Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Services & Treatments

When you are experiencing pain or have suffered an unexpected injury to your spine, joints, muscles or ligaments, you want to get moving again as quickly as possible. Turn to the orthopedic and sports medicine specialists at Bronson.

Our goal is to help you quickly return to enjoying the activities you love without pain. We specialize in a wide range of nonsurgical and surgical treatments. This includes anterior hip joint replacement surgery, robotic-assisted surgery, customized joint implants and minimally invasive surgery.

Comprehensive Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Services

With experts in almost every area of the body, we can treat most of your injuries or direct you to someone who can. Our services include:

• Foot and ankle – Trained physicians to care for the most simple to the most complex conditions and injuries
• Hand, wrist and elbow – Specialists who take the time to ensure a thorough evaluation and diagnosis, as well as nonsurgical and surgical treatment options
• Hip – Physicians who are trained in diagnosing and treating the most common to the more complex conditions
• Knee – Outstanding care in the treatment of knee pain and robotic-assisted surgery
• Joint replacement surgery – The largest physician team in southwest Michigan performing ankle, finger, knee, hip, elbow and shoulder replacement surgeries
• Orthopedic trauma – The only highly-trained, orthopedic traumatologist at a Level I Trauma Center in southwest Michigan, treating the most complex fractures to the most severe injuries
• Pediatric orthopedics – The area’s only provider of orthopedic care, treating the unique needs of children
• Shoulder – A team of surgeons with training in treating some of the most common to serious shoulder conditions, including shoulder replacement surgery
• Spine and scoliosis – Treatment of spine conditions, back pain and much more
• Sports medicine – The team that brought sports medicine services to southwest Michigan over 35 years ago, continues its commitment to providing comprehensive services to injured athletes to get them back in the game
  • Athletic training – Athletic trainers help to create a safe environment for student-athletes and injured athletes, and they improve access to the appropriate healthcare provider so athletes can safely return to play
  • Team physicians – Dedicated, official team physicians who are trusted by a large network of high schools, collegiate and semi-professional organizations

Nonsurgical Treatments for Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Conditions

Treating orthopedic and sports medicine conditions can also involve nonsurgical treatment. Some of the most popular include:

• Conditioning program – Helps patients to become stronger and healthier by following a regular exercise program and diet
• Hand therapy/rehabilitation – Includes non-surgical treatments, preventive care and after-surgery rehabilitation for injuries and conditions of the shoulder, arm, elbow, forearm, wrist and hand
• Hot and cold therapy – Used to relieve pain. Hot, or heat therapy, helps muscles relax. Cold therapy helps to minimize inflammation and pain
• ImPACT® test – A computerized tool that is used by a healthcare provider to evaluate a sport-related concussion
• Injections – Used to help diagnose and treat a painful condition. Some of the more common are cortisone and steroid injections that are used to treat conditions such as tendinitis, bursitis, arthritis, ligament injuries and more
• Medication – Includes aspirin, anti-inflammatory and other pain-relieving drugs to treat orthopedic conditions
• Occupational therapy – Therapy to help those recuperating from a physical or mental illness to be able to perform daily activities and work skills
• Orthotics – Inserts for shoes to help correct an abnormal walking pattern
• Physical therapy/rehabilitation – Includes non-surgical techniques, such as massage, heat treatment and exercises to reduce pain, restore function and prevent injury
• R.I.C.E. – Stands for rest, ice, compression and evaluation and is one of the most recommended treatments for injuries, such as sprains and strains
• Spinal traction – This is decompression therapy that relieves pressure on the spine. It is used to treat herniated discs, sciatica, degenerative disc disease, pinched nerve and other conditions
• Taping techniques – Used to help the body’s natural healing process by stabilizing muscles and joints without restricting the range of motion
• Therapeutic aids – Includes braces, inserts, wraps, splints, supports and more
• Therapeutic exercise – Prescribed and is intended to improve or restore a patient to be fully functioning and pain free

Surgical Treatments for Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Conditions

There are many types of surgical treatments for orthopedic and sports medicine injuries. Some of the most common include:

• Arthroscopy – A minimally invasive procedure used to view, diagnose and treat problems inside a joint
• Arthroplasty – Reconstruction or replacement of a diseased or damaged joint.
• Bunionectomy – The removal of a bunion and bringing the big toe back to its correct position
• Joint fusion – The removal of a joint that will allow the bones to grow together, or fuse. This may be used to treat hammer, claw or mallet toes
• Hammertoe surgery – Is used to straighten a bent toe. There are three different techniques that may be used
• Joint replacement – Replacing a damaged or diseased joint with an artificial implant. Also referred to as arthroplasty. We have surgeons that perform ankle, elbow, finger, hip, knee, shoulder and thumb joint replacement surgeries. Surgical approaches include:
  • Anterior hip replacement is a surgical method to replace a worn or arthritic hip joint with an artificial implant. The surgeon gains access to the damaged hip joint through a cut that is made on the front side. The surgeon makes a smaller incision and is able to move the muscles aside rather than cutting through them
  • Posterior approach to hip replacement is a surgical method to replace a worn or arthritic hip joint with an artificial implant The surgeon makes an incision behind the hip or buttocks to get to the joint area
  • Lateral approach to hip replacement is a surgical method to replace a worn or arthritic hip with an artificial implant. The surgeon makes an incision at the side of the hip to get to the joint area
  • Partial knee joint replacement is also referred to as unicompartmental knee replacement and is a less invasive surgery for patients who have more limited arthritis in their knee joint. The surgery involves a smaller incision to only remove the damaged cartilage in one part of the joint and replace it with an implant. This surgery can be done with robotic-assisted technology
  • Total knee joint replacement also referred to as total knee arthroplasty, is suited for patients with advanced arthritis or damage to more than two compartments of the knee. The damaged cartilage is removed from the upper and lower knee joint and is replaced with an artificial implant. This surgery can be done with robotic-assisted technology
  • Knee revision is a robotic-assisted surgery done when a prior implant has failed, due to wear and tear over time 
• Limb lengthening – Correction of upper and lower limb deformities
• ACL reconstruction – Used to reconstruct the ligament in the center of the knee. The tissue used to replace the damaged ACL comes from another part of the body or from a donor. The surgery is usually performed with knee arthroscopy
• Revision – A procedure to remove any damaged parts of a joint implant
• Tendon repair – Repairs a torn or damaged tissue that connects muscles to the bone
• Tommy John surgery – Performed when a ligament in the elbow is replaced with a tendon from another part of the body, also known as ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction
• Transplant surgery – Removal of a damaged organ, tissue or blood product with replacement from a donor