Patient Care
Our surgeons offer advanced care for common hand and upper extremity pain and injuries, such as arthritis, fractures and cysts, as well as uncommon hand conditions.
The Duke Division of Hand Surgery unites the expertise of faculty from surgery, plastic surgery, and orthopaedic surgery into a single group focused on offering the best possible treatment of patients who need hand and upper extremity surgery.
The Division of Hand Surgery is currently led by Dr. David Ruch. We offer advanced care for common hand pain and injuries like arthritis, fractures and cysts, as well as uncommon hand conditions and hand, finger, and thumb reattachments associated with amputation. They also specialize in wrist pain and injury and sports-related injuries. Our plastic surgery hand specialists are leaders in innovative surgeries reattaching amputated hands, fingers, and thumbs, as well as microsurgical techniques to repair nerves and arteries that may be damaged. Duke is one of only about 10 hospitals in the U.S. that has performed a hand transplant.
Fellowship
Our fellows gain special knowledge and training in the management of acute hand and upper extremity trauma, hand and upper extremity microvascular emergencies, reconstructive hand and upper extremity conditions, congenital upper limb deformities, and brachial plexus and peripheral nerve injuries.
Research
Our faculty are leaders in research into complex hand problems and developing innovative techniques for the treatment of hand conditions.
TEDx Talks | Human Transplantation
Dr. Linda Cendales is a pioneer in hand transplantation. She helped organize and was a part of the team that performed the first and second-hand transplants in the United States. She shares her experiences, her research work, what goes into these types of transplants, and how transplant surgery changes people's lives.
