Your hand is a complex and unique part of your body, composed of delicate tissues and an intricate network of bones, muscles, vessels, and nerves. The ability to generate great force for activities like rock climbing while also providing the fine dexterity to play a musical instrument make the hand an amazing balance of power and finesse. Hand problems can affect anyone young or old, and can significantly impact a patient's function and quality of life. Hand surgeons are physicians who specialize in the treatment of these problems.

If you have an infected bone, your doctor may treat it with medicated beads. These are placed into the bone to send medicine directly into the infection. And that's helpful, because your bone may not have good blood flow. Lack of blood flow to the bone can keep antibiotics taken by mouth or by IV from reaching the infection. Here's how medicated beads are implanted.

This procedure, performed under regional or local anesthesia, replaces a diseased or damaged finger joint with an implant made of silicone rubber or hard metal, ceramic or pyrocarbon. This technique can be used to replace the middle joint of the finger (called the PIP joint) or the joint at the base of the finger (called the MCP joint).

Pain in the basal joint caused by arthritis makes it difficult for patients to grip and hold or twist objects between the thumb and fingers. This surgical procedure removes and rebuilds the basal joint.

This surgery treats arthritis of the basal joint. That's the joint at the base of your thumb. It lets you move your thumb to pinch and grip objects. Treating this joint relieves pain and restores range of motion.

Biologics is a relatively new class of drugs that has proven beneficial for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, along with a wide range of other diseases. Rather than being created through chemistry, biologic drugs are produced by biological processes.

This surgery relieves pressure on the median nerve in your wrist. It treats the pain of carpal tunnel syndrome.

This surgical procedure treats the pain of carpal tunnel syndrome. It relieves pressure on a nerve that travels through your wrist. This nerve is called the "median" nerve.

We can treat the pain of carpel tunnel syndrome by taking pressure off the median nerve. That's a nerve that travels through your wrist.

This technique uses laser light to promote the healing of injured tissues. It may be used to replace invasive procedures such as injections and surgery. In some cases, it may reduce the need for physical therapy.

This scan lets doctors see inside your body by taking x-ray images from many angles. These are combined to show clear cross-section slices of parts of your body. A CT scan shows much more than a typical x-ray. It can show cancer and other problems.

This outpatient procedure relieves the symptoms of De Quervain's tenosynovitis by releasing the tendon sheath that wraps around the tendons at the base of the thumb. This relieves pressure and friction on the tendons, allowing them to glide freely.

This outpatient procedure is used to remove a mucous cyst, a small, fluid-filled sac that forms on back of the finger near the base of the fingernail.

This microsurgical procedure is used to reconnect the severed ends of a nerve in the hand to allow the nerve to heal and to reduce the possibility that a neuroma will form. Nerve repair can help restore sensation and muscle function, however, in many cases normal sensation and function is not fully restored.

This is a test of your muscles and nerves. It usually has two parts. One is a nerve conduction study. This measures how well electricity moves through your nerves. The second part is a needle electromyogram. It records the electrical signals your muscles make when you move them. The results can help your doctor find problems linked to certain disorders or conditions.

This surgery is performed to relieve pressure on the median nerve, alleviating numbness and tingling in the fingers. The endoscopic carpal tunnel technique is performed on an outpatient basis. The endoscopic approach creates less pain and scarring than traditional open surgery, allowing for a quicker recovery.

The purpose of this procedure is to drain the pus and relieve the pressure and pain that results from an abscess in the pad of the fingertip, called a felon. Although commonly performed on an outpatient basis, severe infections may require hospitalization and antibiotics.

This procedure uses pins, screws or metal plates to repair broken bones in the fingers. The actual fixation method will depend on the location and pattern of the break.

This outpatient procedure is used to resolve the pain of a severely arthritic joint of the finger by permanently stopping finger movement. This is most commonly used for the joint nearest the fingertip, called the DIP joint, although any joint in the finger can be fused.

This outpatient procedure is used to remove a ganglion cyst, a fluid-filled sac that forms as a herniation from a joint capsule, ligament or tendon sheath. Ganglion cysts commonly develop at the wrist.

This is a way of caring for injured tissues with laser light. If your muscles or joints hurt from conditions such as fibromyalgia or arthritis, high dosage laser therapy may help.

This procedure removes diseased or damaged synovium, a thin layer of tissue that lines joint capsules and tendon sheaths and provides lubrication for movement. The synovium can be inflamed for a variety of reasons, most commonly rheumatoid arthritis.

This surgical procedure is performed to treat fingers that have become flexed because of Dupuytren's contracture. In this procedure, the thickened and contracted part of the fascia - the layer of tissue just beneath the skin - is removed. There are many variations of this surgery based on the severity of the condition.

If you're dealing with CRPS, you know how frustrating it can be. You hurt, and you don't know why. You feel like you should have healed by now, and no one can tell you why you aren't getting better. Although there's no cure for CRPS, there are things you can do to get some relief.

If you've been diagnosed with osteoarthritis, you may need to make some changes in your lifestyle. But you can still do many of the things you enjoy. You just have to take steps to manage your condition.

If you've been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, you may be facing some new challenges. But you can live a full life with RA. You can do many of the things you enjoy. You just have to take steps to manage your condition properly.

This scan lets doctors see inside your body without using radiation. Instead, MRIs use magnets and radio waves. An MRI shows clear views of your soft tissues. It can show cancer and other problems.

Multimodal pain control eases your pain with a combination of medicines. It can be used before, during and after a surgical procedure. The goal is to reduce the use of narcotics and their unpleasant side effects.

This minimally-invasive, non-surgical office procedure is used to help straighten fingers that have become bent by Dupuytren's contracture. A small needle is used to cut the contracted cords that cause the contracture and prevent the finger from fully extending.

This noninvasive, outpatient exam is used to measure how quickly nerves conduct electrical signals through the body. NCS is a valuable technique for diagnosing nerve damage. If damage exists, NCS can help a physician find its source.

This scan lets doctors see inside your body. A PET scan is different from an MRI or a CT scan, because it shows how your organs and systems are working. It can give doctors a clear view of some types of cancer cells, which show up brightly on a PET scan. It can also help doctors diagnose other disorders throughout your body.

This procedure stabilizes a fractured scaphoid bone with screw fixation. The scaphoid is an important carpal bone of the wrist, which is critical in coordinating motion of the other carpal bones and the radius.

This procedure, performed under general anesthesia, is used to repair a ruptured or severed tendon in the finger or thumb.

During this minimally-invasive procedure, the surgeon opens a narrowed tendon pulley at the base of a finger or thumb affected by trigger digit. Opening the pulley prevents the nodule from catching, allowing the the affected digit to flex and extend normally with no triggering or pain.

This minimally invasive outpatient procedure allows the surgeon to evaluate and treat injuries and disorders of the ligaments, cartilage, and bones of the wrist. The surgeon uses a small camera, called an arthroscope, and tiny instruments which are inserted through small incisions in the wrist.

This surgical procedure relieves pain and corrects deformities of the wrist caused by injury, trauma, arthritis, or genetic defect. The procedure fuses the radius, the carpal and metacarpal bones.