Every page on this site about a hand, wrist, or elbow condition or procedure is reviewed by Jeff Cole, MD before it is published. Dr. Cole practices at OrthoSouth in Memphis and focuses his surgical practice on the hand, wrist, and elbow, so the clinical detail on these pages reflects his own training and the procedures he performs, not general orthopedic content borrowed from elsewhere.
Dr. Cole completed medical school at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, residency in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Tennessee, Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, and fellowship training in surgery of the hand and upper extremity at Washington University, Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. That fellowship is where his hand, wrist, and elbow focus was built, and it is the training this site's hand, wrist, and elbow pages draw on.
When a page describes a procedure Dr. Cole performs, such as endoscopic carpal tunnel release (a procedure using a small camera to release pressure on the nerve) or the TENEX procedure for epicondylitis (tennis elbow), the page explains what the procedure is and how it works. It does not state a success rate, promise a recovery timeline, or compare the procedure to what another physician offers. General clinical facts, like typical healing ranges, are drawn from named sources such as the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons or published medical literature, never estimated.
Because many of Dr. Cole's patients arrive by referral from another physician, these pages are also written to hold up under a referring physician's review: training, affiliations, and procedures are stated plainly and sourced, with nothing added that cannot be checked. Every clinical page on this site includes a notice that its content is educational and does not replace a medical evaluation. Pages are updated when Dr. Cole's training record, hospital affiliation, or the sources they cite change.
Who writes and reviews the information on this site?
Dr. Jeff Cole reviews the clinical content about hand, wrist, and elbow care published here.
He completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at the University of Tennessee's Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga and went on to fellowship training in surgery of the hand and upper extremity at Washington University's Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Pages covering his focus areas, including carpal tunnel release, thumb CMC joint arthritis, and fracture care of the hand and wrist, are checked against his training and current practice before they are published.
Is the information on this site a substitute for seeing a doctor?
No. Nothing on this site replaces an in-person evaluation.
These pages explain conditions and procedures in plain language so patients and referring physicians have accurate background before an appointment, not so a problem can be diagnosed or treated from a screen. If you have hand, wrist, or elbow pain, swelling, numbness, or a recent injury, the next step is an evaluation, not a conclusion drawn from a web page.
Where do the medical facts on this site come from?
They come from two places: published medical literature and Dr. Cole's own training and practice.
General information about conditions and recovery is checked against guidelines from organizations such as the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery (AAOS, 2026). Information about what Dr. Cole treats and how, such as endoscopic carpal tunnel release or the TENEX procedure for epicondylitis, reflects the hand and upper extremity training he received at Washington University's Barnes-Jewish Hospital and his ongoing practice at OrthoSouth in Memphis.
How often is this content reviewed?
Pages are reviewed whenever a procedure, affiliation, or credential changes, and on a set schedule even when nothing has.
Contact details and credential information are checked first, since an outdated phone number or hospital affiliation is a bigger risk to a patient than an outdated paragraph elsewhere on the page. If something here ever looks out of date, the office can confirm current details by phone.
Does this site decide my treatment for me?
No. It describes options so you can ask informed questions, not so you can select a treatment without a physician.
The pages on thumb CMC joint arthritis or epicondylitis, for example, describe what the conditions are and the general range of treatments, but which option fits a given patient is worked out with Dr. Cole during an evaluation, not by reading a page.
This content is educational. It is not medical advice and does not replace an evaluation with Dr. Cole or another qualified physician.