Allen Liu, MD — Brachial Plexus, Nerve & Hand Surgeon

Signature expertise

Brachial Plexus & Nerve Restoration

Restoring movement after serious nerve injury.

The brachial plexus is the network of nerves that runs from the neck to the shoulder, arm and hand. Injuries to it — from motorcycle and car accidents, falls, sports, or stretch injuries — can leave the shoulder, elbow or hand weak, numb or paralyzed.

Brachial plexus reconstruction is one of the most specialized areas of nerve surgery, and few surgeons focus on it. Dr. Liu brings combined plastic, reconstructive and hand-surgery training and microsurgical technique to evaluating these injuries and planning reconstruction to restore function.

Timing matters. Nerve injuries are time-sensitive: the options for restoring muscle function are best when a patient is evaluated early, ideally within the first few months after injury. Patients and referring physicians are encouraged to call promptly.

Brachial plexus injuriesEvaluation and surgical reconstruction of traumatic injuries to the nerves of the shoulder and arm.
Nerve transfersRe-routing a healthy nerve to restore function to a muscle whose own nerve can't recover.
Nerve repair & graftingMicrosurgical repair and reconstruction of injured nerves in the arm and hand.
Free functioning muscle transferTransplanting a muscle with its own nerve and blood supply to restore motion when nerves alone can't.
Tendon transfers & function restorationRebalancing tendons to regain key motions such as elbow bending, wrist and finger extension, and grip.
Peripheral nerve injuries & compressionFrom nerve lacerations to carpal and cubital tunnel syndrome.

About Dr. Liu

Reconstructive training, applied to the hand.

Dr. Allen Liu is a board-certified plastic surgeon with a Certificate of Added Qualification in Hand Surgery. He was drawn to hand surgery by its unique intersection of intricate anatomical complexity, surgical precision and wide-ranging clinical variety.

He maintains a special clinical interest in complex hard- and soft-tissue reconstruction — including vascularized bone grafting, functional free muscle transfers, and brachial plexus and peripheral nerve procedures — alongside minimally invasive techniques such as endoscopic carpal tunnel release and wrist arthroscopy.

After studying biochemistry and English literature at UCLA, he earned his medical degree at Harvard Medical School, completed the Harvard combined residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery, and then returned to UCLA for fellowship training in hand surgery. He joined the Arizona Center for Hand to Shoulder Surgery in 2012 and served as the practice's managing partner from 2018 to 2022.

Outside of his practice, Dr. Liu is an avid hiker and surfer who enjoys traveling, reading and studying foreign languages. He is fluent in English, Chinese, Spanish, German and French, and is glad to care for patients in their own language.

1999UCLAB.A., B.S. summa cum laude · Biochemistry & English Literature · Regents Scholar · Phi Beta Kappa
2005Harvard Medical SchoolDoctor of Medicine
2005 – 2011Harvard Combined Plastic Surgery Training ProgramResidency, plastic & reconstructive surgery · Academic Excellence Award
2011 – 2012UCLAHand surgery fellowship
2012 – presentArizona Center for Hand to Shoulder SurgeryHand surgeon · Managing partner 2018 – 2022
2015 · 2016Board certificationAmerican Board of Plastic Surgery · Certificate of Added Qualification in Hand Surgery

Minimally Invasive Surgery

Smaller incisions, focused recovery.

Endoscopic Carpal Tunnel Release

Carpal tunnel syndrome causes numbness, tingling and weakness when the median nerve is squeezed at the wrist. In an endoscopic release, Dr. Liu uses a small camera through a short incision near the wrist crease to divide the ligament compressing the nerve — avoiding a longer incision in the palm.

For many patients this means less palm tenderness and a quicker return to everyday hand use. Dr. Liu will discuss whether an endoscopic or open release is the better fit for you.

Wrist Arthroscopy

Wrist arthroscopy places a tiny camera and instruments into the joint through small incisions, letting Dr. Liu see and treat problems inside the wrist directly.

It is used to diagnose and treat persistent wrist pain, cartilage (TFCC) and ligament tears, certain ganglion cysts and joint inflammation, and to help guide the repair of some wrist fractures.

Areas of Expertise

Focused on function, sensation and form.

Brachial Plexus Reconstruction

Nerve transfers, grafting and tendon transfers to restore shoulder, elbow and hand function after brachial plexus injury.

Peripheral Nerve Surgery

Nerve compression (carpal and cubital tunnel), nerve injuries and repair, and reconstruction to restore sensation and strength.

Microsurgery

Operating-microscope repair of small nerves, arteries and tendons after injury.

