Shoulder & Elbow Surgery

Considered one of the top programs, the specialists at OrthoColorado Hospital are nationally recognized for pioneering advances in shoulder and elbow care as well their expertise in successfully treating the most complex cases.

Location
11650 W 2nd Pl
Lakewood, CO 80228
Distance:

Our Services

Advanced surgical solutions for shoulder & elbow pain

From minimally invasive arthroscopic techniques to total joint replacement and complicated fractures, shoulder and elbow surgeons at OrthoColorado Hospital have the advanced training and experience to treat your pain. Whether your shoulder condition can be repaired through a minimally invasive arthroscopic procedure, or if you require an open procedure, our surgeons excel at both.

The orthopedic shoulder specialists at OrthoColorado Hospital offer the most advanced treatments for patients of all ages with all types of shoulder problems. Our shoulder specialists will work with you to determine the most effective treatment – taking into consideration your specific condition, lifestyle and expectations. As a result of our commitment to providing state-of-the-art shoulder care, we are able to restore function and quality of life to patients.

You’ll also find the most experienced elbow team in the state at OrthoColorado Hospital. Our surgeons are fellowship-trained orthopedic specialists. They are often the experts that professional athletes turn to for help when their career depends on it.

Resources
Arthroscopic shoulder surgery

Shoulder & Elbow Surgery

Arthroscopic shoulder surgery

OrthoColorado Hospital shoulder surgeons are able to treat many shoulder conditions through arthroscopic procedures. Arthroscopy involves inserting a small camera and instruments through small incisions to view, diagnose, and repair the shoulder joint, surrounding ligaments, and tissues. These minimally invasive techniques decrease post-operative pain and allow for a faster recovery.

Rotator cuff repairs

Shoulder & Elbow Surgery

Rotator cuff repairs

The most commonly torn tendon in the human body is a muscle called the supraspinatus. It’s one of the tendons that make up the rotator cuff. The treatment for a rotator cuff injury will vary depending on whether or not the tear is degenerative or acute and the severity of the tear and pain. For those patients with acute tears, there is a small window of time to reattach an acute tear in a robust fashion. The majority of rotator cuff repairs that require surgery at OrthoColorado Hospital are fixed through the arthroscope, but for those patients with extreme tears or damage, our surgeons perform shoulder replacements and a newer procedure where the superior capsule is reconstructed.

Superior Capsule Reconstruction is only performed in a small number of hospitals throughout the country. OrthoColorado Hospital was one of the first centers to offer the procedure.

Shoulder impingement surgery

Shoulder & Elbow Surgery

Shoulder impingement surgery

If shoulder pain caused by impingement is not resolved through physical therapy and nonoperative treatments, surgery may be considered to create more space for the rotator cuff. This may entail removing bone spurs. OrthoColorado Hospital specialists have extensive experience removing inflamed tissue and the portion of the acromion bone that is causing pain and irritation to the rotator cuff.

Revision total shoulder replacement

Shoulder & Elbow Surgery

Revision total shoulder replacement

At OrthoColorado Hospital, we take on the most difficult cases. Many surgeons are not willing to perform revision shoulders. Our team is committed to bringing patients with failed shoulder replacements relief. We have had the opportunity to treat and offer relief to many individuals from around the United States who were suffering with poor results from prior shoulder joint replacements.

Shoulder replacement total shoulder

Shoulder & Elbow Surgery

Shoulder replacement total shoulder

The shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint surrounded by muscles and ligaments that help it move in many directions. Our shoulder specialists replace the damaged ball with a new ball of cobalt chrome that is attached to a stem and the damaged socket with a plastic one to give patients a smooth and full range of motion. The procedure is exceptionally effective at minimizing pain and maximizing function.

Reverse total shoulder replacement

Shoulder & Elbow Surgery

Reverse total shoulder replacement

OrthoColorado Hospital offers a breakthrough to patients suffering with large rotator cuff tears and/or previously unsuccessful shoulder replacements. For these patients, a regular total shoulder replacement would fail. Our surgeons perform reverse total shoulder replacements where the socket and metal ball are switched so that the metal ball is attached to the shoulder bone and a plastic socket is attached to the upper arm bone. By reversing the components, the patient uses the deltoid muscle instead of the damaged rotator cuff to lift the arm.

Shoulder instability

Shoulder & Elbow Surgery

Shoulder instability

OrthoColorado Hospital shoulder surgeons are experts at providing stability to individuals who repeatedly dislocate their shoulders. If the patient is young (teens, 20s and 30s) and the injury is only a labral tear, our specialists can often repair the tear arthroscopically. Most of these patients will have a full range of motion after surgery.

