About Dr. Steve Lee
Dr. Steve K. Lee is Chief of the Hand and Upper Extremity Service at Hospital for Special Surgery, a Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College and is an orthopedic surgeon at NewYork-Presbyterian Medical Center. Dr. Lee is also the Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Chair in Hand and Upper Extremity Research, and Research Director of the HSS Center for Brachial Plexus and Traumatic Nerve Injury where he is involved with cutting edge research in clinical outcomes and basic science for the improvement of care of patients with devastating nerve injuries.
Dr. Lee’s clinical interests are broad with regard to all hand, wrist, elbow conditions and brachial plexus and peripheral nerve problems throughout the entire body, in adults and children. He received his medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine and completed his training in orthopedic surgery at Yale University School of Medicine. He then completed a fellowship in hand surgery at NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases.
Dr. Lee is an educator of surgeons. He is the Chair of the Council of the HSS eAcademy, a web based platform for professional and patient education. He has trained more than 40 hand surgery fellows and more than 400 orthopaedic surgery residents. He has been a chair and instructor of numerous courses and symposia which teaches practicing surgeons and physicians nationally and internationally. Dr. Lee also serves on the HSS Professional Education Advisory Committee, the HSS Journal Editorial Board, and the Psychomotor Education Lab (PSEL) Advisory Committee.
Dr. Lee and his office staff are committed to giving the best possible care for each and every patient. From the first phone call, to the office visit and aftercare, our goal is to ensure that every patient is taken care of in the best possible manner.
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Departments
Specialized Centers
Center for Brachial Plexus and Traumatic Nerve Injury
Osseointegration Limb Replacement Center
Special Expertise
Conditions that Dr. Lee treats include, but are not limited to: nerve injuries to the brachial plexus and all peripheral nerve surgery in the arms, hands, legs; nerve compressions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome, radial tunnel syndrome, fractures and dislocations of the hand, wrist, forearm, and elbow; tendon lacerations and injuries, trigger fingers, tendonitis, arthritis of the hand, wrist, and elbow; hand and wrist ligament injuries, pediatric (congenital) deformities, Dupuytren’s, ganglions, tetraplegia, conditions requiring microsurgery and reconstruction, among others. Hand, wrist, forearm, elbow fracture fixation; nerve repair and reconstruction, brachial plexus surgery, microsurgery, wrist ligament reconstruction, hand tendon reconstruction, carpal tunnel surgery, nerve decompression, wrist arthroscopy.
Patient Stories
Videos
Insurance
If your insurance is not listed, please call our office if you have questions regarding your insurance coverage. If you have out-of-network benefits, then your insurance may reimburse you for a portion of your office visit. We will work with you and your insurance to minimize your out-of-pocket costs. Financial assistance may be available for patients in need.
Credentials
Appointments
Chief, Hand and Upper Extremity Service, Hospital for Special Surgery
Attending Orthopedic Surgeon, Hospital for Special Surgery
Director of Research, Center for Brachial Plexus and Traumatic Nerve Injury
Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College
Chair of HSS eAcademy, Hospital for Special Surgery
Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Chair in Hand and Upper Extremity Research
Attending Orthopedic Surgeon, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Affiliations
Trustee, American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand (AFSH)
current-Treasurer/ past-President, Manus Hand Club
Treasurer, New York Society for Surgery of the Hand
Chair, Public Education Committee, American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH)
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Certification
American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, 2000
Certificate of Added Qualifications, Hand Surgery, 2006
Additionally, Dr. Lee teaches the courses that help surgeons prepare to take the board examinations, such as the Comprehensive Board Review Course put on by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) and he has been an instructor for years at the Maine Orthopaedic Board Review Course, a course taken by more than half of all graduating orthopaedic surgery residents.
Awards
Castle Connolly Top Doctor, 15 Years
Castle Connolly America's Top Doctors, 2015-2020
Castle Connolly Top Doctors in New York Metro Area, 2009-2019, 2021-2022
New York Magazine Top Doctors, 2009-2022
U.S. News and World Report Top Doctors 2013
Patient's Choice Award 2010-2013
ASSH Joseph Boyes Research Award 2011
Sir Robert Jones Research Award 2010
New York Society for Surgery of the Hand Research Awards 2005-2009
ASSH Sumner Koch Research Award 2005
American Society for Surgery of the Hand Award for Outstanding Research 2005
U.S. Air Force Commendation and National Defense Medals 2002
Education
Medical: Duke University School of Medicine, 1993
Internship: General Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine, 1994
Residency: Orthopaedic Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine, 1998
Fellowship: Hand & Upper Extremity Surgery, NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, 2003
State Licensure
Languages
English
For My Patients
Surgical Locations
Dr. Steve Lee performs surgery at the following locations:
Publications by Dr. Steve Lee
Patient Education
Professional Education
- Triple Nerve Transfer and Long Nerve Grafts Restore Function in a Devastating Brachial Plexus Injury
- Microneurolysis to Treat Anterior Interosseous Nerve Syndrome Resulting from Parsonage–Turner Syndrome
- Neurolysis and Nerve Transfer for Iatrogenic Axillary Nerve Injury After Humeral Avulsion of the Glenohumeral Ligament Repair
Editorial Appointments
Dr. Lee is well known for this work and lectures nationally and internationally on a number of topics equaling more than 200 lectures in total. He has nearly 60 peer reviewed original research publications and more than 30 book chapters.
