Michael Tonkin

Professor Michael Tonkin is a leading academic in the Department of Surgery at the Northern Clinical School of the University of Sydney. He specializes in pediatric hand surgery, congenital anomalies of the upper limb, and reconstructive microsurgery. His work focuses on classification systems for congenital hand defects (e.g., OMT classification) and surgical outcomes for conditions like thumb hypoplasia, polydactyly, and syndactyly. Professor Tonkin holds clinical roles with associated phone (+61 2 9926 7778) and fax (+61 2 9926 6311) contacts.

Research interests include embryology of congenital defects, surgical techniques for thumb reconstruction, and functional assessment of hand anomalies. His 2013 grant explored rheumatoid synoviocyte biology. Over 50 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters since 2002 reflect his expertise in congenital anomaly management, tendon transfers, and pediatric surgical innovations.

Key contributions include defining thumb opposition metrics, developing functional assessment scores for hypoplastic thumbs, and advancing pollicization techniques. He collaborates with international experts in hand surgery and has mentored multiple researchers evident through co-authorships.