General
Our offices are open 9am - 5pm, Monday through Friday (except holidays). Appointments can be made by calling .
An Orthopedic Surgeon is a medical doctor who completed 4 years of medical school, 5 years of orthopedic residency, and 1-2 years of subspecialty training during a fellowship. Orthopedic surgeons operate on the musculoskeletal system (bones, cartilage, muscles, and tendons) to restore function and activity after traumatic injury or other pathological processes (osteoarthritis).
There are eight orthopedic subspecialties – hand, foot and ankle, joint replacement, sports medicine, trauma, spine, pediatrics, and oncology. Nearly all of the physicians at OSI are subspeciality trained. This means they have spent at least one year and up to two years of extra training in their field of choice.
Sports specialists perform arthroscopic surgery on the Shoulder, Elbow, Hip, and Knee. Not all of their patients are athletes, but most of the surgeries involve returning patients to their prior level of function. The sports specialists at OSI provide treatment to the athletes at the USA Volleyball Treatment Center, UCI, CSUF, Chapman University, Santa Ana College, and numerous local high schools (Mater Dei, Servite, Crean Lutheran, Villa Park, El Modena).
A Physiatrists, or rehabilitation physician is a medical doctor (M.D. or D.O.) who specializes in the non-surgical treatment of orthopedic and musculoskeletal conditions. Physiatrists diagnose and treat conditions, prescribe physical therapy and medications, perform office injections, epidural injections and EMG/Nerve Conduction Studies. A physiatrist specializes in diagnosing your problem and formulating a treatment plan.
EMG/Nerve Conduction Studies are a two part test designed to evaluate the function of nerves. The nerve conduction part involves stimulating nerves in either your arm or leg to evaluate the function of that nerve. Electromyography (EMG) involves inserting a small needle into some of the muscles in either your arm or leg. There is usually no electrical stimulation involved with the EMG part of the test.
Hand specialists focus on the treatment of disorders of the hand and upper extremity. This includes traumatic, degenerative, and congenital injuries of the upper extremity. The hand specialists at OSI provide specialist level care at the CHOC for complex hand disorders.
Spine specialists focus on the treatment of disorders of the cervical spine, thoracic spine, lumbar spine, and pelvis. They commonly treat degenerative disk disease, spinal stenosis, trauma, and scoliosis. Their treatment includes surgical and nonsurgical modalities.
Foot and ankle specialists focus on the treatment of disorders of the foot and ankle. This includes arthroscopy of the ankle joint, corrective osteotomies, and the treatment of traumatic injuries of the bones, tendons, and ligaments of the foot.
Joint specialists focus on the reconstruction on part or all of arthritic or diseased joints with the use of implants. These replacements include the shoulder, elbow, knee, and hip.
At OSI, we feel that patients receive the best care when treated by someone who is an expert in the field. We feel the best results are obtained when patients are cared for someone who regularly sees, examines, and operates on patients with similar problems. It doesn’t make sense to have a hand surgeon do your knee replacement or to have a joint surgeon do your hand surgery. The Orthopedic Specialty Institute is a facility founded and organized by a group of dedicated, specialized Orthopedic Surgeons to provide the highest quality of care in a professional, comfortable, congenial, and caring atmosphere.
On your visit to OSI, you should bring your ID, insurance card(s), any xrays you may have, and any MRI or CT scans you may have, old operative reports, and other consultations / notes. If you have specific questions you can call the office staff for your particular physician’s preferences. You should also consider bringing comfortable clothing to allow access to the body part to be examined or a disposable gown / shorts can provided at the office.
OSI accepts most types of insurance – PPO, POS, EPO, HMO, Medicare, and Worker’s Compensation. However, we may or may not be in network for a particular provider at a particular time. Insurance plans are constantly changing and at OSI we are always working to adapt to these changes. If you have a specific question about your plan – please contact your insurance company to see if OSI is in your network and to verify your level of benefits. You will need to have your insurance ID card ready to provide information regarding your plan.
At OSI, we are happy to see you with or without a referral.
At OSI, we do accept medicare at all of our facilities – the office, the surgery center, physical therapy, pool therapy, hand therapy, and MRI.
Arthroscopic Surgery
Diagnosing joint injuries and disease begins with a thorough medical history, physical examination, and usually X-rays. Additional tests such as an MRI, or CT scan also may be needed. Through the arthroscope, a final diagnosis is made which may be more accurate than through "open" surgery or from X-ray studies.
Although the inside of nearly all joints can be viewed with an arthroscope, six joints are most frequently examined with this instrument. These include the knee, shoulder, elbow, ankle, hip, and wrist. As engineers make advances in electronic technology and orthopedic surgeons develop new techniques, other joints may be treated more frequently in the future.
Some problems associated with arthritis can also be treated. Several disorders are treated with a combination of arthroscopic and standard surgery.
Disease and injuries can damage bones, cartilage, ligaments, muscles, and tendons. Some of the most frequent conditions found during arthroscopic examinations of joints are:
Synovitis- inflamed lining (synovium) in knee, shoulder, elbow, wrist, or ankle.
Injury- acute and chronic.
Shoulder- rotator cuff tendon tears, impingement syndrome, and recurrent dislocations.
Knee- meniscal (cartilage) tears, chondromalacia (wearing or injury of cartilage cushion), and anterior cruciate ligament tears with instability.
Wrist- carpal tunnel syndrome.
Loose bodies of bone and/or cartilage- knee, shoulder, elbow, ankle, or wrist.
The rotator cuff is a band of muscles that surrounds the joint formed by the upper arm bone or humerus that connects to the shoulder blade or scapula. The rotator cuff is stiff enough to hold the joint together, but is also flexible enough to allow the arm to reach and lift.
Rotator cuff injuries are common among baseball pitchers, tennis players and other athletes who frequently exert an overhand throwing or swinging motion. Non-athletes who engage in frequent lifting or reaching activities, such as stacking cans on a high shelf, can also develop rotator cuff problems.
Most shoulder problems are the result of overuse or traumatic injury. Athletes who participate in contact sports, such as hockey or football, often suffer shoulder injuries. Frequent lifting and repetitive arm rotation can also cause wear and tear on the shoulder. Inflammatory diseases such as arthritis and bursitis may develop over time.
Osteoarthritis or Degenerative Joint Disease - the most common type of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is also known as “wear and tear arthritis” since the cartilage simply wears out. When cartilage wears away, bone rubs on bone causing severe pain and disability. The most frequent reason for osteoarthritis is genetic, since the durability of each individual's cartilage is based on genetics.
Trauma- can also lead to osteoarthritis. A bad fall or blow to the knee can injure the joint. If the injury does not heal properly, extra force may be placed on the joint, which over time can cause the cartilage to wear away.
Inflammatory Arthritis- swelling and heat (inflammation) of the joint lining causes a release of enzymes which soften and eventually destroy the cartilage. Rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus and psoriatic arthritis are inflammatory in nature.