March 31, 2012:  Splinting:  The Basics and Beyond

Instructors:  Greg Frye, COF; Garry Burke, COF

Course description:  Begin by fabricating the 2 most common splints:  thumb spica, and wrist brace.  Take the splint “beyond” by adding dynamic components.  Learn how to use and modify capeners, joint jacks and oval 8 splints.  Class is limited to 10 participants.

Price: $180.00

Registration:  8:00 am             Class times:  8:30- 4:30pm – 1 hour lunch

Class schedule:  2 hours lecture; 5 hours lab time

Total class hours:  7 hours       Location:  225 Abraham Flexner Way, Suite 700

May 26, 2012:  Flexor and Extensor Tendon Rehab: Treatment and Splinting

Instructors:  Holly Habeeb, PT, Ashley Buren-Emrich, OTR/L, CHT and Greg Frey, COF

Course description:  Flexor and tendon anatomy, surgical management and rehabilitation will be discussed, with hands-on practice with fabricating dynamic splints.  Class limited to 20 participants.

Price: $150.00

Registration:  8:00 am             Class times:  8:30- 4:30pm – 1 hour lunch

Class schedule: 5 hours lecture; 2 hours lab time

Total class hours:  7 hours       Location:  225 Abraham Flexner Way, 6^th Floor Conference Room

 July 14, 2012:  Finger Orthotics

Instructors:  Greg Frye, COF; Garry Burke, COF

Course Description:  Review of commonly used pre-fabricated finger orthotics and modification of these braces to improve functionality and results.  Fabrication of dynamic mallet finger orthotics and static finger orthotics. 

Price: $80.00

Registration:  8:30am              Class times:  9:00- 1:00pm

Class schedule: 4 hours lecture/lab

Total class hours:  4 hours       Location:  225 Abraham Flexner Way, Suite 700

August 4, 2012:  Hand Therapy 101

Instructors:  Jyoti Khiani, OTR/L, CHT and Jaime Royalty, PT, CHT

Class Description:  This one-day class will review upper extremity anatomy; hand examination and clinical evaluation of the hand and wrist and treatment techniques for common diagnoses. 

Price:  $125.00

Registration:  7:30am              Class times:  8:00-5:00pm – 1 hours lunch

Total Class Hours:  8 hours                 Location:  225 Abraham Flexner Way, 6^th Floor Conference Room

Symposium(Tentative)

Saturday, October 6, 2012

9:00am – 5:00 pm

Location:  To be determined 

Topics:            APTIS DRUJ Prosthesis                    Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

                        Hand transplant splinting                   Dupuytren’s and XiaFlex

                        Flexor Tendon Rehab                        CRPS/RSD

                        Hand Transplant Therapy                  Replant Rehabilitation

9:15- 10:00am             Dupuytren’s and Xia Flex- Jyoti Khiani

10:00- 10:45 am          APTIS DRUJ Prosthesis – Holly Habeeb

10:45- 11:30am           CRPS/RSD -

11:30- 12:15pm           Thoracic Outlet Syndrome -

12:15pm-1pm - lunch

1:00- 1:45pm               Hand Transplant Splinting – Ashley Buren Emrich

1:45- 2:30pm               Flexor Tendon Rehab -

2:30- 3:15pm               Hand Transplant Therapy -

3:15- 4:00pm               Replant Rehabilitation –

Louisville, Ky.—Donnie Rickelman, the seventh recipient of a hand transplant at Jewish Hospital, will return to the Kleinert Kutz Hand Care Center, the Christine M. Kleinert Institute for Hand and Micro Surgery, and Jewish Hospital in Louisville on Wednesday, January 18, 2012 for a six-month check-up and evaluation with his team of doctors.

Rickelman says, “I can feel hot and cold sensation in the hand now.”

Rickelman received a new left hand in a 14½ hour procedure at Jewish Hospital on Sunday, July 10, 2011. Joseph Kutz, M.D., with Kleinert Kutz Hand Care Center, led the 15-member team of hand surgeons, which included hand fellows from the Christine M. Kleinert Institute for Hand and Micro Surgery.  He returned to his home in Linton, Indiana in October, but continues to return to Louisville on a monthly basis to meet with his medical team as they monitor his progress.

“I enjoy playing video games - two handed - with my son and look forward to playing ball outdoors with him when the weather warms up,” said Rickelman. “I also continue to become more efficient at doing household chores such as cooking and cleaning, which really pleases my wife, Kelli.”

Drs. Kutz and Michael Marvin are the co-principle investigators for the Composite Tissue Allotransplantation program. In addition, Dr. Kutz is the medical director of the Kleinert Institute, the research and teaching arm of the Kleinert Kutz Hand Care Center. Dr. Marvin is also the director of Transplantation at Jewish Hospital, associate professor of Surgery at the University of Louisville.

