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Advances and Innovations in Hand Surgery

A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery/Aesthetic Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 December 2025 | Viewed by 569

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
Interests: hand surgery; reconstructive microsurgery; orthoplastic surgery; peripheral nerve surgery; plastic surgery

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Guest Editor
Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Interests: hand surgery; reconstructive microsurgery; plastic surgery

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Guest Editor Assistant
Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Interests: hand surgery; reconstructive microsurgery; plastic surgery

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recent advancements in the field of hand surgery have significantly improved patient outcomes, driven by innovations in surgical techniques, technology, and a deeper understanding of the underlying pathophysiology. Minimally invasive approaches have reduced patient morbidity, accelerated recovery, and improved functional results in many common conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome and basilar arthritis. Novel nerve transfers have transformed the management of peripheral nerve injuries, restoring function and sensation in scenarios that have previously been considered irreparable. Advances in prosthetic technology, including sophisticated myoelectric and sensory-feedback prostheses, offer unprecedented functional restoration and an improved quality of life for patients with limb loss. Enhanced imaging modalities and the widespread use of in-office ultrasound have refined diagnostic accuracy and better defined clinical and surgical indications, allowing for more precise interventions tailored to individual patients. Emphasis on shared decision-making and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) has further personalized treatment plans, optimizing patient satisfaction. Together, these developments represent substantial progress, enabling surgeons to precisely tailor interventions, achieve superior functional results, and deliver care aligned closely with patient goals and expectations. In this Special Issue, we invite authors to submit papers on recent clinical advancements relating to hand surgery in order to highlight recent progress made within the field. 

Dr. David L. Colen
Dr. Jason Wink
Guest Editors

Dr. Anthony Archual
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • hand surgery
  • peripheral nerve surgery
  • shared decision making
  • microsurgery
  • arthritis
  • compression neuropathy
  • carpal tunnel
  • cubital tunnel

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 699 KB  
Article
How Well Does ChatGPT-4o Reason? Expert Evaluation of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Performance in Hand Surgery
by Léna G. Dietrich, Laura De Pellegrin, Valeria Rinaldi, Yves Harder, Esther Vögelin and Esin Rothenfluh
J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14(22), 8045; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14228045 - 13 Nov 2025
Viewed by 280
Abstract
Background: The application of large language model (LLM) in surgical decision-making is rapidly expanding, yet its potential in hand and peripheral nerve surgery remains largely unexplored. This study assessed the diagnostic and therapeutic performance of a large language model (ChatGPT-4o) in scenarios characterized [...] Read more.
Background: The application of large language model (LLM) in surgical decision-making is rapidly expanding, yet its potential in hand and peripheral nerve surgery remains largely unexplored. This study assessed the diagnostic and therapeutic performance of a large language model (ChatGPT-4o) in scenarios characterized by multiple valid management strategies and absent expert consensus. Methods: Three representative cases—thumb carpometacarpal (CMC I) arthritis, scaphoid nonunion, and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS)—were developed to reflect frequent conditions in hand surgery with competing but accepted treatment options. Each case was submitted to ChatGPT-4o using a standardized prompt. LLM-generated responses were evaluated by 52 participants (34 board-certified hand surgeons and 18 residents) across diagnostic accuracy, clinical relevance, and completeness. Readability indices, including Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level, were analyzed to assess appropriateness for a medical audience. Results: ChatGPT-4o demonstrated coherent but limited diagnostic accuracy (mean 2.9 ± 1.2 SD), moderate clinical relevance (3.5 ± 1.0 SD), and slightly higher completeness (3.4 ± 1.1 SD). Performance was strongest in the standardized scenario (carpal tunnel syndrome, CTS) and weakest in individualized reasoning (CMC I arthritis). No significant differences were observed between experts and residents (p > 0.05). In higher-level reasoning, ChatGPT-4o performed best in CTS and weakest in CMC I arthritis. Readability confirmed professional-level language (mean Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level: 16.4). Conclusions: ChatGPT-4o shows promise as a supportive tool for diagnostic reasoning and surgical education, particularly where standardized frameworks exist. Its limitations in ambiguous scenarios highlight the ongoing need for expert oversight. Future large language model development should emphasize specialty-specific training and context-aware reasoning to enhance their role in surgical decision support. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances and Innovations in Hand Surgery)
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