Shoulder and upper limb service

Based at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, the upper limb service provides assessment and treatment for upper limb disorders.

The upper limb service provides assessment and treatment for upper limb disorders, in particular shoulder and elbow disorders.

Weekly acute shoulder injury clinic

Conducted at the Fracture Clinic, early referrals of patients following shoulder dislocations and possible rotator cuff tears are encouraged.

Upper limb clinics

Run by either a consultant orthopaedic surgeon or a rheumatologist, referrals are received from General Practitioners (GPs) and other hospital clinicians from within the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, or from other orthopaedic units.

Hand and wrist conditions

We also deal with referrals for traumatic hand and wrist conditions. Elective hand and wrist conditions are normally referred to the hand service based at St John’s Hospital, Livingston.

Fields of special clinical interest

Shoulder and elbow arthroscopy
This technique has been used for diagnosis and management of shoulder disorders for ten years with particular reference to the treatment of rotator cuff disorders.
Sports injury
The management of shoulder pain in athletes has become a growing field of interest.
Shoulder audit database
A comprehensive source of information for audit and research purposes.
Shoulder instability
Study of the effects of early surgical intervention in the management of first-time shoulder dislocation in young people under the age of 25.

Consultants

  • Mr M Robinson (Edinburgh Royal Infirmary)
  • Mr Sam MacKenzie (Edinburgh Royal Infirmary)
  • Mr J Reid (Edinburgh Royal Infirmary)
  • Dr M Lambert (Consultant Rheumatologist, Western General Hospital)

We also have a specialist physiotherapist, Mrs C Phillips.