a broken bone or bone dislocation in the elbow, as well as its precise location, the orthopaedist will likely order an X-ray. You may also need an X-ray of the surrounding area, to determine if you have any other broken bones or dislocations. To get further detail on an elbow dislocation or the ligaments involved, your orthopaedist may order a CT scan or MRI.
Broken and Dislocated Elbow Treatment at MedStar Georgetown
Our orthopaedists will examine your injury carefully. Then, we will recommend the best treatment to help you heal and rebuild strength. In some cases, elbow breaks and dislocations require surgery.
Treatment options aside from surgery for a broken elbow include:
- Splints and Casts –Wearing a splint, cast and/or sling will help keep your elbow bones in the right position as they heal. Your orthopaedist will monitor your condition closely, and may repeat imaging tests to assess your progress.
- Physical therapy – Your orthopaedist may recommend physical therapy or exercises to help you regain strength in your elbow and arm.
To treat an elbow dislocation, our orthopaedists will immediately:
- Give you pain medication and sedatives, if necessary
- Perform a reduction maneuver, in which two doctors will hold your arm and twist it around to move your bones back into alignment
After realigning your elbow bones, you may then need to wear a splint or sling for a few weeks, and have physical therapy to regain strength and movement in the elbow. We will monitor your progress with X-rays to make sure your bones stay in place.
Elbow Surgery at MedStar Georgetown
If your injury caused your bones to shift out of place or break through the skin, you may need surgery to restore the proper alignment and avoid infection. During surgery, your orthopaedic surgeon may use wires, screws, plates, or stitches to secure your bones back to the correct position. If your injury crushed portions of your bone, your surgeon may need to replace the lost bone with bone filler, which is human or artificial bone replacement material. If your elbow dislocation damaged blood vessels or nerves, you may need additional surgical procedures.
MedStar Georgetown offers the most advanced technology and surgical options in the region to repair broken bones and restore bone alignment in the elbows.
Learn more about the advanced surgical options we offer, which include:
