Orthopaedic Surgery

UNM Hospital is the only Level 1 Trauma and academic medical center in New Mexico. This means our facilities, departments and specialists undergo rigorous training to provide the highest level of orthopaedic care. Visit us for advanced surgical care—we successfully complete more than 600 joint surgeries a year.

Our 25+ board-certified orthopaedic surgeons are experts in specialties ranging from trauma to sports medicine. We provide a range of advanced surgeries and minimally invasive procedures—smaller incisions and faster recovery. Explore our most common procedures and what to expect.

Common Orthopaedic Surgeries

Arthroscopic surgery is minimally invasive. The most common sites of arthroscopic surgery are knees, shoulders, elbows, ankles, hips and wrists. It can be used to treat Paget’s disease, tendinitis, ACL tears and torn menisci.

Your surgeon will insert a small, flexible tube into your incision. This tube has a camera attached to help your surgeon see the joint and tissue. From there, your condition can be treated with small instruments within the arthroscope.

Debridement removes damaged tissue, tendon, bursa or bone debris. This damaged material can interfere with normal healing and functions.

Debridement surgery can be performed openly or arthroscopically, depending on the affected area. It is used to treat arthritis, torn ACL or meniscus, osteoporosis, severe tendinitis or water on the knee.

In open surgery, your surgeon creates one or more incisions to expose an affected area. Open surgery is used in joint replacement, to fix tennis elbow and to treat tunnel syndrome.

The plantar fascia is a ligament connecting your heel to your toes. Plantar fasciitis is inflammation of this ligament; it can usually be treated with physical therapy and medication. In severe cases, open or arthroscopic surgery is needed to relieve inflammation and tension.

When tendons, ligaments or muscles tear, reconstructive surgery is used for a faster recovery. Good candidates for this surgery are those with complex bone fractures or sports injuries or those who have experienced blunt force trauma.

Bone reconstructive surgery is not recommended for patients with degenerated bones from arthritis, osteoporosis or Paget’s disease. In these cases, the bones are too brittle and weak to be repaired.

Severe cases of scoliosis—or curvature of the spine—are treated with spinal fusion surgery. A skilled UNM Health surgeon will connect two or more bones with new bone—similar to the healing process for broken bones. Bones may be supported by metal rods, wires, hooks or screws for proper growth of new bone.

If you need a new hip, knee or shoulder, we can help. We offer total joint replacement surgery at our state-of-the-art Sandoval Regional Medical Center. The UNM orthopaedic team is skilled at using the latest surgical technologies, so you can have a faster, safer recovery.

Learn more about what to expect during your joint replacement surgery.

Make an Appointment

To schedule an orthopaedic appointment, call 505-272-4866.

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