Orthopedics and Sports Medicine

Hand and Upper Extremity Program

Seattle Children’s has the only program in Washington to specialize in children’s growing hands and arms.

Seattle Children’s Hand and Upper Extremity Program provides care for babies, children, teens and young adults from birth to age 20 with conditions that affect their hands or arms. Our specialists understand the nuances of how to diagnose and treat these conditions in bodies that are still growing. If a difference, injury or other condition affects how your child’s hand or arm works or looks, we have the experts who can help. You do not need a referral to make an appointment.

Why choose Seattle Children’s Hand and Upper Extremity Program?

The Hand and Upper Extremity team creates a treatment plan custom-made for your child to get the best results for them. We see patients and families at our hospital campus in Seattle, our Bellevue Clinic and Surgery Center and our regional clinics in Everett and Federal Way.

The hand experts you need are here

Your child’s team includes doctors, surgeons, and nurses from Orthopedics and Sports Medicine as well as Plastic Surgery if needed.
If your child needs surgery, we perform general hand and arm surgery as well as highly complex . Our surgeons are experienced at doing these surgeries in children. We have surgeons with expanded fellowship training in upper extremity surgery. Most children can have in one of our clinics. For some surgeries, children need to stay overnight in the hospital.
If your child needs occupational therapy to gain the best use of their hands and arms, we have the largest team of occupational therapists in the Pacific Northwest who specialize in the care of babies, children, teens and young adults.
Some children with congenital hand disorders do best with a prosthesis to replace missing parts of their hand. We have orthotics and prosthetics services onsite at Seattle Children’s.
Complex conditions that affect the bones, muscles and of your child’s hand may affect other parts of their body too. That’s why we connect you with the many types of Seattle Children’s experts your child needs.

Care from before birth through young adulthood

We specialize in caring for kids. This means our experts have the knowledge, training and skills to treat young patients, who may need different treatment than an adult would. At Seattle Children’s, your child’s team has special training in the physical, emotional and social needs of young people.
If your child is diagnosed with a congenital hand disorder before birth based on an , we offer prenatal consultations to talk with you about your baby’s condition.
Babies and children are still developing. When we evaluate your child’s condition, plan their treatment and provide their care, we carefully consider their growth. We think about how growth may affect your child’s hands and arms over time. We also consider how their condition and treatment may affect the rest of their development and health.
We have the largest group of pediatric radiologists in the Northwest. If your child needs imaging that uses radiation, we use the lowest amount possible (PDF) to make the best image. We have a low-dose radiation X-ray machine, called the EOS. It makes safer full-body images.

Support for you and your family

When families face congenital, complex or lifelong conditions, or when their child is in pain, we know it can be stressful. Everyone at Seattle Children’s works to make your experience here as easy as we can on your whole family.
Your child’s team does more than plan and provide care for your child. We also make sure you and your child understand your child’s condition and treatment options.
Seattle Children’s supports your family with a range of resources. Our Child Life specialists, Family Resource Center and Guest Services are here to help.

Research to improve care

Seattle Children’s takes part in the CoULD Registry for congenital upper limb differences. A registry is a place where researchers keep information about people who have a certain condition so they can learn more about it. CoULD connects researchers from children’s hospitals around the country to study treatments and improve life for kids born with arms and hands that aren’t typical.
Learn more about current orthopedics research at Seattle Children’s.

Conditions We Treat

We treat hand and arm conditions that are present at birth, as well as those that may happen later, such as from injuries to bones, or nerves. We’re also closely involved in the care of children with disorders. The conditions we treat include these and many others.

Meet Your Hand and Upper Extremity Program Team

Experts from Orthopedics, Plastic Surgery and Occupational Therapy work as a team to diagnose your child’s hand or arm condition and provide comprehensive care. Along with treating your child’s condition, we work to prevent and treat effects that can come later.