Omaha Hand and Wrist Specialists 

The hand and wrist are complicated parts of the body. When you have hand pain, wrist pain, or have suffered an injury, you want a doctor who is highly experienced with problems like yours, and that is what you will find with the hand and wrist doctors at MD West ONE in Omaha.

Fellowship-Trained Hand Surgeons

The hand surgeons at MD West ONE are fellowship-trained, which means they have taken additional training in hand and wrist beyond their medical and orthopedic specialty training. In addition to being arthritis specialists, our Omaha surgeons have an exceptional understanding of every part of the hand and wrist, down to the microscopic workings of blood vessels and nerves. From hand arthritis, carpal tunnel, workers’ comp injuries to wrist sprains, MD West ONE's hand and wrist doctors in Omaha will help you find relief from your hand or wrist pain.

MEET OUR HAND & WRIST SPECIALISTS

Michael A. Del Core, MD
Upper Extremity Specialist

Daniel L. Gaffney, MD
Upper Extremity Specialist

Kayvon Izadi, MD
Upper Extremity Specialist

Micheala McCarthy, MD
Upper Extremity Specialist

Jack A. McCarthy, MD
Upper Extremity Specialist

Jeffrey J. Tiedeman, MD
Upper Extremity Specialist

FREQUENTLY TREATED HAND & WRIST PROBLEMS AND CONDITIONS:

• Arthritis
• Basal Joint Arthritis
• Boxer's Fracture
• Broken Bones
• Carpal Tunnel
• Colles' Fracture
• Complex Nerve Problems
• Congenital Abnormalities & Deformities
• Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
• De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis
• Dupuytren’s Contracture
• Finger Dislocations
• Finger Fracture
• Ganglion Cysts
• Hand Fracture
• Hand Pain
• Hand Tendonitis
• Hand Trauma
• Joint Contractures
• Kienbock’s Disease
• Mallet Finger
• Overuse Conditions
• Raynaud’s Disease
• Sports-Related Injuries
• Tennis Elbow
• Trigger Finger
• Workers Comp & Occupational Injuries
• Wrist Fractures
• Wrist Pain
• Wrist Sprains & Strains
• Wrist Tendonitis

HAND AND WRIST TREATMENTS & PROCEDURES:

We understand that the decision of having hand surgery or wrist surgery is not a decision you take lightly. That’s why our hand and wrist doctors in Omaha take a conservative approach to care, offering both surgical and non-surgical treatments, including:

• Arthritis Care and Treatment
• Cyst Removal
• DeQuervain’s Release
• Endoscopic Carpal Tunnel Release
• Fracture & Dislocation Treatment
• Hand & Wrist Arthroscopy
• Joint Replacement
• Ligament Repair
• Microsurgical Flap Procedures
• Microvascular Surgery
• Nerve Repair
• Reconstructive Surgery
• Tendon Repair
• Trigger Finger Release
• Non-surgical treatments such as splints, casts, exercise and strength building programs, pain management, and rehabilitative therapy

More About the Hand & Wrist Conditions We Treat

The Hand & Wrist Specialists at MD West ONE treat the following conditions:

Arthritis

If you are feeling pain and/or stiffness in your hand or wrist, you may be suffering from arthritis. Arthritis destroys cartilage and causes your bones to rub against one another, which causes inflammation in the small joints of your hand and wrist.

Signs and symptoms of arthritis include:

• Weakness
• Stiffness
• Swelling
• Limited range of motion
• Cracking, clicking, grinding sounds

There are four types of arthritis that can affect the hand and/ or wrist:

• Osteoarthritis (OA): develops overtime as cartilage naturally wears down
• Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA): an autoimmune disease that causes the body to attack its own tissues
• Psoriatic Arthritis: an inflammatory skin and joint disease
• Posttraumatic Arthritis (PA): occurs after an injury to the hand or wrist

→   Make an appointment if you are experiencing signs and symptoms of arthritis in your hand or wrist. 

