The Hand & Wrist Center’s is a leader in Tetraplegic Upper Extremity Reconstruction.

Spinal cord injuries resulting in Tetraplegia (quadriplegia) are debilitating injuries that can happen to anyone. The loss of functional use in the upper extremities is perhaps the most disabling of the numerous bodily functions impaired following a spinal cord injury.

In 1998, Dr. Nathan partnered with Dr. Ann Vasile, a Long Beach Physiatrist with national expertise in the medical management of Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) and Tetraplegic patients, assembled a multidisciplinary team providing evaluation and surgical reconstruction for appropriate candidates. This team employed other SCI specialists, including occupational therapists, physical therapists, social workers, and nurse case managers, to best optimize SCI evaluation, treatment, and management.

For the past 20 years, this team along with The Hand & Wrist Center has provided evaluations for more than 250 Tetraplegic patients referred from local, regional, and national institutions – many of whom have benefited from various surgical reconstructions. Since the inception of this subspecialty service, Dr. Nathan has performed surgical reconstructions in over 100 patients including tendon transfers for elbow extension restoration, key pinch and grip reconstructions, contracture releases, tenodesis procedures, and arthrodesis.

Dr. Nathan and his surgical team also has experience in implantation of neuroprosthetic systems (Freehand®), which has proven extremely valuable in providing functional hand use in higher levels of SCI patients (levels C-5 and C-6).

For more information about the services we offer for spinal cord injuries resulting in Tetraplegia (quadriplegia), please contact our Center at (562) 424-9000.