Our hands serve many purposes. Hands help us eat, dress, write, earn a living, create art, and do many other activities. To accomplish these tasks and activities, our hands require sensation and movement, such as joint motion, tendon gliding, and muscle contraction.
When a problem takes place in the hand, care must be given to all the different types of tissues that make function of the hand possible. Hand surgeons are specifically trained to give that care:
- Hand surgery is the field of medicine that deals with problems of the hand, wrist and forearm.
- Hand surgeons care for these problems without surgery, and they are specially trained to operate when necessary.
- Many hand surgeons are also experts in diagnosing and caring for shoulder and elbow problems.
- Hand surgeons are orthopedic, plastic or general surgeons who have additional training in surgery of the hand.
- To become a member of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, a hand surgeon must complete a full year of additional training and must pass a rigorous certifying examination.
Find a hand surgeon near you.
© 2009 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Definition developed by ASSH Council.