Hand Surgery Clinical Research Unit

Overview

The goal of the Mass General Hand Surgery Clinical Research Unit is to contribute to advancements in knowledge and innovation that will maximize the hand and arm health of our own patients and patients worldwide. We address complex and sometimes vexing traumatic injuries and their consequences, surgical techniques and devices, tricky diagnoses and areas of debate, and the emotional aspects of recovery. Our hand transplant unit hopes to be free of potentially toxic anti-rejection drugs in the near future. We work with collaborators from every part of the globe and we are particularly proud of the Science of Variation Group, an international online collaborative that is working to understand and optimize reliability in orthopaedic surgery. We have further ongoing collaborations with the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh, Osaka University and British Hospital in Montevideo.

Research Projects

A sample of the subjects we address:

Hand

• Mallet finger
• Post-surgical finger stiffness
• Night time splinting for trigger finger
• Dislocations
• Treatment satisfaction

Wrist

• Carpal tunnel syndrome diagnoses
• Randomized control trial for pain medical after carpal tunnel release
• Electrodiagnostic testing for carpal tunnel
• Randomized control trial for computer-guided corrective Osteotomy for distal radius malunion
• Long term follow-ups for distal radius fractures
• Fragmentation of the lunate bone in Kienbock’s disease
• Classification of distal radius fractures
• Guidelines for screw length and plate size for distal radius volar locking plates
• Science of variation for distal radius fractures and partial union of scaphoid
• Bone density changes in wrist pathology

Elbow

• Long term follow-up of ulnar nerve release for cubital tunnel syndrome
• Corrective osteotomy of the distal humerus for distal humerus malunion or nonunion with angulation
• Floating elbow
• Radial head prosthesis
• Long term results after lateral collateral ligament reconstruction
• Long term follow-up for olecranon fractures
• Heterotropic ossification of the elbow
• Ulnar nerve and anconaeus epitrochlearis
• Operative versus non-operative treatment of Mason type 2 radial head fractures

Upper Extremity

• Scapular fractures
• Patient expectations
• Preference of shared decision making
• Anticoagulation use for minor hand surgeries
• Risk factors for humerus nonunion
• IV extravasation compartment syndrome
• Incidental hook hamate fractures
• Pathology of suspected benign fractures

Psychology

• Attitudes towards pain in medical advertisements
• Cognitive behavioral therapy for idiopathic arm pain
• Factors associated with counterintuitive aspects of illness
• Patient perceptions of occupational therapy recommendations correlates with depression
• Phone cognitive
• Psychosocial impacts of upper extremity trauma

Research Positions

Short-term volunteer positions are available for medical students who are interested in dedicating time to orthopaedic hand and upper extremity research. Short-term researchers take on projects under the guidance of our PhD candidates and become well-versed in clinical research methodology and biostatistics. Long-Term positions are also available for those planning on pursuing a PhD or the equivalent at their respective institutions. Such positions extend between two and three years and are well-suited for those interested in independently managing multiple research projects while also exercising leadership in the field. Our researchers have published and presented their work in top journals and at national and international conferences including the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, the Orthopaedic Trauma Association, the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery.

To apply, please submit CV and 3 reference letters to Rachel Cross.

Publications

Below is a list of recent publications from Mass General’s Hand Research Unit. You can read summaries of some of the team’s research on Advances in Motion, the research publication of Massachusetts General Hospital.

• Bhashyam AR, Liu Y, Kao DS. Targeted Peripheral Nerve Interface: Case Report with Literature Review. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2021;9(4):e3532. Published 2021 Apr 8. doi:10.1097/GOX.0000000000003532
• Eberlin KR, Payne DES, McCollam SM, Levin LS, Friedrich JB. Hand Trauma Network in the United States: ASSH Member Perspective Over the Last Decade. J Hand Surg Am. 2021;46(8):645-652. doi:10.1016/j.jhsa.2021.03.018
• Germawi, L., Westenberg, R. F., Wang, F., Schep, N., Chen, N. C., & Eberlin, K. R. Factors associated with revision surgery for olecranon bursitis after bursectomy. Journal of shoulder and elbow surgery. 2021; 30(5), 1135–1141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jse.2020.09.033
• Gottlieb, R. W., Westenberg, R. F., Chen, N. C., Coert, J. H., & Eberlin, K. R. Long-Term Outcomes after Surgical Treatment of Radial Sensory Nerve Neuromas: Patient-Reported Outcomes and Rate of Secondary Surgery. Plastic and reconstructive surgery. 2021; 147(1), 101–111. https://doi.org/10.1097/PRS.0000000000007437
• Miyamura, S., Lans, J., Min, K. S., Waryasz, G. R., Murase, T., & Chen, N. C. Bone resorption of the greater tuberosity after open reduction and internal fixation of complex proximal humeral fractures: fragment characteristics and intraoperative risk factors. Journal of shoulder and elbow surgery. 2021; 30(7), 1626–1635. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jse.2020.09.014

Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery

Jesse Juipter, MD

Hand Fellows

Justin Koh, MD

Jay Mottla, MD

Krystle Tuaño, MD

Research Coordinator

Rachel Cross

PhD Candidates

Kevin Kooi, MD

Charlotte Laane, MD

Ingmar Legerstee, MD

Floris Raasveld, MD