Luke Nicholson, MD

Luke Nicholson, MD, is an assistant professor of clinical orthopaedic surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Dr. Nicholson is an orthopaedic hand and upper extremity surgeon who specializes in the management of upper extremity conditions involving the hand, wrist and elbow, including fractures, arthritis and peripheral nerve disorders. He has special expertise in reconstructive, arthroscopic, and microvascular surgery.

His philosophy is to treat each patient with the same care and commitment he would give a family member, striving to understand each patient’s unique condition in order to select the optimal course in treatment. He is dedicated to using the best available scientific evidence and technology to provide the highest quality care in a compassionate, relatable manner.

• Los Angeles Magazine: Southern California Rising Star, 2022
• Pasadena Magazine: Top Doctor, 2021

• Harms Reporting in Randomized Controlled Trials Underpinning the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Clinical Practice Guidelines for Distal Radius Fractures J Hand Surg Am. 2023 Apr 24. . View in PubMed
• Lunate Revascularization With Temporary Internal Radiocarpal Spanning Fixation for Kienböck Disease Hand (N Y). 2023 01; 18(1):126-132. . 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
• Utilizing Google Trends to Track Online Interest in Elective Hand Surgery During the COVID-19 Pandemic Cureus. 2021 Aug; 13(8):e17313. . View in PubMed
• The management of clenched fist injuries with local anaesthesia and field sterility J Hand Surg Eur Vol. 2021 May; 46(4):411-415. . 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
• Ulnocarpal-Spanning Plate Fixation as a Novel Technique for Complex Distal Ulna Fracture: A Case ReportJBJS Case Connect. 2020 Jul-Sep; 10(3):e20. 00190. . View in PubMed
• Proximal Radius Fractures in Children J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2019 Oct 01; 27(19):e876-e886. . View in PubMed
• Redefining Zone II: Anatomy of the Flexor Digitorum Superficialis Insertion Hand (N Y). 2019 05; 14(3):377-380. . View in PubMed
• Risk of Knee Sepsis After Treatment of Open Tibia Fractures: A Multicenter Comparison of Suprapatellar and Infrapatellar Approaches J Orthop Trauma. 2018 02; 32(2):88-92. . View in PubMed
• Use of a Defined Surgical Approach for the Debridement of Open Tibia Fractures J Orthop Trauma. 2018 Jan; 32(1):e1-e4. . View in PubMed

• Zalavras, Charalampos
• Alluri, Ram
• Valero-Cuevas, Francisco
• Stevanovic, Milan
• Gary, Joshua
• Kusnezov, Nicholas
• Patterson, Joseph
• Paulson, Richard