Episode 106. Hand, Wrist and Elbow Surgery with Jason Harvey

Functional hands and fingers are taken for granted until they are damaged by disease or injury. The hand is an incredibly complex structure tasked with fine motor skills as well as the power of grip. Its incredible sensory connections communicate to us the beauty of touch, and the importance of temperature and texture and serve as a vital link in our relationship with the world.

The hand is stabilised by a complex set of carpal bones comprising the wrist and invested with amazing articulations, vessels and nerves. Similarly, the importance of the elbow cannot be underestimated, made up of three bones joined together as a hinge joint- fractures, dislocations and inflammation including of the lateral or medial epicondyles or tendons may have devastating functional consequences.

I was curious therefore to explore the branch of orthopaedics that so expertly deals with these clinical problems.

Jason Harvey is an internationally trained Melbourne Orthopaedic surgeon with a special interest in hand, wrist and elbow surgery. He has a fascinating back story to his career, training at the “House of God” -Beth Israel Hospital in Boston and at UCLA-California and on return to Australia, apart from establishing a busy private practice, he has worked in the role of Director of training in Orthopaedics -Monash Health, Dandenong and as the Deputy Director of Training of Orthopaedics for the Victoria - Tasmania training region. He is actively involved in advanced teaching courses in hand, wrist and elbow surgery and is renowned as the ‘go-to’ for our local AFL sports stars with hand, wrist and elbow injuries-an impressive accolade. It was a great privilege to have this conversation with Jason covering aspects of his training and specialty which I am sure you will enjoy.

References:

Jason Harvey-osv.com.au

www.racgp.org.au:  Hands, fingers, thumbs-assessment and management

www.msdmanuals.com

The House of God - Samuel Shem, Random House

To be a guest on the show or provide some feedback, I’d love to hear from you: manager@gihealth.com.au

Dr Luke Crantock MBBS, FRACP, is a gastroenterologist in practice for over 25 years. He is the founder of The Centre for GI Health, based in Melbourne Australia and is passionate about educating General Practitioners and patients on disease prevention and how to manage and improve their digestive health.