Department of Orthopaedics

General Information

The Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation faculty has expertise in every orthopaedic subspecialty. Inpatient services are divided into teams that care for general and specialized orthopaedic patients. The department also provides consulting services to the Center for Disabilities and Development at UI, Child Health Specialty Clinics, and two state schools for individuals with developmental disabilities. Orthopaedic specialty clinics cover the following areas:

• Amputees
• Clubfoot
• Congenital Dislocation of the Hip
• Hand Reconstruction
• Hip and Knee Reconstruction
• Metabolic Diseases
• Neck and Back
• Neuromuscular Diseases (Pediatric and Adult)
• Scoliosis
• Sports Medicine
• Trauma
• Tumors
• Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Information and Referrals

For consultation or referral, or to obtain information on patients, please call UI Consult toll-free at 1-800-322-8442.

Consultations are enhanced by mailing or faxing pertinent clinical information in advance, if possible. Please direct department and division addressed correspondence to:

Department of Orthopaedics
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
200 Hawkins Drive
Iowa City, IA 52242-1009

Fax: 319-353-7199 (monitored weekdays)

Department Head

Divisions

Provides care and treatment for patients with

• arthritis
• fractures
• infections
• diabetic foot ulcers
• other problems affecting the foot

Special faculty expertise includes reconstruction of foot deformities such as

• bunion deformity
• deformities of the mid-foot and hind-foot
• complex fractures of the foot and ankle
• total ankle replacement

The departmental hip and knee reconstructive service provides care for patients with diseases of the hip and knee, with special expertise in advanced arthritis and other complex disorders.

Provides a full range of services for children with injuries, deformities, and developmental abnormalities in the musculoskeletal system. The physicians have extensive long-term experience in treatment of complex disorders such as clubfoot, scoliosis, and developmental dysplasia of the hip.

General Orthopaedics

Provides care for patients with a wide variety of diseases and injuries of the bones, joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments at the UI Hospitals and Clinics, the Iowa City Veteran's Administration Medical Center, and in regional clinics.

Hand and Microsurgery

Provides comprehensive care for patients with injuries, deformities, and acquired conditions affecting the upper extremity. These include:

• congenital abnormalities
• arthritis
• peripheral nerve problems
• wrist disorders, burns
• other injuries and conditions affecting the hand and upper extremity.

The Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service includes Joseph Chen, MD, and Neil Segal, MD. Chen is Medical Director of the Spine Rehabilitation Team, which treats patients with chronic back and neck pain using an interdisciplinary team including physical therapists, clinical psychologists, a vocational counselor, and a medical social worker. Chen also staffs an Impairment Evaluation and Treatment Clinic for patients with Workers’ Compensation issues. In addition, Chen provides inpatient trauma rehabilitation consults for patients with spinal cord injuries and traumatic brain injuries. He also provides consultative services for the Center for Disabilities and Development NeuroTrauma Rehabilitation Unit. Segal staffs a Rehabilitation Research Program that includes a K-12 grant on obesity and osteoarthritis. He is also writing additional research grants for other musculoskeletal rehabilitation topics.

Provides care and treatment for patients ranging in age from infants to the elderly with primary benign and malignant tumors of the bones, muscles, and other musculoskeletal tissues. In addition, this service provides care and treatment for patients with metastatic tumors involving the musculoskeletal system.

Provides comprehensive care of patients with all types of injuries to the musculoskeletal system including bones, joints, tendons, ligaments, and nerves.

Provides care for patients with a wide variety of neuromuscular diseases including cerebral palsy, spina bifida, traumatic injuries to the peripheral nervous system and spinal cord, and rehabilitation of individuals following strokes and other neurologic disorders. Patients with upper and lower extremity amputations also receive specialized care.

Shoulder Reconstruction

Provides care for patients with diseases and injuries of the shoulder including disorders of the rotator cuff and arthritis. Faculty members have special expertise in rotator cuff reconstruction and shoulder replacement.

Provides operative and non-operative treatment for patients with deformities of the spine including scoliosis, kyphosis, and paralytic deformities.

Provides care and treatment for patients with arthritic, traumatic, infectious, or neoplastic disorders of the spine extending from the cervical spine to the pelvis.

The UI Sports Medicine Center consolidates the expertise of different programs and specialties into one location for individuals participating in recreational and competitive athletics. The professional team includes specialists in orthopaedics, athletic training, rehabilitation, and primary care.

Supplementary Services

Certified hand therapists provide or supervise the care provided to patients with acute, chronic, and post-surgical hand and upper extremity conditions/dysfunctions, using techniques that include:

• Static/dynamic splinting
• exercise
• job modification modalities are available

Physical therapy is available for patients with the entire range of orthopaedic conditions/dysfunctions, including congenital, traumatic, overuse, rheumatological and degenerative conditions.

Incorporates splinting, exercise, general conditioning, and the use of compressive garments to optimize function and minimize scarring for burn patients.

Sports Related Injuries/Dysfunction

Patients with sports-related injuries/dysfunctions of acute or chronic nature receive care from or care directed by a physical therapist with advanced certification in sports medicine.

Temporal Mandibular Joint (TMJ) Dysfunctions

Physical therapy assessment of the temporal mandibular joint is provided as a component of a comprehensive evaluation available through the Division of Oral Surgery. Physical therapy techniques include exercise, splinting, and behavior modification.