What is orthoplastic reconstruction, and how is it different from standard orthopedic surgery?

Orthoplastic reconstruction combines orthopedic surgery (bone and joint repair) with plastic and reconstructive surgery (soft-tissue, nerve, and vascular repair) in a single, coordinated plan. Standard orthopedic surgery addresses the skeleton alone; orthoplastic care rebuilds the whole limb — structure and coverage together — which is essential for complex injuries.

What conditions does orthoplastic reconstruction treat?

It's used for complex extremity problems: high-energy trauma, open fractures with soft-tissue loss, infection, nonunions that won't heal, tumor reconstruction, congenital differences, and limbs at risk of amputation. The common thread is that they need both bony and soft-tissue reconstruction.

Can orthoplastic surgery save a limb another surgeon recommended amputating?

Sometimes, yes. Combining bony stabilization with flap and nerve reconstruction can make limb salvage possible in cases a single specialty would consider unsalvageable — but it depends on the injury, blood supply, and your goals, which an in-person evaluation determines.

What is recovery like after orthoplastic reconstruction?

Recovery varies widely with the procedure and how much was reconstructed. Dr. Hacquebord's multidisciplinary team coordinates surgery with rehabilitation and therapy to protect healing and rebuild function, with staged follow-up typically over weeks to months.

Does insurance cover orthoplastic reconstruction?

Medically necessary reconstruction is covered by most major insurance plans. Coverage specifics vary by plan and procedure; our team helps verify your benefits before any non-emergency surgery.

NYU Langone · Manhattan

Orthoplastic Reconstruction in Manhattan

Orthoplastic reconstruction in Manhattan brings orthopedic and plastic surgery together in one coordinated plan — rebuilding both the bone-and-joint structure and the soft-tissue, nerve, and skin coverage a limb needs to function. Dr. Jacques Hacquebord, an orthoplastic surgeon at NYU Langone's Center for Amputation Reconstruction, uses this combined approach to treat complex extremity injuries, limb loss, and failed prior surgeries that a single specialty often can't fully resolve.

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Dr. Jacques Hacquebord, hand and microsurgeon at NYU Langone's Center for Amputation Reconstruction in Manhattan

What Is Orthoplastic Reconstruction?

Orthoplastic reconstruction is a combined surgical approach that unites orthopedic surgery and plastic surgery to rebuild a limb after complex trauma, infection, tumor removal, or a failed prior operation. Where orthopedics restores the bone, joint, and musculoskeletal framework, reconstructive plastic surgery restores the soft tissue, nerve, vascular supply, and skin coverage around it. Treated together rather than in sequence, the limb has the best chance to heal properly and regain both form and function.

Dr. Jacques Hacquebord is a fellowship-trained orthoplastic surgeon and microsurgeon who performs both halves of that work himself, supported by a multidisciplinary team at NYU Langone's Center for Amputation Reconstruction. This combined skill set lets him take on the complex, life-altering cases — limb salvage, severe fractures, soft-tissue loss — that would otherwise require two separate specialists.

Patients are referred for orthoplastic reconstruction after high-energy trauma, open fractures with soft-tissue loss, chronic infection or nonunion, tumor resection, or when an earlier surgery left the limb painful or non-functional. The goal is consistent: salvage the limb where possible, restore function, and protect long-term quality of life.

Why Patients Choose Dr. Hacquebord

Two Specialties, One Surgeon

Most limb reconstruction needs both an orthopedic surgeon and a plastic surgeon. Dr. Hacquebord is board-certified in orthopedic surgery and fellowship-trained in microsurgery, so he plans and performs the orthopedic and plastic stages as one operation — no handoffs, no gaps between teams.

Built for Complex Cases

Orthoplastic care exists for the hardest problems — high-energy trauma, open fractures with soft-tissue loss, infection, and limbs at risk of amputation. Dr. Hacquebord focuses on limb salvage and complex reconstruction that restores function in cases other surgeons consider untreatable.

Multidisciplinary, World-Class Care

At NYU Langone's Center for Amputation Reconstruction, Dr. Hacquebord leads a multidisciplinary team of surgeons, therapists, and prosthetists built around one plan per patient. That coordinated, world-class level of care is what drives stronger functional outcomes and recovery.

Orthoplastic Reconstruction Services in Manhattan

Dr. Hacquebord offers comprehensive orthoplastic surgery across the full range of limb and extremity reconstruction. Each personalized treatment plan is built around the injury, the goal of limb salvage, and long-term function.

Limb Salvage & Reconstruction

When trauma, infection, or vascular compromise threatens a limb, orthoplastic reconstruction can often save it. Dr. Hacquebord combines bony stabilization with soft-tissue and flap coverage to restore a functional limb — dedicated limb reconstruction in Manhattan for the most complex lower- and upper-extremity cases.

Amputation Reconstruction

For limbs that can't be saved — or were amputated previously — reconstruction focuses on a durable, pain-free residual limb ready for a prosthesis. This is the core of his amputation reconstruction program at NYU Langone.

Partial Hand & Upper-Extremity Reconstruction

Hand and finger injuries demand precision microsurgery to restore grip and function. Dr. Hacquebord reconstructs the upper extremity after trauma and amputation, including partial hand prosthetic reconstruction in Manhattan planned around the prosthesis.

Complex Fracture & Nonunion Reconstruction

Fractures that fail to heal — nonunions — or that involve the joint, knee, or shoulder need both structural fixation and healthy soft-tissue coverage to heal properly. Orthoplastic reconstruction addresses both at once.

Soft-Tissue, Nerve & Vascular Reconstruction

Severe injuries often strip away the muscle, nerve, and blood supply a limb needs. Using microsurgical flap and nerve reconstruction, Dr. Hacquebord rebuilds soft-tissue coverage and restores sensation and movement.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is orthoplastic reconstruction, and how is it different from standard orthopedic surgery?
Orthoplastic reconstruction combines orthopedic surgery (bone and joint repair) with plastic and reconstructive surgery (soft-tissue, nerve, and vascular repair) in a single, coordinated plan. Standard orthopedic surgery addresses the skeleton alone; orthoplastic care rebuilds the whole limb — structure and coverage together — which is essential for complex injuries.
What conditions does orthoplastic reconstruction treat?
It’s used for complex extremity problems: high-energy trauma, open fractures with soft-tissue loss, infection, nonunions that won’t heal, tumor reconstruction, congenital differences, and limbs at risk of amputation. The common thread is that they need both bony and soft-tissue reconstruction.
Can orthoplastic surgery save a limb another surgeon recommended amputating?
Sometimes, yes. Combining bony stabilization with flap and nerve reconstruction can make limb salvage possible in cases a single specialty would consider unsalvageable — but it depends on the injury, blood supply, and your goals, which an in-person evaluation determines.
What is recovery like after orthoplastic reconstruction?
Recovery varies widely with the procedure and how much was reconstructed. Dr. Hacquebord’s multidisciplinary team coordinates surgery with rehabilitation and therapy to protect healing and rebuild function, with staged follow-up typically over weeks to months.
Does insurance cover orthoplastic reconstruction?
Medically necessary reconstruction is covered by most major insurance plans. Coverage specifics vary by plan and procedure; our team helps verify your benefits before any non-emergency surgery.

Schedule Your Orthoplastic Reconstruction Consultation

Speak with Dr. Hacquebord and the NYU Langone team about your injury, your orthoplastic reconstruction options, and the path to restoring limb form and function.

Schedule a Consultation