Clare K. McCarthy

Dr. McCarthy, MD, is a board certified orthopedic surgeon with a fellowship in Hand and Upper Extremity and a certificate of added qualification (CAQ) in Hand, Wrist and Elbow Surgery. She specializes in surgery of the hand and upper extremity, with procedures including tendon and nerve repairs, basal thumb joint replacement and rheumatoid hand reconstructions. She also treats fractures, nerve and tendon conditions, and arthritis of the wrist and fingers.

Dr. McCarthy has been performing the endoscopic carpal tunnel release (ECTR) since its inception in the early 1990s and was part of the development team that brought the procedure to the Twin Cities. She has continued to play a key role in educating other physicians on the procedure. The ECTR is the most common surgery she performs, with more than three thousand procedures completed.

Until a few years ago, the options for treating Dupuytren’s contractures of the hand were limited. However, the development of Xiaflex®, an enzymatic injection, means that the condition can be treated nonsurgically. Dr. McCarthy is a preferred provider and a “Super User” for Xiaflex® injections.

Dr. McCarthy has been selected as a Top Doctor in Mpls.St.Paul Magazine by her peers for the past 10 years in a row. She was also named one of Minnesota Monthly Magazine’s Best Doctors for Women in 2008 and 2010. Her goal is to listen carefully to each patient’s concerns and develop a plan with the patient to resume the activities that he or she finds most meaningful.

In addition to other professional affiliations, Dr. McCarthy is a member of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. She has been practicing in the Twin Cities since 1996.