Orthopedics and Sports Medicine

Orthopedic and sports medicine specialists at Saint Joseph Hospital use advanced technology to treat injuries involving bones, joints, ligaments, tendons and nerves. Our team of experts develops customized treatment plans and offers individualized care that helps patients manage their condition more effectively. Our goal is to help patients recover quickly and avoid re-injury.

Diagnoses and Treatments

Treatment plans may include medical/surgical care, specialized therapies (physical, occupational, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic and spinal injection), athletic training and orthotics. Some of the conditions that may require the care of an orthopedic physician include:

• Arthritis
• Back pain
• Bone and joint conditions
• Foot pain
• Hand pain
• Knee pain
• Neck pain
• Shoulder pain
• Work injuries
• Wrist pain

Specialists

The board-certified orthopedic and sports medicine specialists on staff at Saint Joseph Hospital perform more than 1,000 orthopedic surgeries each year. Our hospital’s orthopedic surgeons have years of experience and high success rates performing procedures on many of Chicago’s athletic teams, including professional and high school athletes.

Sports-related Injuries

Most sports-related injuries are caused by trauma or overuse of muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints. The majority are caused by minor trauma that leads to contusions (bruises), sprains and strains.

Work-related Injuries

Back strain and repetitive strain injuries are common on-the-job injuries. The approach to treating work-related conditions: return an individual to his or her previous level of on-the-job activity as quickly and as safely as possible.

Procedures

Some injuries and conditions benefit from surgical intervention. Procedures performed include arthroscopic, reconstructive and joint replacement surgery.

• Arthroscopic surgery is used to diagnose and treat injuries involving the ankles, elbows, knees, shoulders and wrists. Arthroscopy is minimally invasive and uses a small telescope to identify and treat a problem.
  
  
• Reconstructive surgery focuses on alleviating pain and restoring range of motion to the hips, pelvis and spine. The procedure can also be used to treat individuals with torn knee ligaments and cartilage.
  
  
• Total joint replacement surgery offers comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of all types of bone and joint problems, which involves removing and replacing a joint with specially designed artificial parts called prostheses.

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation is performed on an outpatient basis and is overseen by a team of professionals, including an orthopedic surgeon, physiatrist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, exercise physiologist, sports medicine specialist and athletic trainer.

Rehabilitation programs may include physical or occupational therapy; exercise programs to stretch and strengthen; conditioning exercises to help further prevent injury; hot or cold applications and whirlpool treatments; braces, splints or casts to immobilize the injury; crutches or wheelchairs; pain management; and patient and family education.

Screening

Saint Joseph Hospital offers a bone density test (also known as dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry or DEXA) as a screening for osteoporosis, which is a disease of the bones. Osteoporosis causes an abnormal loss of bone mass – making bones porous, weakened and prone to fractures. The test measures the mass of bone in relationship to its volume and assesses a person’s risk of developing osteoporosis, also known as T-score. The test is painless and takes only a few minutes. Call the Central Scheduling Department at 773-665-3060.