Upper Limb

A number of our consultants in Dublin and Cork specialise in treating conditions of the Upper Limb such as tears, instability, fractures, and arthritis. Treatments range from non-surgical to arthroplasty; each patient will receive the care most appropriate to your needs.

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About the upper limbs

The upper limbs consist of your shoulders, elbows, wrists, and fingers. These joints allow us to bend, flex, reach, and rotate our arms and hands. How well they work depends on the health of a combination of ligaments, muscles, tendons, joints, and bones. 

Shoulders

Each of your shoulders consists of two joints that connect your shoulder blade (scapula), collarbone (clavicle) and your upper arm bone (humerus) together. Your shoulders allow you to use your arms and give you a wide range of movement.

Shoulder problems can include rotator cuff tears, arthritis, fractures, bursitis, frozen shoulder and dislocations, and all can cause pain and affect your mobility. 

Elbows

Your elbow joints attach your upper arm bones (humerus) to the two bones in your forearms (radius and ulna). Your elbow moves in two main directions, and you use it without thinking almost any time you move your arm.

Elbow pain can come from repetitive injuries such as tennis elbow, aging, trauma, or a sports injury. 

Wrists and hands

Your wrist is the joint between your arm and hand and is made up of 8 bones. It acts like a hinge to allow you to move your hand. Your hand consists of 19 bones located in your palm, fingers, and thumb.

Repetitive movements that are common to some sports and jobs can put prolonged strain on your joints causing injury. When problems related to tendon tears, instability, fractures, arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome and other conditions impede your movement and affect your quality of life, it is time to see a specialist. 

Both surgical and non-surgical treatments are available to help ease pain and help restore movement.

Our orthopaedic service

We have multiple locations throughout Ireland offering consultation related to pain, rheumatology, sports injuries and other orthopaedic conditions; on-site diagnostics including CT, Dexa, MRI and ultrasound scans, and the latest innovative treatments and therapeutic options.

We are focused on your needs as our patient and our expert multi-disciplinary teams in Dublin and Cork provide co-ordinated, patient-centred, evidence-based care. Treatment and interventions are tailored to meet your specific requirements.

We also offer our renowned integrated patient support programme where relevant and appropriate, which consists of:

• Joint School: ensuring patients are ready for surgery for optimal outcomes.
• Pre-operative Assessment Clinic where the patient will be assessed by a specialist nurse, have a pre-surgery consultation with the anaesthesiologist, meet with the physiotherapy team to prepare for post-surgery and receive a discharge plan.
• Specialist Musculo-Skeletal Physiotherapy (MSK) tailored programmes to facilitate safe recovery.

All of these services are available in our full-service high-tech hospital. 

Conditions

• Acromioclavicular joint injury
• Adhesive capsulitis
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Osteoarthritis
• Pectoralis tear
• Rotator cuff tear/injury
• Shoulder impingement syndrome 
• Shoulder instability/dislocation

Services

• Hand, wrist and elbow trauma surgery
• Injections
• Pain management
• Rotator cuff repair
• Shoulder replacement
• Shoulder stabilisation
• Wrist arthroscopy
• Shoulder stabilisation

Our consultants

Prof. Cathal Moran

Orthopaedics, Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine View Profile

Mr. Michael Leonard

Orthopaedics View Profile