Orthopedic treatment is about what's best for you.

Bone and joint problems don’t discriminate. They can happen to anyone, at any age. Fortunately, the orthopedic doctors and staff at Detroit Medical Center are dedicated to helping you get relief from pain and getting you back to your favorite activities. It’s part of our goal to help patients experience and enjoy their lives to the fullest. Preventive care, health education and leading-edge technology, combined with vast experience, enables DMC to deliver some of the most advanced care for musculoskeletal conditions.

What Is Orthopedics?

Orthopedics is a branch of medicine that is focused on preventing, diagnosing and treating a wide variety of conditions and diseases that affect the bones, joints, muscles, nerves, ligaments and tendons, or simply put, the musculoskeletal system.

What Does an Orthopedic Doctor Do?

An orthopedic doctor helps prevent, diagnose and treat the following conditions, but not limited to:

  • Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears
  • Arthritis
  • Back or joint pain
  • Bone cancer
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Fractures
  • Joint replacement, restoration, and resurfacing
  • Limb abnormalities (i.e., clubfoot and bowlegs)
  • Sports injuries
  • Sprains and strains
  • Tendon or ligament injuries
  • Tendonitis

Orthopedic doctors complete up to 14 years of education and clinical training including medical school, residency and a fellowship to subspecialize in any of the following:

  • Foot and ankle
  • Hand
  • Hip and knee
  • Shoulder and elbow
  • Spine
  • Sports medicine
  • Trauma surgery

When Should You See an Orthopedic Physician at the DMC?

Please schedule an appointment with one of our orthopedic physicians if

  • you have severe, unexplained joint pain, frequently with other symptoms
  • you have numbness, constant pain or pain that comes and goes
  • you have previously had a joint replacement and still experience difficulty
  • you have received a diagnosis but you want a second opinion

You can learn more about the orthopedics and sports medicine programs we offer at Harper University, Detroit Receiving Hospital, Sinai-Grace Hospital, Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital and Children's Hospital of Michigan.

Why Choose DMC for Orthopedics?

The DMC provides safe and compassionate orthopedic care at 6 hospitals, 13 clinics and over 20 outpatient rehab centers throughout metro Detroit. DMC hospitals have a total of four robots that perform minimally invasive, robot-assisted hip and knee joint replacements.

Blue Cross Blue Shield has designated DMC Harper University Hospital as a Blue Distinction Centers for knee and hip replacement. Blue Distinction Centers are healthcare facilities and providers recognized for their expertise in delivering specialty care.

DMC has more than 35 operative and non-operative orthopedic and sports medicine physicians on staff who have performed thousands of joint replacement and orthopedic procedures, from the simplest to the most complex.

And to help treat our patients better, we invest our time in improving our orthopedic knowledge, quality of service and hospital safety. The DMC voluntarily participates in clinical trials and other initiatives that may help improve the success rates of patients.

A Care Team Offering and Supporting Unique Treatment Options

We have a comprehensive team that can help you through the full journey of your care, from the time you inquire about our orthopedic doctors to post-surgery or rehab. Our team consists of:

  • Orthopedic Surgeons
  • Sports Medicine Specialists
  • A Spine Specialty Team
  • Trauma Specialists
  • Orthopedic Physician Assistants
  • Nurse Practitioners
  • Physical Therapists

Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery — Advanced Technology for Orthopedic Procedures

The Mako System is a robotic-arm assisted, partial or total knee replacement procedure designed to relieve pain from joint degeneration which may be caused by osteoarthritis (OA). By selectively targeting the part of your knee damaged by OA, your DMC orthopedic surgeon can replace a part or your entire knee, while keeping the healthy bones and ligaments around it. The first Mako robotic-arm assisted joint replacement was done in December 2012. Since then, our Detroit orthopedic surgeons have performed thousands of minimally invasive, robot-assisted hip and knee joint replacements.
Learn more about Robot-Assisted Joint Replacement.

Sports Medicine: Pro-Level Care Not Just for Pros

DMC is proud to be the official medical provider of the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Grand Prix and Detroit City FC. Our sports medicine physicians are dedicated to bringing local collegiate, school-aged, club sport athletes and weekend warriors the same professional level of care they provide to our local and visiting professional athletes.

We also offer highly trained physical therapists and trainers who treat a wide variety of injuries. They may help keep you from getting injured, so you can stay active and out of the hospital. Check out our DMC Sports Medicine section to learn more about sports specific programs for coaches, individuals and teams.

What is the difference between sports medicine and physical therapy?

Sports medicine focuses on the comprehensive medical care for sports teams, athletes and physically active individuals. This branch of medicine aims to prevent, diagnose and treat sports injuries, as well as help sports enthusiasts and people who exercise achieve their training and athletic goals. A sports medicine team is usually comprised of sports medicine doctors, sports coaches, athletic trainers and physical therapists.

On the other hand, physical therapy is focused on diagnosing, treating and providing recovery methods for medical and health-related conditions that affect a person’s mobility and quality of life. Physical therapists help patients get pain relief, prevent surgery or disability, recover from a sports injury, broken bone or surgery, work on balance or learn to use mobility assistive devices like a cane or a walker, etc.

Find an Orthopedic Doctor

Request one of our physicians to get a second opinion, or a really good first one.

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