Boxer's Fracture

A boxer’s fracture is a break in the neck of the fifth metacarpal bone in the hand. It gets its name because the injury is common in inexperienced boxers. Metacarpal bones, in general, are some of the most commonly fractured bones in the hands. A large percentage of these qualify as “boxer’s fractures.” Boxers are not the only people who can get a boxer’s fracture, but usually the injury results from direct injury to a clenched fist. The force fractures the neck of the metacarpal bone below the pinky.

A hand surgeon will need to distinguish boxer’s fractures from other metacarpal fractures, which break the shaft of the metacarpal, or fractures of the base of the small finger. These injuries may need different treatments.

→ Make an appointment if you are experiencing signs and symptoms of boxer's fracture.

Broken Bones

Broken bones in your hand or wrist can occur from a direct blow or fall. You may be at higher risk of a broken hand or wrist if you participate in certain sports like hockey, football, in-line skating, or snowboarding. It is also common for these types of breaks to occur during motor vehicle crashes and may require surgical repair.

If you think you may have broken a bone in your wrist or hand, it is important to treat it right away so that the bones do not heal out of alignment hindering your ability to do everyday activities.

Signs and symptoms of a broken hand or wrist:

• Swelling
• Bruising
• Tenderness
• Numbness
• Trouble or inability to move your fingers
• Severe pain that may worsen when gripping or moving your hand or wrist
• Obvious deformity

→ Make an appointment if you are experiencing signs and symptoms of a broken hand or wrist.

Carpal Tunnel

Carpal tunnel syndrome results from the pinching or entrapping of the median nerve in the underside of the wrist. The actual pathology in most cases is due to either a decrease in the volume of the carpal tunnel and/or swelling or thickening of the flexor tendons that pass through the carpal tunnel along with the median nerve. Some patients experience a decrease in the size of the carpal tunnel. This is most often associated with fractures or dislocations of the distal radius and/or wrist. It is occasionally seen when large bone spurs or “osteophytes”, form due to degenerative joint disease or arthritis.

Signs and symptoms of carpal tunnel:

• Tingling or numbness in your fingers or hand
• Weakness in your hand or a tendency to drop objects
• Discomfort in your wrist or hand
• Awakening in the night with tingling or numbness in the fingers or hand

→ Make an appointment if you are experiencing signs and symptoms of carpal tunnel.

Colles’ Fracture

A Colles’ fracture occurs when the radius bone in the forearm breaks and not the carpal bones of the wrist. The radius bone is the larger of the two bones in the forearm and the area of the bone near the wrist is the distal end. A Colles’ fracture is categorized as a type of distal radius break and occurs when the broken piece of bone points upwards. Irish surgeon and anatomist, Abraham Colles, first described this type of fracture in 1814 and it has since been named after him. This type of fracture often happens when someone falls on an outstretched hand but can also occur as a result of trauma such as biking, skiing, or car accident.

• Common symptoms of a Colles’ fracture include:
• Swelling
• Bruising
• Tenderness
• The wrist positioned in a deformed way

→ Make an appointment if you are experiencing signs and symptoms of Colles' fracture.

Complex Nerve Problems

Many nerves run between the shoulder and the fingertips carrying messages from the brain to the hands and wrists. Injury to the nerves often involves trauma such as the hand or wrist being overstretched, burned, or cut damaging the nerve or nerve ending.

Symptoms of nerve problems in the hand and wrist include:

• Numbness
• Weakness
• Pain
• Difficulty moving the wrist or hand

→ Make an appointment if you are experiencing signs and symptoms of complex nerve problems in your wrist or hand.

Congenital Abnormalities & Deformities

Congenital abnormalities are deformities that are present from birth. There are several classifications of deformities including:

• Congenital constriction band syndrome: A piece of tissue forms around the finger or arm causing blood flow and growth issues.
• Failure of parts of the hand to separate
  • Simple syndactyly: Fusion between tissues of the fingers
  • Complex syndactyly: Fusion between bones of the fingers
• Duplication of fingers (also known as polydactyly)
• Undergrowth of fingers
• Problems in formation of the parts of the hand
  • Radial club hand: A deformity in the tissues on the thumb side of the hand (the radial side) can include an absence of the thumb, shortening of the bone, or a small thumb.
  • Ulnar club hand: The ulnar bone (the bone in the forearm on the side of the little finger) may be underdeveloped or absent in the case of an ulnar club hand.