“Donnie continues to exceed our expectations in recovery from the hand transplant procedure,” said Dr. Kutz.  “His hand activity has been incredible for someone just six months post surgery.  His hot and cold sensation will continue to get even better.”

The research team at the Kleinert Institute will be evaluating Donnie and performing some clinical, as well as research tests during his one day visit to Louisville.

“Donnie still has a mild rash on his hand and arm that comes and goes which is considered a mild rejection episode, said Dr. Marvin. “But he continues to do quite well. These mild rejection episodes are not unexpected and can be treated with modifications to his medical regimen.”  Dr. Marvin, along with Rosemary Ouseph, M.D., professor of medicine at the University of Louisville, oversees Rickelman’s immunosuppressive drug therapy by closely monitoring him for signs of rejection and adverse reaction to medications with lab tests and biopsies. 

Rickelman, 36, injured both hands in a factory accident on March 9, 1998 when they were caught in a steel-splitter machine. His dominant right hand was crushed and his left hand partially amputated below the wrist, leaving a partial thumb and limited wrist movement with the left hand. While he remained independent, he struggled with the activities of daily living. 

The Composite Tissue Allotransplantation program is a partnership of physicians, researchers and healthcare providers at Jewish Hospital, Kleinert Kutz Hand Care Center, the Christine M. Kleinert Institute and the University of Louisville. The group developed the pioneering hand transplant procedure and has performed a total of eight hand transplants on seven patients including the world’s most successful in 1999. Indiana Organ Procurement Organization in coordination with the Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates arranged the hand donation for Rickelman’s hand transplant procedure.

The hand transplant is sponsored by the Department of Defense, Office of Naval Research and Office of Army Research to further research in the composite tissue allotransplantation program.

Patient and physician information is available at www.handtransplant.com.

About the Kleinert Kutz Hand Care Center

Kleinert Kutz is one of the largest hand care programs in the world, pioneering achievements in hand and microsurgery, research, therapy and orthotics. The 13 physicians of Kleinert Kutz offer expertise in orthopedic and plastic surgery and provide comprehensive care for the hand and arm. Kleinert Kutz’s significant achievements include the nation’s first five hand transplants, one of the world’s first cross-hand replantations, pioneered work in primary reconstruction using free tissue transfer and national award for research in blood flow to the nerve.  For more information, please visit www.kleinertkutz.com or call (502) 561-4263.

About the Christine M. Kleinert Institute for Hand and Micro Surgery

Named in honor of Dr. Kleinert's mother, the Christine M. Kleinert Institute for Hand and Micro Surgery (CMKI) is a world-renowned nonprofit education and research organization funded by the Kleinert-Kutz Endowment for Education and Research in Hand and Micro Surgery. The physicians of the Kleinert Kutz Hand Care Center teach the next generation of hand surgeons through CMKI’s accredited fellowship program, which is cooperative effort with the University of Louisville School of Medicine. The Fellows are fully trained plastic, orthopedic, or general surgeons from around the world who come to Louisville to get additional training in hand and micro surgery. To date, more than 1,200 physicians from 58 countries have served as Fellows. Dozens of research projects refining surgical techniques, testing new devices and pushing the frontiers of basic and clinical science in the field of hand surgery are currently underway. CMKI also provides patient rehabilitation services after surgery and patients recovery services without surgery through the Hand Therapy Center and Orthotic Care Center. For more information, please visit www.cmki.org or call (502) 562-0310. 

Donnie Rickelman, the seventh recipient of a hand transplant at Jewish Hospital, will return to the Kleinert Kutz Hand Care Center in Louisville on December 20, 2011 for a check-up and evaluation with his team of doctors. He will demonstrate his progress by wrapping a Christmas present, just in time for the holidays.

Rickelman received a new left hand in a 14½ hour procedure at Jewish Hospital on Sunday, July 10, 2011. Joseph Kutz, M.D., with the Kleinert Kutz Hand Care Center, led the 15-member team of hand surgeons, which included fellows from the Christine M. Kleinert Institute (CMKI).  He returned to his home in Linton, Indiana in October, but has remained in close touch with his medical team as they monitor his progress.

“It’s a very happy Christmas this year,” said Rickelman. “Kelli and I are just very happy and thankful for the gift of a hand transplant.”

Members of Rickelman’s medical team say he continues to show excellent progress.

“Donnie is doing quite well,” said Kutz, co-investigator for the innovative procedure.  “He continues to progress better than any of our previous patients. He has an incredible outlook and attitude, which has certainly helped him.” 

The research team at CMKI will be evaluating Donnie and performing some clinical, as well as research, tests. So far, he has passed everything with flying colors. It’s great that he lives close enough for us to see him every month.  

