Ariel Williams, MD, is an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in hand and upper extremity surgery. She treats the full spectrum of upper extremity problems, including fractures, sports injuries, nerve problems, arthritis, and work-related and overuse conditions. She has fellowship training in both hand surgery and sports medicine and particular interests in women's preventive health, athletic injuries, and advanced hand and wrist reconstruction.
Dr. Williams was inspired to become a hand and upper extremity surgeon by a passion for getting people back to the activities they love. “It’s such a joy to meet different people every day and to have tools that improve their comfort and quality of life,” she says. She works closely with each patient, learning about their unique needs and goals so that she can formulate an individualized treatment plan. “The field of hand surgery is so advanced. There are so many ways to help patients, and the improvement they see with the right treatment can be truly profound,” she says.
Dr. Williams uses minimally invasive approaches when possible to minimize soft tissue injury and speed healing. When appropriate, she uses platelet-rich plasma injections (PRP), a regenerative medicine technique that can promote healing and the regrowth of injured tissue. Dr. Williams is also an expert in treating Dupuytren’s disease, a progressive condition that causes the fingers to bend toward the palm. She offers a variety of treatments for this issue, including both surgical and nonsurgical techniques.
One of Dr. Williams’s favorite things about working at Yale is the opportunity to drive the field of hand surgery forward. “At Yale, we’re really at the cutting edge of orthopaedics,” she says. “Because of the incredible resources and opportunities for multidisciplinary collaboration, we can offer our patients innovative solutions that just wouldn’t be possible elsewhere.”
