Pediatric hand and upper extremity care

If your child was born with a congenital difference — sometimes called a birth abnormality — it is crucial to find a pediatric orthopedic doctor. Our physicians understand the intricacies of treating a child's growing bones, muscles and ligaments. They know how this affects the intricate structures of the hand and arm. So we approach your child's care by evaluating their specific needs and addressing your concerns and questions as a parent.

We can perform various surgeries, including ligament transfer, web space reconstruction and skin grafting. Other services and treatments we offer include:

• Adaptive prosthetics
• Bifid thumb surgery
• Hand therapy
• In-office joint manipulation
• Opponensplasties
• Surgical excision of the constricting scar
• Trigger thumb surgery
• Web space reconstruction

Our pediatric hand surgeons also perform pollicization surgery to treat severe thumb hypoplasia (very small or missing thumb). During pollicization surgery, the surgeon moves and rotates the index finger, repositioning it as a new thumb. Since this surgery requires some "rewiring" of the brain, it is best performed before age two, allowing the body and mind to adapt.

Our surgeons aim to make your child's hand functional while considering cosmetic outcomes. Those who receive this surgery grow up to report that people rarely notice they only have three fingers and a thumb.

Childhood is filled with bumps and scrapes as kids grow and play. But if your child sustains a more serious injury to the hand, wrist, elbow or shoulder, our physicians have the knowledge and experience to help them heal as quickly and fully as possible. From wrist sprains and dislocated elbows to fractures and breaks, we treat your child's injury so they can get back to the best parts of being a kid.

Nursemaid elbow treatment

A common injury among children is Nursemaid's elbow, also called slipped elbow, pulled elbow or toddler's elbow. It occurs when a sudden pull on the extended arm causes a dislocation of the radial head near the elbow joint. The causes include pulling a child quickly before running into danger or swinging them by the arms.

Nursemaid's elbow can be treated in our office. The affected arm must be held while the forearm is derotated and the elbow is flexed until the hand touches the shoulder. The physician usually feels a "click" if the maneuver is done correctly. The child will feel momentary pain which subsides over the next 5 minutes. If this maneuver is performed within the same day as the injury, the child will use the arm in a typical, painless manner.

Our doctors know that young athletes want to stay in the game and not let an injury hold them back. Our pediatric sports medicine program specialists understand the difference between a child's growing musculoskeletal system and an adult's fully developed one. We offer various services and treatments, including surgical and nonsurgical options, casting, bracing and physical therapy.

Some sports injuries affecting the hands and arms that we treat include:

• Burners and stingers
• Condylar fractures of the finger
• Stress fractures in the upper extremities
• Tendonitis (shoulders, elbows and wrists)
• Wrist sprains