Ali Azad, MD

Ali Azad, MD, is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon at Keck Medicine of USC who specializes in the treatment of hand and upper extremity conditions, including tendonitis, arthritis and compressive neuropathy. Dr. Azad also has special expertise in the reconstruction of simple and complex traumatic injuries of the hand, wrist and elbow. Dr. Azad is a skilled microvascular surgeon, which enables him to treat complex neurovascular and soft tissue injuries of the upper extremity. He is deeply committed to establishing a trusting relationship with his patients, believing that shared decision-making starts with respectful and compassionate communication. After completing his internship and residency at the University of Southern California, Dr. Azad did a fellowship in hand and upper extremity surgery at New York University. After completing his fellowship, he joined the faculty at NYU Langone Health. He is now an assistant professor of clinical orthopaedic surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, and he is actively engaged in clinical care, research and education.

• Utility of Patient-Reported Outcomes in Prognosis of Corticosteroid Injection Treatment Success for Trigger Finger and de Quervain’s Stenosing Tenosynovitis. Hand (N Y). 2026 Apr; 21(4):595-603.. View in PubMed
• Characteristics and outcomes of cubital tunnel decompression in diabetic patients receiving glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists. Clin Shoulder Elb. 2025 Dec; 28(4):403-410.. View in PubMed
• Needle Arthroscopy Versus Conventional Arthroscopy in the Evaluation of Carpal Pathology: A Comparative Study. Hand (N Y). 2025 Nov; 20(8):1278-1283.. View in PubMed
• Humerus Plate-Nail Construct for Salvage of Humeral Nonunion with Failed Free Fibula Flap: Technique and A Report of 2 Cases. JBJS Case Connect. 2025 Oct 01; 15(4).. View in PubMed
• An Examination of Complication Rates and Surgery Durations in Elective Hand Surgery During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Hand (N Y). 2025 Sep; 20(6):966-971.. View in PubMed
• Vaccine hesitancy and bone health: Musculoskeletal sequelae of vaccine-preventable diseases. Osteoporos Sarcopenia. 2025 Sep; 11(3):83-91.. View in PubMed
• Surgical outcomes in chronic perilunate dislocations: A systematic review. Hand Surg Rehabil. 2025 Sep; 44(4):102212.. View in PubMed
• Association of Timing With Postoperative Complications in the Management of Open Distal Radius Fractures. Hand (N Y). 2025 Sep; 20(6):972-978.. View in PubMed
• A Comparison of Outcomes in Acute Perilunate Injuries: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Treatment Approaches. Hand (N Y). 2025 Jul; 20(5):725-732.. View in PubMed
• Investigating the Association between Preflap Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy and Surgical Outcomes in Extremity Free Flap Reconstruction: A Systematic Review. J Reconstr Microsurg. 2025 Jul; 41(6):515-520.. View in PubMed
• Peripheral Nerve Injuries: Preoperative Evaluation and Postoperative Imaging. Semin Musculoskelet Radiol. 2025 Feb; 29(1):76-84.. View in PubMed
• The Effect of Surgical Timing on Upper Extremity Nerve Repair. Hand (N Y). 2025 Jan; 20(1):92-97.. View in PubMed
• Soft tissue coverage for IIIB fractures: from timing to coverage options. OTA Int. 2024 Jun; 7(4 Suppl):e317.. View in PubMed
• Tourniquet Use in Extremity-Based Microsurgery. J Reconstr Microsurg. 2024 Mar; 40(3):227-231.. View in PubMed
• Body Mass Index Is Associated With Myocutaneous Free Flap Reliability: Overcoming the Obesity Obstacle With a Proposed Clinical Algorithm to Identify and Manage High-Risk Patients Undergoing Gracilis Free Flap With Skin Paddle Harvest. Ann Plast Surg. 2024 Jan 01; 92(1):68-74.. View in PubMed
• A Prospective Analysis of Patient Characteristics Affecting the Outcome of Dorsal Splinting for Soft Tissue Mallet Injuries. Hand (N Y). 2023 11; 18(8):1330-1335.. View in PubMed
• Reducing Tourniquet Pressures in Hand Surgery: Are Lower Pressures as Effective? J Wrist Surg. 2023 Jun; 12(3):205-210.. View in PubMed
• The Variable Insertional Anatomy of the Abductor Pollicis Longus: Functional Relevance and Relationship to Adjacent Thumb Extensors. Hand (N Y). 2023 01; 18(1):145-152.. View in PubMed
• Spatial Anatomy of the Radial Nerve in the Extended Deltopectoral Approach. Orthopedics. 2023 Jan-Feb; 46(1):e31-e37.. View in PubMed
• Single Versus Dual Headless Compression Screw Fixation of Scaphoid Nonunions: A Biomechanical Comparison. Hand (N Y). 2022 Nov; 17(6):1122-1127.. View in PubMed
• Topographic Localization of the Extensor Retinaculum A Cadaveric Study. Bull Hosp Jt Dis (2013). 2022 Jun; 80(2):168-170.. View in PubMed
• Penlight versus Smartphone: Diagnostic Efficacy of Transillumination. J Hand Surg Asian Pac Vol. 2022 Apr; 27(2):340-344.. View in PubMed
• A Diagnostic Algorithm to Guide Operative Intervention of Zone 5 Flexor Injuries. HSS J. 2022 Feb; 18(1):57-62.. View in PubMed
• Telemedicine during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Hand Surgery Perspective. J Hand Surg Asian Pac Vol. 2021 Dec; 26(4):705-715.. View in PubMed
• Risk Factors Associated With Progression to Surgical Release After Injection of Trigger Digits. J Am Acad Orthop Surg Glob Res Rev. 2021 07 07; 5(7).. View in PubMed
• Wrist-Spanning Fixation of Radiocarpal Dislocation: A Cadaveric Assessment of Ulnar Translation. Hand (N Y). 2021 07; 16(4):482-490.. View in PubMed
• Proximal Row Carpectomy Versus 4-Corner Fusion: Incidence, Conversion to Fusion, and Cost. J Hand Surg Am. 2020 May; 45(5):427-432.. View in PubMed
• The Declining Use of Wrist-Spanning External Fixators. Hand (N Y). 2020 03; 15(2):255-263.. View in PubMed
• Single-stage bilateral reverse total shoulder arthroplasty for bilateral posterior shoulder fracture-dislocation following seizure: A case report. Int J Surg Case Rep. 2020; 73:298-302.. View in PubMed
• Epidemiological and Treatment Trends of Distal Radius Fractures across Multiple Age Groups. J Wrist Surg. 2019 Aug; 8(4):305-311.. View in PubMed
• Carpal Translocation Following Dorsal Bridge Plate Fixation of Distal Radius Fractures: A Cadaveric Study. J Wrist Surg. 2019 Jun; 8(3):234-239.. View in PubMed
• Immobilization following Distal Radius Fractures: A Randomized Clinical Trial. J Wrist Surg. 2018 Nov; 7(5):409-414.. View in PubMed
• Simultaneous middle third clavicle fracture and type 3 acromioclavicular joint dislocation; a case report. Arch Bone Jt Surg. 2014 Mar; 2(1):69-71.. View in PubMed

• Carey, Joseph
• Alluri, Ram
• Nayak, Krishna
• Stevanovic, Milan
• Roll, Shawn
• Cohen-Gadol, Aaron
• Winstein, Carolee
• Daar, David
• Heckmann, Nathanael
• Gary, Joshua
• Demetriades, Demetrios