→ Make an appointment if you are experiencing signs of congenital abnormalities and deformities in your wrist and/or hand.

De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis

De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis is a condition that affects the tendons on the thumb side of your wrist. Chronic overuse of the wrist is typically connected with de Quervain’s tenosynovitis.

Tendons are what attach muscle to bone. The two tendons in your wrist and lower thumb would normally glide smoothly through the small tunnel that connects them to the base of the thumb when you grasp or grip anything with your hand. Overuse of these tendons can irritate the sheath around them causing thickening and swelling in that area which can limit movement.

Symptoms of De Quervain’s tenosynovitis include:

• Pain while turning your wrist, making a fist or grasping an item
• Pain or swelling near the base of the thumb

→ Make an appointment if you are experiencing signs or symptoms of De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis.

Dupuytren’s Disease

Dupuytren’s disease involves the contraction of the hand developing a deformity, typically over a matter of years. Dupuytren's contracture mainly affects the two fingers farthest from the thumb due to knots of tissue which form under the skin eventually creating a thick cord that can pull one or more fingers into a bent position.

→ Make an appointment if you are experiencing signs or symptoms of Dupuytren’s disease.

Finger Dislocations

A dislocated finger is a common injury and typically obvious. It occurs when the bones of the finger are shifted or moved from their normal position—causes include sports injuries, falls, or other accidents.

Symptoms of a dislocated finger include:

• Numbness or tingling
• Bruising or paleness in the injured finger
• Difficulty moving or straightening the injured finger

→ Make an appointment if you are experiencing signs or symptoms of a finger dislocation.

Finger Fracture

A finger fracture is a crack or break in the bone of the finger—it can be a bend or small crack or shattered and broken into multiple pieces. Finger fractures are typically a result of trauma like hitting a hard object, shutting your finger in a door, or a fall.

Symptoms of a fractured finger include:

• Snapping or popping sound during the time of injury
• Sensitivity to touch in the injured area
• Difficulty bending the finger or inability to bend the finger at all
• Change in the shape of the finger

→ Make an appointment if you are experiencing signs or symptoms of a finger fracture.

Ganglion Cysts

A ganglion cyst is a small, round or oval sac of fluid that develops on the tendon or joint in the hand. The cyst can feel firm or soft, depending on the size. Ganglion cysts can cause some pain in the area it is located especially if pressing on a nerve or may interfere with joint movement. The cysts typically appear as a bump that changes size over time.

→ Make an appointment if you are experiencing signs or symptoms of a ganglion cyst.

Hand Fracture

There are several bones that make up the framework of your hand including the small finger bones, known as the phalanges, and the long bones within the palm, known as the metacarpals. A hand fracture occurs when one of the small bones in the hand is broken. This can be the result of a fall, crush injury, or blunt trauma.

Symptoms of a hand fracture include:

• Pain and swelling
• Difficulty moving fingers
• Obvious deformity when the hand is extended or when making a fist

→ Make an appointment if you are experiencing signs or symptoms of a hand fracture.

Hand Pain

Hand pain can be the result of a number of issues including disease or injury in the bones, tendons, joints, muscle, tissue or nerves. Joint swelling, or arthritis, can result in hand pain as well as other diseases such as De Quervain's disease, carpal tunnel syndrome, and more. Hand pain can also result from trauma. In order to determine the cause of your hand pain, a doctor may need to examine the area and perform various types of tests for the best treatment option.

→ Make an appointment if you are experiencing hand pain.

Hand Tendonitis

Tendonitis is a condition that occurs when your tendons, the tissue that connects muscle to bone, becomes inflamed from injury or overuse. This can cause pain or stiffness in the fingers when bending. Symptoms of tendonitis in the hand include: Swelling or lumps in or around the tendons Swollen fingers Pain which increases when moving the hand Warmth around the infected area Snapping or cracking feeling when bending fingers

→ Make an appointment you are experiencing signs and symptoms of hand tendonitis.

