Hand and fingers: trigger finger, Dupuytren's contracture, thumb arthritis, mucous cysts, mallet finger, fractures, tendon and nerve lacerations, fingertip and nail injuries
Wrist: carpal tunnel syndrome, distal radius fractures, scaphoid fractures, De Quervain's tenosynovitis, ganglion cysts, ulnar-sided wrist pain
Elbow: tennis elbow, golfer's elbow, cubital tunnel syndrome, distal biceps ruptures, olecranon fractures, radial head fractures
My principles
You should understand your own hand. Nearly every problem I see makes sense once you can picture the parts involved. People make better decisions about their care when they understand the mechanism, and they recover better, because they know what they're doing and why.
A finding on an image is not a diagnosis. Plenty of things show up on an MRI that don't need to be fixed, and plenty of real problems don't show up at all. What matters is your history, your exam, and what you need your hand to do. A guitarist, a framer, and a grandparent with a toddler on their hip need different things from the same injury.
The right operation, done well. When surgery is the answer, I'll tell you what it involves, what it won't fix, and what recovery actually looks like week by week. When it isn't the answer, I'll tell you that too.
Education and training
Yale University — Undergraduate Bachelor of Arts and Doctor of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine
Vanderbilt University Medical Center — Residency in Orthopaedic Surgery; Administrative Chief Resident
Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School — Fellowship in Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery
Certification
Board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery
Certificate of Added Qualification in Surgery of the Hand
Member, American Society for Surgery of the Hand
Research and writing
I've published more than forty peer-reviewed papers, mostly using national clinical databases to study surgical outcomes, and a good portion of that work has looked at whether the diagnostic codes those databases rely on are accurate. They often aren't.
I also write Rules of Thumb, a free newsletter explaining orthopaedic conditions in plain language. It started because I was giving the same explanations several times a week in clinic and decided to write them down. About four thousand people subscribe and read it each week.
Practice information
Orthopedic Centers of Colorado
145 Inverness Dr E Ste 300, Englewood, CO 80112
7720 S Broadway Ste 150, Littleton, CO 80122
12905 W 40th Ave Ste 515, Golden, CO 80401
(303) 744-7078
Read what patients have said on Google.
Away from clinic
I am fortunate to spend most of my time outside the office with my family and kids.
I also find some time to play hockey and golf. I write. And I build things — mostly small software projects, some of which work.
Professional inquiries
I take a limited amount of expert opinion work, medical writing, and advisory work with device and health technology companies. For those inquiries: dr.g@nickgolinvauxmd.com
About Nick Golinvaux, MD
ORTHOPEDIC HAND SURGEON · DENVER, COLORADO
After growing up in Denver, Colorado, I completed my undergraduate degree and medical school at Yale, my orthopaedic surgery residency at Vanderbilt, where I served as administrative chief resident, and my fellowship in hand and upper extremity surgery at Harvard Medical School.
Following fifteen years away, I am now back in Colorado as a partner at Orthopedic Centers of Colorado, where I currently see patients in Englewood, Littleton, and Golden.
Hand and upper extremity surgery is my clinical focus. Fingers, thumbs, wrists, elbows, nerves, tendons. Whether you do or do not need an operation, I find that having a reasonable understanding of your condition facilitates a better healing process. You should leave my office knowing exactly what's being done and why.