Orthopedics

Receive outstanding fracture care from a Level I trauma service

If you or a loved one suffers a fracture and is rushed to the Tufts Medical Center Emergency Department, you’ll be treated by the experienced surgeons of our Orthopedic Trauma Program.

You’ll be in excellent hands because:

• Tufts Medical Center combine to form a Level I Trauma Service, which means we’re qualified to treat all levels of injuries, including the most life-threatening.
• The Orthopedic Trauma team is staffed by doctors who are experienced in emergency care and highly skilled in treating the most severe fractures.

Meet the orthopedic trauma surgeons

Scott Ryan, MD has served as Chief of the Orthopedic Trauma Program since 2011. He received fellowship training in trauma at the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, which is recognized internationally for excellence in trauma research, patient care and teaching. Dr. Ryan is an expert in handling the most complex fractures in the lower extremities, shoulder, upper arm, pelvis and acetabulum. 

Our Sports Medicine and Shoulder Division surgeon Matthew Salzler, MD also treat clavicle and shoulder fractures.
 
Orthopedist-in-Chief Charles Cassidy, MD  rounds out our surgical trauma team.

We provide exceptional care for complex and basic fractures

When you break a bone, often you’re treated at the emergency room. But if you’re injury isn’t life-threatening, you can still make an appointment to be evaluated and treated by our orthopedic surgeons, who rank among the best in their specialties in Boston.

Our surgical staff is highly skilled in treating all basic and complex fractures, including:

• Fractures of the pelvis, the acetabulum (socket of the hip joint) and areas in and around joints
• Complications due to previous fractures that have healed poorly (non-union) or in the wrong position (mal-union) or become infected

We have a dedicated team to help you before and after surgery

In addition to our surgeons, the entire team of the Orthopedic Trauma Program is here to help you and includes:

• Attentive and caring support staff, who can assist with processing paperwork, answer questions on postoperative recovery and more
• Specialists in orthopedic casting and custom braces
• Physical therapists, who excel in helping you return to your everyday activities as soon as possible

What is osteomyelitis?

Osteomyelitis is the medical term for a bone infection. Bone infections can occur when:  A break in the skin allows bacteria to spread into bone tissue Bacteria spreads from an infection in another part of the body, through the blood, to infect the bone An injury—such as a fracture, where the bone comes through the skin— exposes the bone to bacteria Osteomyelitis in adults. There are two types of osteomyelitis, acute and chronic. Chronic osteomyelitis is more common in adults, develops over one month to several years, and can be caused by many types of bacteria. Chronic osteomyelitis occurs when an open injury or wound near a bone allows bacteria to spread into the bone.  Whenever there is bone or orthopaedic hardware that is seen through the skin, bacteria has invaded that area.

Risk factors for osteomyelitis:

• A skin infection
• An open wound near a bone or orthopaedic hardware
• A broken bone that initially came through the skin
• Surgery
• An infection anywhere in your body

Diagnosis and treatment of osteomyelitis Our multidisciplinary approach for osteomyelitis involves coordinated care from our Orthopedic Trauma Surgery, Infectious Disease, and Vascular, Wound Healing & Hyperbaric Medicine teams. We will perform one or more of the following types of testing to discern what type(s) of bacteria are causing the infection: blood tests, wound cultures, MRI, bone scans, and X-rays. 

Once the type and cause of the osteomyelitis has been diagnosed, treatment options typically include:

• Antibiotics –In IV and/or pill form.
• Surgery – Treatment of osteomyelitis typically requires multiple operations.

Our orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Scott Ryan will:

• Open the infected area around the bone and remove any dead tissue/bone
• If needed, surgically reconstruct the bone if large pieces have died
• If needed, surgically cover any areas of exposed bone or deep soft tissues