Complex Bone & Soft-Tissue Reconstruction

Vascularized bone grafting, flap reconstruction and functional free muscle transfer after trauma — plus fractures and tendon injuries of the hand, wrist and elbow.

Arthritis & Joint Care

Thumb-base and finger arthritis, from splinting and injections to reconstruction.

Aesthetic & Scar Surgery

Plastic-surgery technique applied to scars, masses and the appearance of the hand.

Why Patients Choose Dr. Liu

Two specialties of training, one focus.

Plastic surgery and hand surgery

Board certified in plastic surgery with added qualification in hand surgery — reconstructive skill applied to the hand and upper extremity.

Brachial plexus & nerve expertise

One of the few surgeons in Arizona focused on brachial plexus reconstruction and complex nerve injuries — from nerve transfers to restoring lost motion.

Harvard and UCLA training

Medical school and residency at Harvard; hand surgery fellowship at UCLA.

Care in five languages

Fluent in English, Spanish, Chinese, German and French — patients can talk through their diagnosis and surgery in their own language.

Academic depth

Summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa at UCLA, Harvard-trained, with research published in journals including Nature, Blood and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and a former managing partner of the practice.

A large, dedicated hand practice

Part of the Arizona Center for Hand to Shoulder Surgery — one of the largest hand surgery groups in the country, with on-site therapy and multiple Valley locations.

Publications & Teaching

Research and teaching.

Dr. Liu's research spans peripheral vascular anomalies, reconstructive and breast surgery, immunology and neuroscience, with work published in journals including Nature, Blood, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the Journal of Pediatric Surgery. He has lectured on hand infections, open hand fractures and flap reconstruction for physicians and trainees in Arizona and California, and served as a clinical adjunct instructor for the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Selected publications

Liu A, Mulliken J, Zurakowski D, Fishman S, Greene A. Extracranial arteriovenous malformations: natural progression and recurrence after treatment. Plast Reconstr Surg 2010;125:1185–1194.
Greene A, Liu A, Mulliken J, Chalache K, Fishman S. Vascular anomalies in 5,621 patients: guidelines for referral. J Pediatr Surg 2011;46:1784–1789.
Liu A, Kao H, Reish R, Hergrueter C, May J Jr, Guo L. Postoperative complications in prosthesis-based breast reconstruction using acellular dermal matrix. Plast Reconstr Surg 2011;127:1755–1762.
Rogers G, Maclellan R, Liu A, Taghinia A, Labow B, Meara J, Greene A. Extremity fasciotomy wound closure: comparison of skin grafting to staged linear closure. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg 2012.
Liu A, Nargozian C, Greene A. Subcutaneous epinephrine for vasoconstriction: an evidence-based evaluation. Plast Reconstr Surg 2010;126:157e–158e.
Liu A, Pribaz J. Local flaps for burned face. In: Hyakusoku H et al., eds. Color Atlas of Burn Reconstructive Surgery. Springer-Verlag, 2010.
Liu A. Genitourinary reconstruction. In: Lin S et al., eds. Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Board Review, 2nd ed. McGraw-Hill, 2011.
Liu A, Vosshenrich C, Lagresle-Peyrou C, et al. Competition within the early B cell compartment conditions B cell reconstitution after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in non-irradiated recipients. Blood 2006;108:1123–1128.
Zhu S, Stavrovskaya I, Drozda M, et al. Minocycline inhibits cytochrome c release and delays progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in mice. Nature 2002;417:74–78.

Where Dr. Liu Practices

Offices and hospital affiliations.

Dr. Liu sees patients with the Arizona Center for Hand to Shoulder Surgery and operates at hospitals across the north and east Valley.

Clinic

Phoenix — Main Office370 E. Virginia Ave, Phoenix 85004
Additional officesACHS locations across the Valley
Office hoursMon – Fri

Hospital Affiliations

HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea Medical CenterScottsdale
HonorHealth Scottsdale Osborn Medical CenterScottsdale
HonorHealth Scottsdale Thompson Peak Medical CenterScottsdale
HonorHealth John C. Lincoln Medical CenterPhoenix
HonorHealth Deer Valley Medical CenterPhoenix
HonorHealth Sonoran Crossing Medical CenterPhoenix

Appointments

Ready to get back to using your hands?

Call the Arizona Center for Hand to Shoulder Surgery to schedule with Dr. Liu. New patients are welcome; most major insurance plans, Medicare, AHCCCS and workers' compensation are accepted.

Call(602) 258-4788

Main Office370 E. Virginia Ave, Phoenix

Practiceachssurgeons.com →

Request an appointment

Send a request and Dr. Liu's team will get back to you. For urgent problems, please call the office.

Precise care for the hands you live by.