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Orthopedic surgeons at Mayo Clinic in Florida specialize in:
Adult Joint Reconstruction and Revision
Foot and Ankle Injuries
Hand Surgery
Microvascular Procedures
Nerve Reconstruction in Hand Surgery
Nonunion Surgery
Sports Injuries
Tumor Surgery
Orthopedic surgeons specialize in the surgical treatment of bone and joint disorders. Joint reconstruction (arthroplasties), corrective bone procedures (osteotomies), biomaterials and research into bone, cartilage and soft-tissue procedures were all pioneered by orthopedic specialists and continue to be focal points of the specialty. Mayo physicians use minimally invasive procedures whenever possible to reduce pain and speed recovery.
Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeons regularly treat patients with post-traumatic, inflammatory and degenerative problems of all major joints including the knee, hip, elbow and shoulder. Rebuilding the bone and soft tissues in these joints, or replacing the joint with a prosthesis (an artificial joint), offers many patients significant improvement in their quality of life. Joint-sparing procedures such as tibial, femoral and acetabular osteotomies are also done. Minimally invasive techniques are used whenever possible to reduce discomfort and speed recovery.
Sometimes joint replacement or fusion procedures no longer work as intended. They can wear out over time or loosen and cause pain and difficulty moving. Joint revisions — redoing the joint replacement or undoing a joint fusion — take special expertise and meticulous attention to detail to ensure the new joint works as well as possible.
Physicians specializing in shoulder and elbow problems perform open and arthroscopic procedures to treat post-traumatic and degenerative disorders of the shoulder and rotator cuff. If indicated, prosthetic replacement of the shoulder and elbow is done. Replacement of the other major joints may use cemented, noncemented and newer bone-conserving techniques.
A multidisciplinary approach is the hallmark of Mayo's philosophy of care. Before and after surgery, assistance from physician specialists in Internal Medicine, Radiology, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and other medical and surgical areas help speed recovery for our surgical patients.
Trained orthopedic surgeons diagnose and treat complex and common foot and ankle problems.
Our orthopedic surgeons use an integrated, team approach to deal with challenging foot deformities resulting from previous fractures, overuse, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and other arthritic conditions. If conservative treatment doesn't provide relief, surgical reconstruction may improve the condition. Specialized opinions regarding Morton's neuroma; bunions; problems of the heel, ankle and toes; as well as ankle replacements for severe arthritis are also available.
Mayo Clinic hand surgeons are orthopedic surgeons who are specially trained to care for and treat conditions affecting the hand and wrist. Surgery can correct many disabling conditions of the hand or wrist, producing a dramatic improvement in a patient's quality of life or productivity.
Conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, degenerative arthritis or post-traumatic arthritis often can be relieved by advanced reconstructive surgeries, including hand and wrist fusions or joint replacement procedures for the wrist, thumb and fingers. Mayo has and continues to be at the forefront of artificial joint replacement with many new ideas and designs.
Our physicians also are trained in advanced methods of nerve-decompression surgery. Several techniques of open and arthroscopic carpal tunnel decompression are possible. Arthroscopic diagnosis and treatment of difficult intra-articular pathology is frequently done when indicated. This minimally invasive technique is one of many advances currently used to help return patients to maximum function.
Patients can count on their problems, whether common or rare, to be addressed in the classic Mayo team approach. Hand surgeons, physiatrists, nurses, orthotists and therapists work together to provide comprehensive hand and upper extremity care.
Conditions treated include:
Hand specialists also are experienced in microvascular surgery, nonunion surgery and total elbow replacement.
With the aid of the operating-room microscope, specialized instruments and tiny needles with ultrafine sutures, 3- to 5-millimeter vessels can be repaired. This enables the reattachment of fingers, hands and arms that are amputated as a result of industrial accidents or other trauma. This is called replantation surgery. Microvascular surgical techniques also can be used in reconstructive surgery, such as free-tissue transfer or free-bone transfer. Free-tissue transfer involves removing muscle with its blood vessels and then transferring the muscle to another location in the body. The muscle's artery and vein are then hooked up to local blood vessels, which re-establishes the muscle's blood supply. This is often done for soft-tissue defects created by trauma or tumor surgery. Free-bone transfer is the removal of a bone with its blood supply followed by implantation of the bone into a large bone defect in another area of the body. Nerve reconstruction and brachial plexus surgery also involve microvascular techniques.
Like insulated wires that carry electricity around the house, nerves carry electrical messages between the brain and the rest of the body. Motor nerves transport messages to muscles and make the body move. Sensory nerves carry signals of pain, pressure, temperature and other information. A nerve consists of fibers encased in a protective cover, like insulation around a wire. Nerves are delicate and can be damaged by stretching, pressure or cutting. If the fibers break, the electrical messages are no longer carried to the brain.
In most situations, cut nerves can be repaired. If the separated parts of the protective cover can be sewn together, the nerve fibers inside eventually grow back, re-establishing the electrical connection to the brain. This is preferably done within one to two weeks after the injury. However, in some cases, it's not possible to reattach nerves because the nerve retracts or large portions are missing. In those situations, expendable donor nerves are harvested from other locations, such as the elbow region or the lower legs. These are called "nerve grafts." Nerve function will be restored over several months, but it is unlikely to be as fully functional as the original nerve.
A bone that has not healed six months after an injury is called a "nonunion." One of the more common types seen in hand surgery is the nonunion of the scaphoid bone of the wrist. An estimated 5 to 25 percent of all scaphoid fractures do not heal. Left untreated, it may lead to advanced wrist arthritis. Repairing scaphoid nonunions typically requires inserting a small screw and a bone graft. Other broken bones in the arm that are at risk of not healing are the humerus, clavicle and radius. Mayo Clinic physicians have conducted substantial research in these areas and have developed advanced techniques to correct the problems. In many nonunions, the primary problem is the lack of bone blood supply. Vascularized bone grafts are often used to repair nonhealing bones in the upper extremity.
Both competitive and recreational athletes will occasionally have an injury or illness that limits their optimal performance. Many of these injuries affect the muscles, ligaments and/or bones and are best diagnosed by a physician trained in musculoskeletal medicine. It is important to identify and correct the problem that led to the injury to prevent a recurrence.
Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeons specialize in removing bone cancers and soft tissue sarcomas. The goal is to preserve as much bone as possible. Our surgeons work with Mayo medical oncologists and radiation oncologists to provide innovative chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Intraoperative radiation and brachytherapy or radioactive seed implants are available. Our surgeons specialize in complex procedures to remove tumors and reconstruct the limb, sparing it from amputation whenever possible. Critical care services and a full array of medical subspecialty consult services are available.
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