Musculoskeletal Center in Minnesota

W. Hall Wendel Jr. Musculoskeletal Center

The new Mayo Clinic W. Hall Wendel Jr. Musculoskeletal Center unites Mayo Clinic's multidisciplinary orthopedic specialties and services with the technology needed to provide state-of-the-art diagnosis, outpatient treatment, and rehabilitation for all types of musculoskeletal conditions.

As a result of the center's integrated design, patients easily, quickly and conveniently go from radiographic imaging, to clinical consultations, to treatment areas. All services are provided on the 14th and 15th floors of the interconnected Gonda and Mayo buildings in Rochester, Minnesota, to create one of the world's most advanced musculoskeletal facilities.

Comprehensive Orthopedic Care

Opened in December 2007, the Center was designed to yield high efficiencies for more than 66,000 patients who are treated each year by a multispecialty group of 47 surgical and clinical consultants. Orthopedic subspecialty care is offered in:

• Ankle and foot
• Hand
• Hip and knee
• Oncology
• Shoulder and elbow
• Spine

In addition to orthopedic surgeons, patients benefit from care by other musculoskeletal specialists, including:

• Physical medicine and rehabilitation consultants
• Rheumatologists
• Endocrinologists to evaluate metabolic bone conditions
• Radiologists and anesthesiologists to perform image-guided injections for pain management
• Pediatric orthopedic specialists from the T. Denny Sanford Pediatric Center

The 245,000-square-foot facility offers 57 fully equipped examination rooms; an Outpatient Procedure Center with eight full-sized operating rooms; four image-guided injection rooms; a private family waiting area and private pre- and post-procedure rooms for patients and families. Other specialists performing surgery in the Outpatient Procedure Center include plastic surgeons; general surgeons; and ear, nose and throat surgeons. Cast and splint facilities provide 10 private bays with easy access to adjacent radiology and anesthesia services.

Educating Patients, Supporting Families

Patients and family members can learn more about their conditions, treatment and aftercare at the patient education center. Equipped with anatomic models, touch-screen computer education services, video on demand, high-speed Internet workstations and explanatory literature, the Education Center is intended to help patients maximize their recovery through better understanding of their medical condition. To assist families in adjusting to orthopedic injuries and treatments, an on-site staff social worker is available.

Mayo's Research Tradition

The center was also designed to improve efficiency for clinicians actively involved in research and other advances to alleviate suffering caused by musculoskeletal disorders. The commitment to research and innovation is as strong today as it was in 1969 when the first Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved artificial hip was implanted by a Mayo orthopedic surgeon. Mayo orthopedists have also pioneered treatments for bone cancer, complex wrist injuries, and injuries to the growing parts of children's bones, as well as developing artificial joints for every major joint. This experience, combined with Mayo's collaborative style, offers a uniquely comprehensive approach to medical care and is among the primary reasons the orthopedic practice has earned its reputation for excellence.

The Mayo Total Joint Registry, started in 1970, is the largest of its kind anywhere, and contains information on the outcomes of nearly all of the approximately 100,000 joint replacements that have been done at Mayo Clinic.