Aviva L. Wolff, EdD, OT, CHT
Occupational Therapy, Hand TherapyAbout Aviva Wolff
Aviva Wolff, EdD, OT, CHT is an occupational hand therapist, clinician-scientist with a strong background in motor control and movement analysis. Her extensive experience working with performing artists and individuals with musculoskeletal injuries makes her an expert consultant to The Julliard School. She also runs the upper extremity clinical movement analysis programs and hand and wrist biomechanics research at the Leon Root, MD Motion Analysis Laboratory at Hospital for Special Surgery.
Her research interest is in customizing interventions to each individual's occupational needs and pathology. She utilizes quantitative and qualitative analysis of upper extremity movement dysfunction to generate data to better inform surgery therapy, and performance. She studies the underlying mechanisms of treatments for musculoskeletal conditions that affect upper extremity motion and function in order to further understand and develop more effective treatment strategies.
Her research has focused on wrist biomechanics and function, elbow biomechanics and function, hand and arm function in brachial plexus injury and cerebral palsy, and upper extremity injury prevention in musicians. She has independently led and collaborated with orthopedic surgeons, scientists, and biomechanists on several funded studies that have led to multiple presentations and publications.
Dr. Wolff has served in various leadership capacities in multiple professional organizations.
Insurance
Patient Stories
Languages
English
Publications by Aviva Wolff
Patient Education
Selected Books/Chapters
Wolff A. Splinting the Elbow. In Copppard B and Lohman H (Eds) Introduction to Splinting: A clinical reasoning and problem solving approach. Mosby 2008.
Mosca J, Cahill J, Cavanaugh, J, Scalise D, Rudnick H, Wolff A (Eds) Post-Surgical Rehabilitation Guidelines for the Orthopedic Clinician. Elsevier, 2006.
Wolff A. Total Elbow Arthroplasty. In Mosca J, et al (Eds) Post-Surgical Rehabilitation Guidelines for the Orthopedic Clinician. Elsevier, 2006
Wolff A. Elbow fractures and dislocation. In Mosca J, et al (Eds) Post-Surgical Rehabilitation Guidelines for the Orthopedic Clinician. Elsevier, 2006
Wolff A. Radial Head Replacements. In Mosca J, et al (Eds) Post-Surgical Rehabilitation Guidelines for the Orthopedic Clinician. Elsevier, 2006
Wolff A. Contracture Release of the Elbow. In Mosca J, et al (Eds) Post-Surgical Rehabilitation Guidelines for the Orthopedic Clinician. Elsevier, 2006
Wolff A. Hinged Dynamic External Fixation of the Elbow. In Mosca J, et al (Eds) Post-Surgical Rehabilitation Guidelines for the Orthopedic Clinician. Elsevier, 2006
Wolff A. Therapist's Management of Rheumatologic Disorders of the Hand. In Paget S (ed). Manual of Rheumatology and Outpatient Orthopedic Disorders. Wolters Kluwer Health, 2006.
Selected Journal Articles
Rainbow MJ, Wolff AL, Crisco JJ, Wolfe SW. Functional Kinematics of the Wrist. Journal of Hand Surgery, European. 2015
Wolff AL, Raghavan, P, Kaminski, T, Hillstrom, H, Gordon AM. Differentiation of hand posture in children with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy. Research in Developmental Disabilities. 2015.
Wolff AL, Garg R, Kraszewski AP, Hillstrom HJ, Hafer JF, Backus SI, Lenhoff ML, Wolfe SW. Surgical Treatments for Scapho-lunate advanced collapse wrist: kinematics and functional performance. Journal of Hand Surgery. 2015
Weinstock-Zlotnick G, Page C, Ghomrawi H, Wolff AL. Responsiveness of three patient report outcome measures in patients with hand fractures: A preliminary cohort study. Journal of Hand Therapy, 2015.
Trehan SK, Wolff AL, Gibbons M, Hillstrom HJ, Daluiski A. The effect of simulated elbow contracture on temporal and distance gait parameters, Gait and Posture. 2015
Hillstrom H, Garg R., Kraszewski A, Lenhoff M, Carter T, Backus S, Wolff A, Syrkin G, Cheng R, Wolfe S. Development of an anatomical wrist joint coordinate system to quantify motion during functional tasks. Journal of Applied Biomechanics. 2014.
Wolff A, Weinstock-Zlotnick G, Gordon J, SSc Management - in person Appointments and Remote Therapy (SMART): A Framework for Management of Chronic Hand Conditions, Journal of Hand Therapy 2014
Garg R, Kraszewski A, Holbrrok S, Syrkin G., Hillstrom H, Backus S, Lenhoff M, Wolff A, Crisco J, Wolfe S. Wrist kinematic coupling and performance during functional tasks: Effects of constrained motion. Journal of Hand Surgery. 2014.
Selected Presentations
Application of digital technology for upper extremity rehabilitation, maximizing outcomes, American Society for Hand Therapy (ASHT), Washington DC (2016)
Wrist Biomechanics, Dynamic Stability and Function, Surgery and Rehabilitation of the Hand, Annual Symposium, Philadelphia (2016)
Biomechanics of Elbow Stiffness, Implications for Rehabilitation, Surgery and Rehabilitation of the Hand, Annual Symposium, Philadelphia (2016)
Quantitative Clinical and Biomechanical Analysis of Upper Extremity Movement Dysfunction, Gait and Clinical Movement Society Annual Meeting (GCMAS), Portland. (2015)
Brachial Plexus Assessment and Rehabilitation Management, American Association for Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM), Honolulu (2015)
Musician's Dystonia: Model for Maladaptive Neuroplasticity. American Association for Hand Surgery (AAHS), Annual Meeting. Bahamas (2015)
Novel use of Motion Analysis Technology: Application to Upper Extremity Assessment, AACPDM Annual Meeting, San Diego (2014)
Analysis of complex upper extremity movement dysfunction, Schneider's Children's Hospital, Petakh Tikvah, Israel (2014)
Cortical control of hand function, ASHT Annual Meeting, Boston (2014)
Use of Motion Capture Systems in the Diagnosis and Investigation of Upper Extremity Movement, ASHT Annual Meeting, San Diego (2012)
Industry Relationships
Industry Relationships
One of the goals of HSS is to advance the science of orthopedic surgery, rheumatology, and related disciplines for the benefit of patients. Research staff at HSS may collaborate with outside companies for education, research and medical advances. HSS supports this collaboration in order to foster medical breakthroughs; however, HSS also believes that these collaborations must be disclosed.
As part of the disclosure process, this website lists Research staff collaborations with outside companies if the Research staff member received any payment during the prior year or expects to receive any payment in the next year. The disclosures are based on information provided by the Research staff and other sources and are updated regularly. Current ownership interests and leadership positions are also listed. Further information may be available on individual company websites.
Below are the healthcare industry relationships reported by Dr. Wolff as of April 27, 2020.
- American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine - Committee member
- American Association for Hand Surgery - Committee member
- American Hand Therapy Foundation - Research support
- Extremity Medical, LLC - Research support
- Gait and Clinical Movement Analysis Society - Board member, committee member
By disclosing the collaborations of HSS Research staff with industry on this website, HSS and its Research staff make this information available to patients and the public, thus creating a transparent environment for those who are interested in this information. Further, the HSS Conflicts of Interest Policy does not permit payment of royalties on products developed by him/her that are used on patients at HSS.
Feel free to ask the Research staff member about their relationship(s).