Hand Trauma

Trauma to the hand can include but is not limited to blunt trauma, crush injuries, and injury from a sharp object. Injuries from these traumas include lacerations (cuts), soft tissue injuries and possible amputations, infections, burns, and high-pressure injuries such as grease and paint guns. If hand trauma has occurred, it is important to be seen as soon possible by a professional so they are able to asses any damage and advise on the proper treatment

→ Make an appointment if you are experiencing signs and symptoms of hand trauma.

Joint Contractures

Joint contractures occur when there is stiffness in the joints that prevents full extension. Your joint capsules are the dense, fibrous connective tissue that stabilizes the joint and adjoining bones. Joint contractures typically develop when pliable connective tissues become less flexible resulting in limited mobility in the hands.

→ Make an appointment if you are experiencing signs and symptoms of joint contractures.

Kienbock’s Disease

Kienbock’s disease can also be referred to as avascular necrosis of the lunate. This condition can occur when the lunate, one of the eight small bones in the wrist, loses its blood supply which results in the death of the bone. The lunate is important to proper movement and function of the wrist as it is the most central bone and works closely with the radius and ulna, the two forearm bones, to help the wrist move. Damage to the lunate bone can be very painful and cause stiffness.

Symptoms or signs of Kienbock’s disease include:

• Wrist swelling and pain
• Tenderness directly over the lunate bone
• Decreased motion or stiffness of the wrist

→ Make an appointment if you are experiencing signs and symptoms of Kienbock’s Disease.

Mallet Finger

A mallet finger is a deformity of the finger caused when the tendon that straightens your finger (the extensor tendon) is damaged. In a mallet finger, the fingertip droops—it cannot straighten using its own power. The finger may be painful, swollen and bruised, especially if there is an associated fracture, but often the only finding is the inability to straighten the tip of the finger. This condition is oftentimes called “baseball finger” due to the common cause of an unyielding object (like a ball) striking the tip of a finger or thumb and forcing it to bend further than it is intended.

→ Make an appointment if you are experiencing signs and symptoms of mallet finger.

Overuse Conditions

Overuse conditions in the hand and wrist, also known as repetitive strain injuries, can result from repetitive motion related to sport, work, or hobbies. This condition can also be caused by improper technique during these activities. These injuries can result in pain experienced in muscles, nerves, ligaments, and/or tendons of the hand and wrist.

Symptoms of overuse conditions vary but common symptoms include difficulty moving your hand or wrist, loss of sensation, swelling, or tingling.

→ Make an appointment if you are experiencing signs and symptoms of overuse conditions in the hand or wrist.

Raynaud’s Disease

Raynaud’s disease typically occurs in your fingers or toes causing them to feel cold or numb in response to cold temperatures or stress. Smaller arteries that supply blood to your skin narrow, limiting blood circulation to affected areas during Raynaud’s disease.

Symptoms of Raynaud’s disease include:

• Cold fingers or toes
• Color changes in your skin in response to cold or stress
• Numb, prickly feeling or stinging pain upon warming or stress relief

→ Make an appointment if you are experiencing signs and symptoms of Raynaud’s disease.

Sports-Related Injuries

Sports-related injuries to the hand or wrist can happen in almost any sports activity and there are a number of injuries that may occur in an athlete’s hands or wrists ranging from acute to severe.

If you experience any of the following symptoms from a sports-related injury, be sure to seek immediate medical attention for diagnosis and treatment.

• Severe pain or swelling
• Numbness
• Coldness or grayness in the finger, hand, or wrist
• Abnormal twisting or bending of the finger or hand
• A clicking, grating, or shifting noise while moving your finger, hand, or wrist
• Bleeding that does not slow and persists for more than 15 minutes

→ Make an appointment if you are experiencing signs and symptoms of sports-related injuries in the hand and wrist.

Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow also referred to as lateral epicondylitis, is a painful condition that occurs when tendons in your elbow are overloaded, usually by repetitive motions of the wrist and arm. Despite the common name of the condition, athletes are not the only ones who can develop this condition. People whose jobs feature the types of motions that can lead to tennis elbow include plumbers, painters, carpenters, and butchers.

The pain experienced from tennis elbow occurs mostly where the tendons of your forearm muscles attach to a bony bump on the outside of your elbow due to inflammation in the tendons. Pain from the tennis elbow condition may make it difficult to perform everyday activities like shaking someone’s hand, gripping a cup, or turning a doorknob.

→ Make an appointment if you are experiencing signs and symptoms of tennis elbow.

Trigger Finger

Trigger finger, or stenosing tenosynovitis, causes pain, stiffness, and a sensation of locking or catching when you bend and straighten your finger. The condition typically occurs in the ring finger or thumb and results from when inflammation narrows the space within the sheath that surrounds the tendon in the affected finger. If a trigger finger is severe enough, the affected finger will remain in a bent position.

Common symptoms of trigger finger include:

• A tender lump at the base of the finger on the palm side of the hand
• A catching, popping, or locking sensation with finger movement
• Pain when you bend or straighten the finger

→ Make an appointment if you are experiencing signs and symptoms of trigger finger.

Workers Comp & Occupational Injuries

Occupational injuries to the wrist or hand can occur in a variety of ways while on the job. If you’re injured while on the job, it’s important to be seen right away so any injury that occurred can be assessed properly and treated.

→ Make an appointment if you have experienced an occupational injury and are dealing with a worker’s compensation case.

Wrist Fractures

The wrist is made up of eight small bones that connect with the two long forearm bones called the radius and ulna. Although a fractured wrist can happen in any of these 10 bones, by far the most common bone to break is the radius.

Common symptoms of a wrist fracture:

• Severe pain that may worsen when gripping or squeezing your hand or moving your wrist
• Swelling
• Tenderness
• Bruising
• Obvious deformity, such as a bent wrist

→ Make an appointment if you are experiencing signs and symptoms of a wrist fracture.

Wrist Pain

Discomfort in the wrist area can be a result of injury or long-term conditions or disease. This pain can occur in any aspect of the wrist joint, including the bones, ligaments, and connective tissue surrounding the area. In order to determine the cause of your wrist pain, a doctor may need to examine the area and perform various types of tests to determine the best treatment option.

→ Make an appointment if you are experiencing signs and symptoms of wrist pain.

Wrist Sprains & Strains

A wrist sprain occurs when the strong ligaments that support the wrist stretch beyond their limits or tear. Typically caused by a fall on an outstretched hand, wrist sprains are common injuries and can range from mild to severe, depending on how much damage there is to the ligaments.

• Grade 1 sprain (mild): The ligaments are stretched, but not torn.
• Grade 2 sprain (moderate): The ligaments are partially torn. This type of injury may involve some loss of function.
• Grade 3 sprain (severe): The ligament is completely torn or the ligament is pulled off of its attachment to bone. If the ligament tears away from the bone, it may take a small chip of bone with it. This is called an avulsion fracture.

Common symptoms of a wrist sprain:

• Bruising and swelling
• Pain around the affected joint
• Limited flexibility

Common symptoms of a wrist strain:

• Muscle spasm
• Pain around the affected joint
• Swelling
• Difficulty using the joint’s full range of motion

→ Make an appointment if you are experiencing signs and symptoms of wrist sprains or strains.

Wrist Tendonitis

Wrist tendonitis, also called tenosynovitis, is a common condition characterized by irritation and inflammation of the tendons around the wrist. Typically, wrist tendonitis occurs at points where tendons cross each other or pass over a bony prominence. These are possible sites of irritation and can lead to discomfort when moving the wrist joint.

Symptoms of wrist tendonitis include:

• Swelling or tenderness around the wrist joint
• Grinding sensations with the movement of the tendons
• Warmth and redness of the tendons

→ Make an appointment if you are experiencing signs and symptoms of wrist tendonitis.