Joseph M. Failla, M.D. is a full-time practicing hand surgeon, board certified in Orthopedic Surgery with the Certificate of Added Qualifications in Surgery of the Hand, from the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery. His undergraduate education was at The Johns Hopkins University with a BA in Biology with honors in 1978. He attended medical school at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo, in Buffalo, New York with an M.D. degree in 1982. His internship was in General Surgery at North Shore University Hospital, in Manhassett, New York, from 1982 -1983. His residency in Orthopedic Surgery was at SUNY Buffalo from 1983-1987. His Fellowship in Hand Surgery was at The Mayo Clinic from 1987-1988. He is a member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery and the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.

His practice is full scale, including reconstructive surgery of the hand and wrist, children’s fractures and deformities, arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, nerve injuries, paralysis of the upper extremity, microsurgery, hand, wrist and forearm trauma, tumors, and sports injuries, including many of Detroit’s professional athletes. Dr. Failla also does IME exams and record reviews. He did research in hand surgery including nerve injury, fractures, ligament injury, tendonitis, biomechanics, and anatomy which resulted in over 30 peer reviewed articles and five textbook chapters.

His professional volunteer activities include teaching at the medical school and resident level. He is a volunteer faculty member in Hand Surgery at the Detroit Medical Center Orthopedic Residency Program. He is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Anatomy at the Wayne State University School of Medicine and teaches first year medical students anatomy of the upper extremity. Sports medicine fellows from the Department of Family Medicine complete a monthly rotation in the office. He has lectured to nursing students at Providence Hospital. He was a consulting editor for the Journal of Hand Surgery and the European Medical Bibliography. He has lectured at Hand Surgery conferences nationally and internationally, including invited lectures in France, England, Spain, and Greece. He speaks French fluently and can converse in Italian. He is an Oral Board Examiner for the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery.  He did medical mission work in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, with the Haiti Outreach Mission from Detroit in Mirebalais, Haiti and at The Partners in Health Hospital in Cange, Haiti. View Dr. Failla’s publications