Orthopedic Services

Orthopedic procedures

Aurora BayCare Medical Center's orthopedic surgeons use minimally invasive procedures whenever possible to reduce pain and recovery times. Our inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures performed by highly qualified surgeons are fully integrated with other medical specialties, including pain management and rehabilitation services.

Types of inpatient and outpatient procedures

Anterior Hip Replacement

Joe M. shares his experience with anterior hip replacement at Aurora BayCare Medical Center

Now available in Green Bay Area, this hip replacement surgery offers many benefits over traditional hip replacement.

Anterior Hip Benefits:

  • Minimally invasive procedure: The anterior hip replacement uses a smaller incision in the front of the leg, and does not detach muscles during surgery. This aids in decreasing hip dislocation risk in recovery, a problem with some hip replacements.
  • Accelerated recovery: Many patients are able to leave the day after surgery, compared to three or more days previously.
  • Shortened rehabilitation: Many patients also experience quicker rehabilitation time post-surgery, regaining full mobility in 2-8 weeks compared to the more common 2-4 months with conventional hip replacement.
  • No long-term hip precautions: With anterior hip replacement, there are no long-term hip precautions, after recovery, meaning patients may return to fully active lifestyles without restrictions.

Potential patients need evaluation to determine if you are a good candidate for anterior hip replacement. Patients also attend a "Total Joint Class" before the hip replacement surgery. This class, taught with occupational and physical therapists, includes information to clarify patients’ expectations pre- and post-surgery.

If you are facing hip replacement surgery, ask an expert about anterior hip replacement.

Hip Arthroscopy

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Video one: Dr. Jonathon Henry, MD, discusses the conditions that benefit from hip arthroscopy.
Video two: Dr. Harold Schock, MD, demonstrates how traumatic meniscus tears are treated.

Hip Arthroscopy (also knees, ankles, elbows, shoulders) - also known as orthopedic endoscopy - is a minimally invasive outpatient surgical procedure, which uses a small scope and micro-instruments that allow orthopedic surgeons diagnose and treat problems. Since only small incisions are used, the surgery is less traumatic than other procedures resulting in faster recovery times and less scarring. If you have a painful condition that does not respond to nonsurgical treatment (rest, physical therapy, and medications), you may be recommended for hip arthroscopy. Some orthopedic conditions can lead to hip problems include:

  • Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is a disorder where bone spurs (bone overgrowth) around the socket or the femoral head cause damage.
  • Dysplasia is a condition where the socket is abnormally shallow and makes the labrum more susceptible to tearing.
  • Snapping hip syndromes cause a tendon to rub across the outside of the joint. This type of snapping or popping is often harmless and does not need treatment. In some cases, however, the tendon is damaged from the repeated rubbing.
  • Synovitis causes the tissues that surround the joint to become inflamed.
  • Loose bodies are fragments of bone or cartilage that become loose and move around within the joint.
  • Hip joint infection

Hip arthroscopy also is commonly used for cartilage tears, ligament strains/tears, cartilage deterioration, and the removal of scars tissue and bone or cartilage chips.

Total joint replacement (arthroplasty)

At Aurora BayCare Medical Center, we offer joint replacement of the hip, knee, elbow or shoulder to relieve pain and improve overall function of the affected joint.

Total hip replacement is a surgical procedure of the hip joint - a ball and socket joint - that removes a diseased or injured hip joint and inserts an artificial ball and socket joint. The artificial joint is called a prosthesis. The most common cause of chronic hip pain and disability is:

  • Osteoarthritis
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Traumatic arthritis

Total knee replacement is a surgical procedure where damaged bone and cartilage are replaced by an artificial joint. The procedure is most often performed to:

  • Alleviate knee pain and disability due to osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or previous severe knee injury
  • Correct a knee deformity (knee bows in or out)

Gender knee replacement offers an innovative design of the gender-specific knee now accommodates the female bone structure to improve fit and function for women.

A gender-specific knee offers:

  • A more contoured shape resulting in a better fit to the female anatomy
  • Improved movement and function when bending and walking

filmart  Watch an a video of a gender knee replacement (streaming Windows Media)

Outpatient knee replacement is a minimally invasive surgery that typically enables patients to walk the same day, either unaided or with the use of a cane. Patients who are good candidates for outpatient knee replacement receive care from a comprehensive medical management team of surgeons, nurses, physical therapists, anesthesia and pain management specialists.

Shoulder and elbow replacement (shoulder arthroplasty)

Shoulder joint and elbow joint replacement are procedures where the surfaces of the joint - which are made of bone covered with cartilage - are replaced with artificial implants that help relieve joint pain. Shoulder and elbow joint replacement is often performed on people who have pain that has not responded well to other treatments.

Shoulder replacement is often performed as a result of severe arthritis in combination with a tear in their rotator cuff. Other common causes of shoulder and elbow joint pain are:

  • Osteoarthritis Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Post-traumatic arthritis
  • Severe fractures

Reverse shoulder replacement

Reverse shoulder replacement is an innovative procedure that is most commonly used to treat older patients with chronic rotator cuff injuries and degenerative arthritis, as well as those who have had an unsuccessful joint replacement surgery or an unsuccessful repair of a fractured shoulder.

In the reverse shoulder replacement, instead of replacing the joint with an implant, the surgeon rebuilds the joint with the ball and socket in reversed order. The patient is then able to move the joint with the help of the deltoid muscle, rather than the muscles in the damaged rotator cuff.

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Foot, ankle & hand procedures

Our orthopedic specialists educate, diagnose and treat foot, ankle and hand problems, including joint disease, rheumatoid arthritis, post-traumatic and congenital deformities, tendon or ligaments damage, fractures and athletic injuries.

We offer surgical and non-surgical treatment options. Surgical treatments include arthroscopy, ligament reconstruction, foot and ankle reconstruction, including forefoot (bunion), mid-foot and hind-foot surgery. Non-surgical treatments include diabetic foot care, orthotics, braces, casts and splints and physical therapy.

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Sports-related injuries

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The majority of sports injuries are caused by either trauma or the overuse of muscles or joints. Common injuries include tennis elbow, rotator cuff tears, heel injuries, lower back problems, and knee pain because of the many sports involved frequent running. Many sports-related injuries involve bruises, sprain and strains of muscles, ligaments, or tendons.

Our orthopedics team specializes in:

  • ACL and meniscus repairs
  • Shoulder stabilization
  • Torn Achilles tendon repairs
  • Repair of shoulder impingement syndrome and rotator cuff tear
  • Cartilage restoration/transplantation
  • Anatomic ACL reconstruction: an innovative technique for replacing an injured
  • CL (anterior cruciate ligament) resulting in better function and decreased chance of further injury to the knee.