Associate Editor, Journal of Hand Surgery
Consultant Reviewer, Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery
Consultant Reviewer, Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Consultant Reviewer, Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research
Contributing Editor, Yearbook of Hand and Upper Limb Surgery
Contributing Editor, two Hand Clinics issues
Contributing Editor, AAOS Monograph on Hand and Wrist Arthritis
Selected Journal Articles
For all publications, please see the PubMed listing.
Selected Books/Chapters
Lee SK. Flexor Tendon Injuries. Editors: Abzug J, Kozin S, Zlotolow D. In the Pediatric Upper Extremity. Springer, for 2014
Lee SK, Zlotolow D, Yao J. Scapholunate Axis Method, Editors: Shin A, Day C. ASSH Advances in Scapholunate Treatment, for 2014.
Lee SK. Scaphoid and Carpal Injuries. Editors: Wolfe SW, Hotchkiss RN, Pederson C, Kozin S. Green’s Operative Hand Surgery, Elsevier, for 2014
Lee SK. Extensor tendon injuries, acute and chronic. Editor: Slutsky D. McGraw Hill, for 2013.
Lee SK. Rheumatoid arthritis. Editor: Lee SK. AAOS Monograph on Hand and Wrist Arthritis, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, for 2013
Lee SK. Hand and wrist trauma, OKU 11, for 2013
Lee SK. Symposium discussion, in Tang JB, Amadio P, Guimberteau JC, Chang J (eds): Tendon Surgery of the Hand. Philadelphia: Elsevier Inc.,2012.
Lee SK, Posner MA. Wrist Fusions in Rheumatoid Arthritis, in Glickel S, Bernstein R (eds): Master Techniques in Arthritis Surgery. Rosemont: American Society for Surgery of the Hand; 2011: 155-166.
Lee SK, Hsu PA. Scaphoid fractures in athletes, in Slutsky DJ, Slade JF (eds): The Scaphoid. New York: Thieme Medical Publishers; 2011: 166-172.
Lee SK. Hand fractures, in Egol KA, Koval KJ, Zuckerman JD (eds): Handbook of Fractures. New York: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2010: 305-324.
Selected Presentations
Lee SK, Garg R, Wolfe SW. The lack of consensus in reporting treatment outcomes of adult brachial plexus surgery. Podium Presentation, XVII International Symposium on Brachial Plexus Surgery, Lisbon, Portugal, May 19-21, 2011.
Wolfe SW, Lee SK, Garg R. Proposed universal instrument for the assessment of adult brachial plexus injuries. Podium Presentation, XVII International Symposium on Brachial Plexus Surgery, Lisbon, Portugal, May 20, 2011.
Lee SK, Dhaliwal G, Desai H, Hsu P, Paksima N. Arthroscopic Evaluation of the Scapholunate Interval: A Correlation of Anatomic Lesions with the Geissler Classification. Podium Presentation, International Federation of Societies for Surgery of the Hand, Seoul, Korea, Oct 31-Nov 4, 2010.
Lee SK, Hsu PA, Levitz S, Sutter EG, Rose DM, Segalman K. The effect of anterior versus posterior release on ulnar nerve subluxation during in situ decompression: a cadaveric study. Podium Presentation, International Federation of Societies for Surgery of the Hand, Seoul, Korea, Oct 31-Nov 4, 2010.
Lee SK, Desai H, Dhaliwal G, Silver B, Paksima N. Comparison of radiographic dynamic stress views for scapholunate instability. Podium Presentation, International Federation of Societies for Surgery of the Hand, Seoul, Korea, Oct 31-Nov 4, 2010.
Research
Research Interests
Dr. Lee’s research interests include brachial plexus and peripheral nerve injury, wrist ligament injuries, and tendon injuries in the hand. From this work, he holds a patent for wrist ligament reconstruction and has received numerous grants to support his research.
Industry Relationships
Industry Relationships
HSS has a long history of supporting appropriate relationships with industry because they advance HSS's mission to provide the highest quality patient care, improve patient mobility, and enhance the quality of life for all, and to advance the science of orthopedic surgery, rheumatology, and their related disciplines through research and education.
Below are the healthcare industry relationships reported by Dr. Lee as of May 27, 2024.
- Axogen - Consultant; Speakers' Bureau
- Checkpoint Surgical, LLC - Consultant
- Depuy Synthes - Consultant
- HS2, LLC - Ownership Interest
- HSS ASC Development Network, LLC - Ownership Interest
- HSS ASC of Manhattan, LLC - Ownership Interest
- Joint Effort Administrative Services - Ownership Interest
- Sonex Health - Consultant
HSS and its physicians make this information available to patients and the public, thus creating a transparent environment for those who are interested in this information. Further, the HSS Conflicts of Interest and Commitment Policy prohibits physicians from collecting royalties on products they develop that are used on patients at HSS.
Patients should feel free to ask their HSS physicians questions about these relationships.