Located at Kettering Health Washington Township, the Hand Center offers exceptional care in hand surgery and hand trauma. 

The Hand Center is the area’s most advanced facility in the area, continuing to develop and adapt new methods to offer patients the best in care for their best health.

Specializing in Hand Care

We repair traumatic injuries, repetitive motion injuries, arthritic conditions, and hereditary disorders. We’re committed to restoring the patient’s use of the hand, wrist, arm, elbow, and shoulder to the greatest degree possible.

Experienced medical staff and modern facilities are brought together to create a treatment center that is the top choice in caring for the hand or upper extremities. We have experienced certified hand therapists to provide specialized therapy for better recovery.

Hand Injuries and Conditions

The hand is involved in almost every activity from the moment we wake up until we end our day. We often take healthy hands for granted. 

While many people may think it would take a traumatic injury to affect the way they use their hands, non-traumatic injuries and conditions can be just as problematic.

Our surgeons handle complex fractures of the hand and injuries to the carpal bones that change the mechanics of the wrist. Hand surgeons perform a variety of operations such as fracture repairs, nerve decompressions, releases, transfer and repairs of tendons, correcting rheumatoid deformities, and correcting hereditary defects.

Injuries and conditions our physicians treat include the following:

Carpal tunnel syndrome

• What is it?
  • The carpal tunnel is a space in the wrist where a nerve and nine tendons pass from the forearm into the hand. Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when swelling in the tunnel compresses the median nerve.

• What causes it?
  • It affects anyone who grips something tightly or uses their wrists consistently, such as cashiers, cyclists, and musicians, and those who use equipment that vibrates, such as jackhammers.

• What are the symptoms?
  • Tingling, numbness, and pain in the thumb, index, and middle fingers. These symptoms are usually experienced at night.

De Quervain’s Disease

• What is it?
  • An irritation and swelling of the tunnel that surrounds the thumb tendons as they pass from the wrist to the thumb.

• What causes it?
  • May be caused by overuse, repetitive motion, pregnancy, or rheumatoid arthritis.

• What are the symptoms?
  • Twinges of pain at the base of the thumb or the thumb side of the wrist. Pain is usually worse when forcefully grasping things or lifting items such as a gallon of milk.

Dupuytren’s Disease

• What is it?
  • An abnormal thickening of the tissue between the skin and the tendons in the palm. This may limit the use of fingers and cause the fingers to be pulled in toward the palm.

• What causes it?
  • This condition is hereditary and the cause is not known. It is more common in men older than age 50. The disease appears later in women.

• What are the symptoms?
  • Small lumps or nodules in the palm that occur many times in the crease of the hand.

Ganglion cysts

• What is it?
  • Lumps in the hand. They form when tissues surrounding certain joints become inflamed and swell. They are not tumors or cancer.

• What causes it?
  • They’re sometimes associated with rheumatoid arthritis or excessive overuse of joints in the wrist and fingers.

• What are the symptoms?
  • Lumps appear and will most likely be very painful. Pain will increase with extended use of the hand, and range of motion may be restricted. They often change in size and may disappear completely.

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy

• What is it?
  • A condition of burning pain, stiffness, swelling, sweating, and discoloration of the hand or arm that may become disabling. If not treated, it can cause stiffness and loss of use of the affected part of the arm.

• What causes it?
  • It may follow a sprain, fracture, injury to nerves or blood vessels, or the symptoms may appear after a surgery. Other causes include pressure on a nerve, infection, cancer, neck disorders, stroke, or heart attack.

• What are the symptoms?
  • Acute: These may last up to three months. Symptoms include pain and swelling, increased warmth, redness in the affected part/limb, and excessive sweating.
  • Dystrophic: These can last three to 12 months. Swelling is more constant, skin wrinkles disappear, skin temperature becomes cooler, and fingernails become brittle. Pain is more widespread.
  • Atrophic: These last one year or more. The skin of the affected area is pale, dry, tightly stretched, and shiny. The area is stiff, pain may decrease, and the chance of getting motion back is decreased.

Tendon flexor injuries

• What is it?
  • These are injuries to the muscles located in the hand and forearm that control the bending or flexing of the fingers.

• What causes it?
  • Deep cuts on the palm side of the wrist, hand, or fingers. When a tendon is cut, the ends pull away from each other causing a rubber band effect.

• What are the symptoms?
  • When a tendon has been partially cut, the fingers may still bend, but it will be painful and the tendon may eventually rupture. When both tendons are severed, the finger joints cannot bend.

Tennis elbow

• What is it?
  • This is inflammation of the tendon fibers that attach the forearm muscles to the outside of the elbow.

• What causes it?
  • Inflammation of the tendon fibers that attach the forearm muscles to the outside of the elbow.

• What are the symptoms?
  • Pain will occur near the bone on the outer side of the elbow. The area is usually tender to the touch and uncomfortable when gripping objects or making a fist.

Trigger finger

• What is it?
  • Tendons in the hand that control the bending of your finger become swollen. The swelling causes pressure to build up in the sheath, and a knot or nodule is formed.

• What causes it?
  • Possible causes include rheumatoid arthritis, gout, or diabetes. Occupations requiring repetitive bending of the finger may increase the risk of developing this problem.

• What are the symptoms?
  • Symptoms include soreness at the base of the finger, painful clicking, or snapping when attempting to flex or extend the affected finger. In more severe cases, the affected finger will lock in a flexed or extended position.

Hand and Arm Rehabilitation

Hand therapy is a specialty that has grown from occupational therapy and physical therapy. Therapists must meet educational and experience requirements to become certified hand therapists through the Hand Therapy Certification Commission.

Our staff is dedicated to providing complete, customized evaluation and treatment to patients with hand and arm dysfunction resulting from trauma, disease, and medical, or surgical conditions.

These conditions include strains, sprains, burns, repetitive stress disorders, tendon and ligament injuries, fractures, congenital disorders, amputations, and arthritis.