Dr. David S. Ruch

I am an orthopaedic surgeon who is the chief of hand surgery at Duke. Although we are referred to as “hand surgeons,” I treat many people with wrist and elbow conditions. Because the hand is so complex, patients who see me can have complaints that range from numbness and weakness to issues with range of motion. My grandfather, my grandmother, my mother and my father were all health care workers. I have wanted to be a surgeon since I watched M*A*S*H on the television as a child. I obtain great satisfaction from treating someone who has a very severe hand or arm injury, reconstructing the part and restoring its basic function. Duke has been the strongest hand surgery program in the country for the past 50 to 75 years. As chair of the program, I want patients to know that the best and the brightest providers are seeing them when they come to Duke.

Dr. Ruch is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Axillary Nerve Dysfunction. His top areas of expertise are Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Tennis Elbow, Rhizarthrosis, Osteotomy, and Bone Graft.

His clinical research consists of co-authoring 111 peer reviewed articles and participating in 2 clinical trials. MediFind looks at clinical research from the past 15 years. In particular, he has co-authored 1 article in the study of Axillary Nerve Dysfunction.