“Although Donnie has had a few mild rejection episodes showing up as a rash on his hand or arm, he continues to do quite well,” said Michael Marvin, M.D., director of Transplantation at Jewish Hospital, associate professor of Surgery at the University of Louisville and co-principle investigator of the composite tissue allotransplantation research project at Jewish Hospital. “These mild rejection episodes are to be expected and are treated with medications.”  Dr. Marvin and Dr. Rosemary Ouseph oversee Rickelman’s immunosuppressive drug therapy by closely monitoring him for signs of rejection and adverse reaction to medications with lab tests and biopsies. 

Rickelman, 36, injured both hands in a factory accident on March 9, 1998 when they were caught in a steel-splitter machine. His dominant right hand was crushed and his left hand partially amputated below the wrist, leaving a partial thumb and limited wrist movement with the left hand. While he remained independent, he struggled with the activities of daily living. 

The Composite Tissue Allotransplantation program is a partnership of physicians, researchers and healthcare providers at Jewish Hospital, the Kleinert Kutz Hand Care Center, the Christine M. Kleinert Institute and the University of Louisville. The group developed the pioneering hand transplant procedure and has performed a total of eight hand transplants on seven patients since 1999. Indiana Organ Procurement Organization in coordination with the Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates arranged the hand donation for Rickelman’s hand transplant procedure.

The hand transplant is sponsored by the Department of Defense, Office of Naval Research and Office of Army Research to further research in the composite tissue allotransplantation program.

Patient and physician information is available at www.handtransplant.com.

About the Kleinert Kutz Hand Care Center

Kleinert Kutz is one of the largest hand care programs in the world, pioneering achievements in hand and microsurgery, research, therapy and orthotics. The 12 physicians of Kleinert Kutz offer expertise in orthopedic and plastic surgery and provide comprehensive upper extremity care – from major trauma and replantations to less serious problems such as minor injuries. Kleinert Kutz's World “firsts” include:

• First reported repair of a digital artery
• First reported successful technique for primary flexor tendon repair in “No Man’s Land”
• First vascularized epiphyseal transfer
• First bilateral forearm replantation
• One of the world’s first cross-hand replantations
• Pioneered work in primary reconstruction using free tissue transfer
• First bilateral upper arm replantation
• National award for research in blood flow to the nerves
• World’s Most Successful hand transplant

For more information, please visit www.kleinertkutz.com or call (502) 562-0314.

About CMKI

The Christine M. Kleinert Institute is a nonprofit education and research organization funded by the Kleinert-Kutz Endowment for Education and Research in Hand and Micro Surgery.

Harold E. Kleinert, M.D., started a hand surgery clinic in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1953. Joined by Joseph E. Kutz, M.D., in 1964, they formed the organization now known as Kleinert Kutz. The physicians of the Hand Care Center are teaching the next generation of hand surgeons through the fellowship program of the Christine M. Kleinert Institute.

Named in honor of Dr. Kleinert's mother, the Institute has grown out of the collaboration among the physicians of Kleinert Kutz. It is known worldwide for its research and education in upper extremity care and microsurgery.

The accredited fellowship program is a cooperative effort of the Institute and the University of Louisville School of Medicine. Fellows are fully trained plastic, orthopedic or general surgeons who come to Louisville from all over the world for additional training in hand and microsurgery. To date, more than 1,200 physicians from 58 countries have served as Fellows.

During this holiday season, Kleinert Kutz Hand Specialists urges safety while preparing for your Thanksgiving feast.  Every year during Thanksgiving, and throughout the holiday season people sustain hand injuries while preparing their holiday feast.  From cutting open pumpkins to carving turkeys, hand injuries are all too common.  Many hand injuries also occur during post-meal clean-up.  Take extra caution when washing dishes especially soap covered glasses which can be extremely slippery.  Each year we treat several tendon and nerve injuries that were caused by crystal breaking while washing glasses by hand. 

Tips for a Safe Carving Season:

• Never cut towards yourself.
• Keep your cutting area well-lit and dry.
• Keep your knife handles dry. 
• Keep all cutting utensils sharp.  A knife too dull will cause you to use unnecessary force which can lead to an injury.
• Leave the meat and pumpkin carving to the adults.

If an injury does occur, Dr. Tuna Ozyurekoglu recommends the following steps be taken:

• Elevate the hand above the heart and apply pressure to the wound with a clean cloth.
• If after applying continuous pressure for 15 minutes does not stop the bleeding, seek emergency care.
• If any numbness or inability to move the fingers occurs, seek emergency care.

“Immediate medical attention is important,” said Dr. Ozyurekoglu.  “The longer a patient waits to seek medical attention, the more difficult the repair will be.”

Kleinert Kutz hand specialists are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Call (502) 561-4263 for hand emergencies and to schedule an appointment.