Stephen J. O'Connell, M.D.

Chairman Emeritus
Director, Hand and Wrist Surgery
Stephen Connell
Stephen J. O'Connell, M.D.

"Helping people regain function or relieve pain so they can get back to their work or favorite activity is what I enjoy about surgery of the hand and shoulder."

Stephen J. O'Connell, M.D. a fellowship-trained, board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in surgery of the hand, wrist and shoulder. He joined Desert Orthopedic Center in 1988 to establish and direct the Center's hand and upper extremity program.

A native of our nation's capital, Dr. O'Connell grew up in the Maryland suburbs. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Notre Dame. He returned to Maryland for medical school and earned his Medical Degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, where he also served his internship and residency. Dr. O'Connell then completed a fellowship at the renowned Indiana Center for Surgery and Rehabilitation of the Hand and Upper Extremity in Indianapolis. He also received an added qualification in hand surgery from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.

Dr. O'Connell is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and a member of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, the American Medical Association, the California Medical Association, the Riverside County Medical Association, as well as the Indiana Hand Society and the University of Maryland Surgical Society.

Dr. O'Connell actively lectures to the medical community on surgical techniques and to the public on topics of interest in orthopedics.

He has a particular interest in arthroscopic rotator cuff and stabilization surgery of the shoulder, fracture of the wrist and hand, and soft tissue reconstruction of the hand and wrist.

Rotator Cuff Repair
Treatment of Common Hand Problems
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Shoulder Pain
Eisenhower Desert Orthopedic patient Eric Nicoll Discuss Wrist Injury and Recovery

Educational Videos

Shoulder
Shoulder Anatomy Shoulder Arthroscopy
Shoulder Joint Replacement Rotator Cuff Tear
Hand & Wrist
Normal Hand Anatomy Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Dupuytren's Contracture De Quervain's Tenosynovitis
Trigger Finger
General
Platelet Rich Plasma Injection (PRP)
Articles
Athletic Injuries of the Wrist and Hand Joint Replacements for the Arthritic Hand

Eisenhower Desert Orthopedic Center celebrates the completion of its three-year expansion

Eisenhower Desert Orthopedic Center (EDOC) celebrated its completion of its three-year, $68 million expansion Tuesday. The expansion includes state-of-the-art surgical suites, expanded physical therapy, occupational therapy and clinical space, plus new technology and equipment.

Read more


Tips and stretches to reduce wrist and shoulder pain when working out

Wrist or shoulders bothering you? Improper form may be to blame — here’s how to fix it.

According to Dr. Stephen O’Connell, chairman at Eisenhower Desert Orthopedic Surgery and director of Hand and Wrist Surgery, approximately 25 percent of all athletic injuries involve the wrist and hand. “The human hand consists of 29 bones, 29 joints, 123 ligaments, 34 muscles and 48 nerves. Combine this fact with an active lifestyle and it’s easy to understand why fractures of the wrist and hand bones are relatively common,” he says.

Read more


"Bionic Golfer" Comes Back Swinging

New Devastating Injury, Same Expert Physician

Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon Stephen J. O’Connell, MD, Director, Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery and Chairman of Desert Orthopedic Center, performed a cutting-edge procedure, implanting new finger joints made from an innovative material called pyrocarbon.

Read more