Dr. Lee Hunter specializes in procedures of the elbow, wrist, and hand. Dr. Hunter has over 20 years of experience in upper extremity surgery and personally developed a surgical arm positioning system to make surgical procedures technically easier, more efficient, and safer. This novel arm positioning system received seven United States patents and was acquired by a global orthopaedic medical device company. Dr. Hunter specializes in conservative and surgical management of common and rare orthopaedic upper extremity problems.
Following are a few of the hand and wrist conditions that Dr. Hunter treats. Click to read more about the causes of these conditions and how they’re treated.
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Wrist or hand osteoarthritis
Ganglion cyst
Distal radius fracture
Scaphoid fracture
De Quervain’s Tendinosis
Trigger finger
Thumb (Carpometacarpal) osteoarthritis
Dupuytren’s Contracture
Rheumatoid arthritis
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a painful compression of a nerve in the wrist that can interfere with a person’s ability to use the wrist and the hand. This is a progressive condition that can worsen without proper care.
Osteoarthritis, also called degenerative arthritis, is a degenerative condition that commonly affects the small joints of the fingers and the base of the thumb. Common in both men and women, it can cause the joints to become swollen, stiff and painful. It often leads to joint enlargement, interfering with normal hand function and significantly impacting a person’s quality of life. There are two main types of hand arthritis: primary generalized osteoarthritis and erosive osteoarthritis, and they affect the hands differently.
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 condition is a break of the radius bone at the wrist. The radius is the larger of the two bones that connect the wrist to the elbow. The other bone is called the ulna. The radius supports the majority of forces at the wrist joint with its large joint surface. A fracture of the distal end of the radius – the end nearest the wrist -is one of the most common types of fractures. It may be part of a complex injury that involves other tissues, nerves and bones of the wrist.
A scaphoid fracture, one of the most common types of wrist fractures, is a break in the scaphoid bone. The scaphoid, one of the most important bones in the wrist, has a limited blood supply. An improperly treated scaphoid fracture can result in significant wrist pain, arthritis, and loss of motion.
To learn more about diseases, conditions, treatment options, and recovery, please visit orthoinfo.org.
