Orthopedics

A minimally invasive surgery uses the smallest incisions or cuts needed. Arthroscopic surgery is a type of minimally invasive surgery to a joint or the place where two bones come together.

Our orthopedic surgeons use minimally invasive surgeries to help with joint repair of the:

• Knee
• Shoulder
• Elbow
• Wrist
• Ankle
• Foot

Our team also uses arthroscopy to help you with rotator cuff (a group of muscles and tissues around the shoulder) tears. We can help put knee ligaments (tissue that holds together a joint or two bones) back together, such as the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament).

The Everett Clinic's Kemp Surgery Center specializes in outpatient surgery or surgery when you can go home the same day. We focus on patient safety and quality as we care for each patient.

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When you need help to heal and regain movement, our team of physical therapists is ready to care for you.

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Learn how to have less sports-related injuries. Heal from sports-related injuries faster, so you're able to move better. Learn how to have better performance in sports. Start a healthy exercise (physical movement) routine for your body.

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The hip joint is a ball and socket joint made to give stability and hold your body weight up. The hip joint is one of the most important joints in the body because it allows you to walk, run and jump.

The hip is the body’s second largest weight-bearing joint, after the knee. It's also one of the body’s most flexible joints meaning it allows you to move in many ways.

Ligaments surround the hip to keep the joint in place. Cartilage is a soft tissue that provides a cushion against friction (a lot of movement) as the hip bone moves around in its socket.

The hip joint is able to do a lot of repetitive motion with a fair amount of wear and tear. Even though it is durable, it isn’t indestructible.

As we age:

• The cartilage around our hip joint can wear down or become damaged
• The muscles in our hip can get overused
• The hip bone can be fractured (broken) by a fall.
  

All of these problems can cause hip pain.

When hip replacement surgery is done, a painful hip joint is replaced with an artificial part (called the prosthesis) made from metal and plastic. Hip replacement surgery usually helps patients have:

• More and better movement
• The hip joint work better
• Less pain
• An overall better quality of life

Your doctor may suggest you have a hip replacement when other forms of care have not helped you. Before doing a hip replacement surgery, your doctor may suggest other ways to care for your hip, such as exercise, walking aids and medication.

Hip replacement surgery can be done traditionally or with minimally invasive surgery. 

The knee is one of the largest and most complex joints in the human body. The knee is made up of bone, cartilage, ligaments and fluid. Muscles and tendons help the knee joint move.

When any of the parts of the knee are hurt or damaged, it can cause knee problems as well as pain and walking problems. Knee problems are very common and can happen with people of all ages.

Knee problems can affect your life. It may start suddenly, often after an injury or exercise. Knee pain may also begin as a small amount of discomfort, then slowly worsen.

Knee replacement surgery is for people with major knee damage. Knee surgery can help lessen pain and help you move better.

It's also a common surgery to help people with pain from arthritis (painful swelling of the joints or the place where two bones come together). Your orthopedic surgeon may suggest knee replacement surgery if medicine and other types of care have not helped you.

The shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle (collarbone), the scapula (shoulder blade), and the humerus (upper arm bone).

The shoulder can become unstable because the ball of the upper arm is larger than the shoulder socket that holds it in place. Stability comes from the muscle, tendons and ligaments anchoring the shoulder.

Due its unstable nature, shoulder problems are common, including:

• Sprains
• Strains
• Dislocations
• Separations
• Tendinitis
• Bursitis (when areas around the joints become inflamed and cause pain)
• Torn rotator cuffs
• Frozen shoulder (stiffness and pain in shoulder)
• Fractures
• Arthritis

Treatment includes RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation), exercise, medication and surgery.

Your rotator cuff is located in your shoulder area and is made of muscles and tendons that work together to help your shoulder move and stay stable. The tendons can tear when they are overused or injured and can become inflamed from frequent use or aging.

The rotator cuff can be damaged due playing sports, jobs with repeated overhead motion or a fall on an outstretched hand. Some tears are not painful, but others can be very painful.

Treatment for a torn rotator cuff depends on age, health, how serious the injury is and how long you've had the torn rotator cuff.

The spine is made of bones (vertebrae) separated by soft cushions (intervertebral discs).

Lumbar (lower back) spine disease is often caused by herniated intervertebral discs, abnormal growth of bony processes on the vertebral bodies (osteophytes), which compress spinal nerves, trauma and narrowing (stenosis) of the spinal column around the spinal cord.

Symptoms of lumbar spine problems include:

• Pain that radiates from the back to the buttocks (backside) or back of thigh
• Pain that affects your daily life
• Weakness of legs or feet
• Numbness of legs, feet or toes
• Loss of bowel of bladder control (not able to start and stop bowel movements or urination)

During lumbar spine surgery, the bone that curves around and covers the spinal cord (lamina) is removed (laminectomy). The tissue that is causing pressure on the nerve or spinal cord is also removed.

Then, the hole through which the nerve passes can be enlarged to stop further nerve pressure.  A piece of bone (bone graft), inter body cages or screws may be used to strengthen the area of surgery.

Our total joint orthopedics program is a patient-focused approach to joint replacement of the hips and knees. If your joint pain can't be helped with medication or physical therapy or it limits your movements in daily life, we may be able to help you.

Our total joint replacement team is made up of experts in the orthopedic field. Your surgeon, anesthesiologist, physical therapist and nurse work together as a team to offer you with the care you need when you need it.

MAKOplasty (often referred to as MAKO) is a surgical robot that uses a computerized model of your own knee for best size and placement of the implant. MAKO is a minimally invasive surgery meaning it uses the smallest incisions or cuts needed.

Benefits of MAKO include:

• Most advanced technology available for knee replacement
• Able to map out surgery on 3D system
• More accurate or correct placement of the components
• The replacement lasts longer
• Better range of motion and stability of joint
• Less trauma during surgery
• Faster healing time after surgery
• Cost is usually similar to traditional surgery, but the final cost depends on your insurance

Anterior (front) hip replacement is another surgery we offer. This surgery is done from the front of the hip and allows the placement of the prosthesis without the need to cut muscle.

No motion precautions are needed after surgery. Most patients are walking again the same day of the surgery with little pain.