Robert B. Carrigan, MD

Locations: Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care; Specialty Care, King of Prussia; Middleman Family Pavilion
Appointments, Referrals and Video Visits: 215-590-1527
Appointments, Referrals and Video Visits: 215-590-1527
Robert B. Carrigan, MD, is an orthopaedic surgeon at who specializes in the treatment of upper extremity conditions in children.
While Dr. Carrigan treats a broad array of conditions in the upper extremity, his clinical and research interest are in the treatment of complex elbow conditions in children. These conditions include both acute and chronic injuries, malunions (crooked arms), elbow instability, congenital conditions, stiff elbows, as well as nerve and vessel injuries about the elbow.
In addition to complex elbow problems, Dr. Carrigan also cares for infants and toddlers with congenital hand conditions, pediatric upper extremity fractures and children with cerebral palsy involving the upper limb.
Dr. Carrigan has been an invited speaker at national and international meetings. He actively serves on several committees within the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), the American Society for the Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) and the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA).
Dr. Carrigan has authored numerous scientific articles and book chapters focusing on the safe and effective care of the upper extremity in children. Recently, Dr. Carrigan and his colleagues examined national trends in complication rates involving upper extremity surgery in children in an attempt to better understand and prevent surgical complications for children undergoing surgery of the upper extremity. Recently, he and his colleagues at the AAOS published national guidelines for the safe and effective management of pediatric supracondylar humerus fractures.
In 2015, Dr. Carrigan and other surgeons at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia performed the first bilateral pediatric hand transplant. The Hand Transplantation Program aims to help children who have undergone unilateral or bilateral amputation of arms or hands to regain function and independence. Hand transplantation, or vascularized composite allo-transplantation, is a rare procedure performed by only a few surgical teams around the world.
A native of Pennsylvania, Dr. Carrigan received his entire education within the state. He earned an undergraduate degree in biochemistry from the Pennsylvania State University and a medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Carrigan completed his orthopaedic surgery residency and fellowship in hand surgery, at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
When not caring for children with upper extremity conditions, Dr. Carrigan enjoys picking Legos ™ off the dining room floor with his wife and three children.
MD - University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA (1999)
Orthopedic and General Surgery - Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Orthopedic Surgery - Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery - Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Surgery of the Hand – American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery
Attending Hand and Upper Extremity Surgeon
Attending Surgeon, Hand Transplantation Program
Associate Professor of Clinical Orthopedic Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Complex elbow conditions in children
Safe and effective strategies for surgery in children
Epidemiology of hand injuries in children
Gornitzky Alex L, Milby Andrew H, Gunderson Melissa A, Chang Benjamin, Carrigan Robert B. Referral Patterns of Emergent Pediatric Hand Injury Transfers to a Tertiary Care Center. Orthopedics. 2016 Mar 1;39(2):e333-9. doi: 10.3928/01477447-20160222-06. Epub 2016 Feb 25.
Nicholas Pulos, MD; Robert B. Carrigan, MD: Osteomyelitis as a Late Complication of Percutaneous Pinning of a Supracondylar Fracture of the Distal Part of the Humerus JBJS Case Connector 4(4), October 2014 Notes: 2014 Oct 22; 4 (4): e99 . http://dx.doi.org/10.2106/JBJS.CC.N.00063
Gornitzky, AL and Carrigan, RB: The Diagnostic Utility of MRI in the Painful Wrist: When to Reconsider Advanced Imaging in the Pediatric Patient. Pediatrics 137(Supplement 3 596A), February 2016.
Carrigan, RB: Fractures of the Hand and Wrist in Contemporary Management of Fractures and Complications, Jaypee, Philadelphia 2013, pp 116-139.
Carrigan, RB: The Upper Extremity (Chapter) in Nelson, Nelson Textbook in Pediatrics 19th Edition, Elsevier, Philadelphia, 2011, pp. 2383-2387.
Robert B. Carrigan: Pre and Post Axial Polydactyly. Operative Techniques in Orthopaedic Surgery, 2nd Edition. John M. Flynn M.D. Wudbhav N. Sankar, M.D. (eds.). LWW, Volume 4(Chapter 52): 1692-1696, July 2015.
Robert B. Carrigan: Clinodactyly. Operative Techniques in Orthopaedic Surgery, 2nd Edition. John M. Flynn, M.D. Wudbhav N. Sankar, M.D. (eds.). LWW, Volume 4(Chapter 54): 1504-1506, July 2015.
Robert B. Carrigan: The Upper Limb. Nelson's Pediatrics, 20th Edition. Robert Kliegman, M.D. (eds.). Elsevier,(Chapter 680), May 2015.
Robert B. Carrigan, M.D.: Extensor Tendon Injuries. The Pediatric Upper Extremity. Scott H. Kozin, M.D. (eds.). Springer, 3: 929-941, March 2015.
Robert B. Carrigan, M.D.: Fractures of the Hand and Wrist. Contemporary Surgical Management of Fracture and Complications. B. David Horn, M.D. Martin J. Herman, M.D. (eds.). Jaypee Brothers, 3: 116-139, October 2014.
Lectures by Invitation
2015
Carrigan RB. Current Concepts in the Management of Brachial Plexus Birth Palsy. Crozer Chester Medical Center; 2015 Jun; Upland, PA.
Carrigan RB. The Chronic Monteggia Lesion. POSNA Annual Meeting Subspecialty Day; 2015 May; Atlanta GA.
Carrigan RB. Congenital Precourse (Thumb Hypoplasia). American Society for Surgery of the Hand Annual Meeting; 2014 Sep; Boston, MA.
Carrigan RB. Pediatric Hand Trauma. POSNA Annual Meeting; 2014 May; Hollywood, CA.
2022, Philadelphia Magazine's Top Doctors in Hand Surgery
e2015, ABC News Persons of the Week: July 31, 2015, Pediatric Hand Transplant
2012-present, Consultant reviewer, Journal of Hand Surgery
2014-present, Consultant reviewer, Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research
2005-present, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery
-2015, Appropriate Use Committee (AUC): Vascular Injury Associated with Pediatric Supracondylar Humerus Fractures
2005-present, American Society for Surgery of the Hand
- 2013-present, Residents and Fellows Conference Committee
2012-present, Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America
- 2013-present, Resident News Letter Committee
2015, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery
- 2015-present, Appropriate Use Committee (AUC): Vascular Injury Associated with Pediatric Supracondylar Humerus Fractures
- 2014-present, CAQH Test Validation Committee