Neal Chen, M.D.


Physician Investigator (Cl)
Orthopaedic Surgery, Mass General Research Institute
Assistant In Orthopaedic Surgery
Orthopedic Surgery-Hand Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital
Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery
Harvard Medical School
MD Yale University School of Medicine 2001
arthroscopy; complex upper extremity fractures; elbow and wrist replacements; elbow arthroscopy; elbow joint; fracture repair; orthopedics; tendons; ulna; wrist arthroscopy In 2002, Dr. Chen's father was injured in an accident which broke both his arms and legs. At Mass General, Dr. Jesse Jupiter cared for his father's complex elbow and forearm fractures. As a result of his care, his father had an exceptional result. From this experience and the tutelage of Dr. Jupiter, Dr. Chen developed an interest in hand and upper extremity surgery.

Dr. Chen received his BS in Biological Sciences at Stanford University and his MD from Yale University. He completed residency at the Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program, the Hand and Upper Extremity Fellowship at Mass General and the Sports Medicine and Shoulder Fellowship at Hospital for Special Surgery.

He returned to Mass General after six years of both academic and private practice. He was previously a Sports Medicine Attending at the University of Michigan and subsequently was a Partner at the Philadelphia Hand Center, P.C. while serving as an Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. As a fellow in New York, Dr. Chen was an assistant team physician for the New York Mets. In Ann Arbor, he served as a consultant to University of Michigan Athletics, a consultant to USA Hockey and team physician for Eastern Michigan University.

He has received a prestigious Basic Science Grant from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand/American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand. He has also research sponsored by the AO Foundation for the study of shoulder fractures.

He has a clinical practice that encompasses complex problems of the shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand. He performs shoulder and elbow replacement, tendon transfers, arthroscopy of the shoulder, elbow, and wrist, and repair of malaligned or unhealed fractures.

Dr. Chen's research interests include:

  • Advanced wrist and elbow arthroscopy
  • Arthroscopic assisted fracture repair
  • Improving treatment of complex upper extremity fractures
  • Improving elbow and wrist replacement