Unfortunately, each time the shoulder dislocates, additional damage can occur to the joint. At OrthoColorado Hospital, our specialists provide surgical relief to patients who dislocate their shoulder repeatedly. The instability of the shoulder joint can become so severe that dislocations can occur while a person is sleeping or even when they sneeze. To give stability and range of motion back to the people with severely damaged shoulders, our surgeons may perform what is called a Latarjet surgery. The complex procedure requires an open surgery that involves harvesting bone and tendon from the shoulder blade and transferring it to the side of the shoulder socket.

Elbow arthroscopy

Shoulder & Elbow Surgery

Elbow arthroscopy

OrthoColorado Hospital specializes in arthroscopic elbow surgeries. Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive way to perform surgery inside the elbow joint without making a large cut. Instead, our surgeons create a few small incisions around the elbow. A small tube with a camera and light is inserted into one of the incisions while small instruments are inserted into the other incisions to remove damaged tissue, smooth rough surfaces in the joint, repair damaged tendons and more. Because arthroscopic surgery is less invasive than traditional open surgical procedures, patients who choose elbow arthroscopy at OrthoColorado Hospital experience faster healing, lower infection rates, and reduced pain and scarring.

Elbow replacement

Shoulder & Elbow Surgery

Elbow replacement

The elbow surgeons at OrthoColorado Hospital perform more total elbow replacement surgeries than any other hospital in Colorado. Elbow replacement surgery is rare and should only be performed by a surgeon who performs the surgery regularly. We offer this surgery to patients with severe arthritis or a serious fracture. The procedure replaces the damaged parts of two elbow bones with artificial components. The two parts are then connected using a hinge pin that gives the joint stability. OrthoColorado Hospital is one of the few places that performs the surgery with the triceps tendon intact, making the recovery for patients much easier. OrthoColorado Hospital also performs limited elbow replacements for patients who only need one surface of the joint replaced.

Elbow fracture surgery

Shoulder & Elbow Surgery

Elbow fracture surgery

When one or more of the three bones that make up the elbow are fully out of place, the broken bones have cut through the skin (open or compound fracture) or the elbow joint is no longer functioning, our elbow specialists can help. OrthoColorado Hospital is a leading provider in the treatment of elbow fractures, from simple to complex. Our experienced surgeons will restore the broken bone to its original position and apply a fixation device, such as pins, plates or screws, to hold the bone or bone fragments in place while they heal.

Distal biceps tendon repair surgery

Shoulder & Elbow Surgery

Distal biceps tendon repair surgery

At OrthoColorado Hospital, we recommend surgery to repair a partial or full distal biceps tendon tear be performed within three weeks of the injury. A torn bicep tendon at the elbow will not grow back to the bone and heal. The minimally invasive surgery to reattach the tendon is performed through a small incision in the elbow.

Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction

Shoulder & Elbow Surgery

Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction

Tommy John Surgery Tommy John surgery (named for the first baseball pitcher to have the surgery) to reconstruct the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) is highly specialized. OrthoColorado Hospital surgeons are recognized as experts in Tommy John surgery. UCL injuries are common among baseball players or other athletes who play throwing sports. When this ligament tears completely, the only option that will allow the athlete to continue playing their sport is to reconstruct the ligament. During this procedure, the UCL is replaced with a tendon graft taken from elsewhere in the body. At OrthoColorado Hospital, the tendon is placed from side-to-side and secured with several specialized implants in order to allow for a more aggressive rehabilitation.

Conditions We Treat

  • Arthritis
  • Bursitis
  • Dislocation
  • Frozen Shoulder
  • Golfer’s Elbow
  • Impingement
  • Ligament Tears
  • Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
  • Fractures
  • Nerve and Tendon Injuries
  • Radial Tunnel Syndrome
  • Rotator Cuff Injury
  • Shoulder Instability
  • Soft Tissue Damage
  • Sports Injuries
  • Tendonitis
  • Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injuries

Colorado’s most advanced shoulder & elbow care

When you choose OrthoColorado Hospital, you are choosing the expert care of the state’s first shoulder and elbow institute. The team includes orthopedic surgeons subspecialty trained in shoulders, elbows, and sports medicine.

Whether you want to compete, play, or just get through your daily life, you count on your shoulders, elbows and arms. If injury, overuse, or the wear of daily life is causing you pain, turn to our orthopedic specialists for help. Don’t let pain prevent you from enjoying the activities you love, performing simple tasks, or caring for yourself and your family.

If you have a shoulder or elbow injury, don’t wait, contact our orthopedic doctors today. Our expert orthopedic surgeons for shoulders and elbows are just a click away.

Troy Gottlieb, MD
Charles Gottlob , MD
Orthopedic Surgery, Sports Medicine
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James Johnson, MD
James Johnson , MD
Orthopedic Surgery, Sports Medicine
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David Schneider, MD
David Schneider , MD
Orthopedic Surgery, Sports Medicine
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