The following information is intended to provide you with general information about orthopedics and orthopedic care. It is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice and information provided by your health care provider. Any decision you make regarding your health care options should be made after consulting a qualified physician.

Our physicians' practice is limited to orthopedic surgery which is that specialty of medicine relating to the musculoskeletal system. Some of the orthopedists in this practice further specialize in more limited fields of orthopedics, such as total joint replacements, spine surgery and hand surgery.

Various modes of treatment may be used. All modes have limitations and their own risks. We want you to understand what are reasonable goals of treatment, the advantage of one method compared to a second method and common complications of surgery. If at any time you do not understand the options offered you, please ask.

What is Orthopedic Surgery?

Orthopedic surgery involves the diagnosis and treatment of injuries and diseases of the muscles, tendons, bones, joints and ligaments. Both operative and non-operative care is included.

Fracture Care

Fracture care can be as simple as splinting or physical therapy. In some cases, a closed reduction, which involves the manipulation of the broken bones by hand or traction, may be needed. Most often a cast will be applied to hold the fracture in place. Other times it may be necessary to repair the broken bones by surgery. This could require the application of a thin metal plate to the side of the bone with surgical screws and sometimes involve the passage of a metal rod down the middle of the bone, most frequently in the femur (thighbone) or the tibia (shin bone). These techniques are used when it is impossible to hold the fractured bones together by casting or other means, or if the surface of a joint is not lined up well.

Arthroscopy

Arthroscopy is the evaluation and treatment of problems of the joint using a fiber optic telescope. This procedure enables the physician to evaluate a joint using small incisions while at the same time, allowing a wide range of surgical procedures. These procedures can involve the removal or repair of tears of the cartilage, repair of ligaments, or removal of loose pieces of bone or cartilage. The most common joint treated by this method is the knee, but other joints such as the shoulder, elbow, wrist and ankle can also benefit from this procedure. [Back to Top]

Neck and Back Surgery

We, at Orthopedic Associates, practice the current state-of-the-art procedures in spine surgery. These procedures include disc excisions from the lower back and spinal fusions entering surgically from either the front or the back of the patient. In addition, we also perform disc removal or fusions of the neck. Although not all spinal problems can be helped with surgery, in selected cases, patients have reported significant relief with carefully selected procedures.

Sports Medicine

Sports Medicine originates from the needs and wishes of athletes to return to their highest level of activity as soon as possible after an injury. Sports Medicine specialists have developed many techniques used in this type of rehabilitation such as arthroscopy of the knee, shoulder and elbow. We feel that this approach can benefit all of our patients that seek to return to their previous level of activity, whether they are athletes or not.

Foot Surgery

Orthopedic Associates provides surgical and non-surgical care for foot and ankle problems. The surgeons on staff provide expert management for all types of problems including ankle and foot injuries, diabetic foot care, arthritis, corns and calluses, bunions, flat feet and sports related injuries. Care is provided for all age groups, from infants to senior citizens.

The physicians at Orthopedic Associates are experts at diagnosing and treating foot ailments with non-operative methods. However, if the problem requires surgery, expert surgeons with multiple years of experience are available to provide care.

Pediatric Orthopedics

Pediatric Orthopedics is the management of children's problems that are associated with the normal growth and development of the child. A newborn child born with dislocated hip or another abnormality such as club foot, can be treated at this early stage. As the child continues to grow, other problems may develop such as abnormalities in their gait, hip problems, or spinal problems like scoliosis. The Pediatric Orthopedist addresses these issues and provides timely treatment to assure normal growth and development.

Hand Surgery

The practice of hand surgery is a field of medicine dedicated to evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of a variety of disorders that would effect the use and function of the hand. These would include congenital hand differences, nerve compression syndromes such as carpal tunnel syndrome, infections of the hand and traumatic injuries of the hand including tendon, nerve and soft tissue injury. Also included are fractures of the hand or wrist and rheumatoid arthritis of the hand. Many patients can be effectively treated with non-operative methods, but some problems may require surgical treatment.

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a current topic that affects us all. The term osteoporosis refers to bones that have less bone mass and as a result, fracture more easily. Click here to learn more about this specific topic.

Total Joint Replacements

Arthritis is a group of diseases that affect joints. The surfaces of the joints progressively become worn and irritated. This leads to increasing pain and decreasing function. During the last thirty years, arthritis of the hip, knee and shoulder, as well as other smaller joints, has increasingly been treated with an operation called total joint replacement. Currently almost 500,000 hip and knee total joint replacements are performed annually in the U.S. During surgery the worn and irritated surfaces of the joint are removed and replaced with metal (stainless steel, titanium, or chrome-cobalt alloy) and plastic (high-density polyethylene) surfaces. These components must be rigidly attached to the bone. Two methods of attaching them are: 1) using bone cement (methylmethacrylate) or 2) press fitting a component that has a porous surface which allows bone ingrowth to lock it in place.

These are significant operations but, as a rule, are well tolerated by people even in their eighties and nineties. The ideal candidate for this surgery is someone who is at least 50 years old, in relatively good health, and does not have to do extensive pounding (such as running and jumping) or heavy lifting after surgery.

After surgery, the average patient is in the hospital from three to five days. Most patients report having less pain within several days, while for some, it takes three to six weeks. The patient's joint function usually improves for more than one year. It is not unusual for a person who could walk less than a block before surgery to walk over a mile at a time after surgery. Also, because of limited ambulation preoperatively, many people have decreased their cardiac function. With the increase in activity after surgery, much of this lost function can be regained.

At ten years after surgery, well over 90% of hip and knee replacements are still good and functioning, and at 20 years, over 80% are still good and functioning.

Although these total joint replacements can never be normal joints, they are quite predictable in lessening pain and increasing function. Almost one third of our patients tell us they with they had had the surgery done sooner. Of all the patients that we treat at Orthopedic Associates, those with a total joint replacement are often the most satisfied and grateful because they have less pain, increased function and have maintained their independence.