Helping Hands. And Wrists.

The Penn Hand Service offers the very latest care — along with benchmark research — to treat hand and wrist injuries.

Injuries and ailments in the hand and wrist — namely arthritis, fractures, nerve problems and sports-related injuries — can severely limit normal functioning and significantly impact daily life. The small bones and ligaments in these areas make injuries particularly difficult to examine and even harder to diagnose.

That's why the Penn Hand Service team at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center — including experienced physicians David Bozentka, MD, Pedro Beredjiklian, MD and David Steinberg, MD — is dedicated to delivering the best care in the region, not only with comprehensive treatment, but also through world-class research. The Penn Hand Service offers the very latest care — along with benchmark research — to treat hand and wrist injuries.

A Closer Look
With its small incisions and reduced tissue disruption, arthroscopy is increasingly being used in the treatment of the hand and wrist. Penn physicians can access the delicate ligaments of the hand and wrist and examine an injury without making a large incision.

“We're treating ligament injuries in the wrist and bringing arthroscopy to small joints in the hand,” said Dr. Steinberg, MD, Director of the Hand and Upper Extremity Fellowship at the Penn Orthopaedic Institute.

A Fixation on Fractures
The Penn Hand Service at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center is advancing treatment options not only for ligament damage, but also for distal radius fractures or broken wrists. While repairs to such an injury in young, healthy patients are more routine, the same fractures in older, osteoporotic patients are more difficult to repair. At Penn, hand surgeons have found that internal fixation using plates has allowed them to align the bones better, and in turn, patients are able to heal faster.

Benchmark Research
As part of a robust research program, Penn hand surgeons are advancing more than the scope of arthroscopic treatment. Currently, their sights are set on the flexor tendon. This delicate region is difficult to repair as it is prone to scarring, a complication that leads to finger stiffness and compromised functioning.

The Penn McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory is one of the top three U.S. centers to receive National Institutes of Health funding for this type of tendon research. While other hospitals may focus on the mechanical aspect of repair, Penn experts are the very first in the country to examine the cellular, molecular and genetic dimensions of the flexor tendon. Their hope is to develop treatments that minimize scar formation and improve functionality for patients without the need for complicated surgery.

While not life-threatening, a hand or wrist injury can make daily life extra difficult. Which is why proper treatment makes all the difference. When it comes to taking care of hands or wrists, where you turn first matters most.

	Need an appointment? Request one online 24 hours/day, 7 days/week or call 800-789-PENN (7366) to speak to a referral counselor.