About Orthopaedic Surgery
a hand pointing at a computer screen

Specialty Musculoskeletal Care Since 1873

It’s our honor and privilege to care for patients throughout their entire lifespan, improving their quality of life and supporting any musculoskeletal challenge along the way.

Our Foundations of Excellence

Mission

Leading advances in musculoskeletal health for all through excellence and innovative patient care, scientific discovery and dedicated teaching

Vision

A leader in transforming the future of musculoskeletal healthcare with excellence and equity of treatment, advancement of quality research innovation, and dedication to education

Our Values
Caring
Integrity
Teamwork
Innovation

What We Do

Orthopaedic surgery is one of the most exciting and dynamic medical specialties today: maintaining or restoring musculoskeletal function

Orthopaedists interact with patients throughout their lives, from pediatrics to geriatrics and in between. From minor fractures or sprains to life-saving cancer surgery, our unique position allows us to impact a patient’s quality of life, their whole life long. 

Top-Notch Education

Our orthopaedic surgery residency program is an ACGME-approved, 5-year program covering musculoskeletal medicine and surgery. Residents become competent, well-educated orthopaedic surgeons with ample opportunities for clinical medicine, surgery, research, personal growth and leadership.

The department’s acclaimed training programs attract the best and brightest medical students, residents, and fellows from Michigan, the country, and the world. Those trainees learn at the forefront of medicine and help us to provide cutting-edge care using the most recent and advanced technologies.

Innovative Research

Our research is focused on basic science to understand bone and joint disease to translate state-of-the-art advances to treatments for the patients who need them.

Our History

Learn more about our journey of pioneering technological and scientific advancements, beginning in 1873 when faculty housing was converted into the University’s first hospital.

Our Faculty

Explore the renowned faculty behind our educational and clinical programs.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

With funding, mentorship resources, culture and an inclusive learning environment, we aim to reflect and understand the diverse population of patients we serve while being inclusive of all people.

Giving

Donations to the Orthopaedic Surgery Department transform lives, every day. From our research programs to specific education programs to DEI and beyond, there are so many meaningful ways to give to our mission in any denomination.

Orthopaedic Surgery Internal Website

Resources and information for current OrthoSurgery learners and faculty.

Orthopaedic Surgery Intranet
Featured News & Stories See all news Blurred image of health care professionals in blue scrubs pushing a gurney down a hallway
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Primary care scarcity linked to more surgical emergencies, problems
Patients living in areas with the worst shortages of primary care providers are more likely to have emergency surgery, surgical complications and hospital readmissions.
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Is surgery the best option for ruptured Achilles tendons in young adults?
Achilles tendon ruptures are normally treated with surgical procedures, but there are other options with equal outcomes.
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Worries about costs, time off work and COVID-19 kept some older adults from having surgery
Elective surgery study shows older adults have concerns about what it will cost them, how much work they’ll miss and whether they’ll catch COVID-19.
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Breaking the curve
A Michigan Medicine expert calls for comprehensive scoliosis awareness and care.
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Young man’s debilitating back pain a thing of the past
Piotrowski consulted with a spectrum of doctors, physical therapists and chiropractors, each with a different recommendation for how to treat a herniated disc in the lower portion of his spine until he found one at Michigan Medicine recommending lumbar microdiscectomy, a procedure that involves small incisions to remove portions of the herniated disc and ease pressure on the spinal cord nerves.
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Why new patient paperwork isn’t just busy work
While it’s easy to overlook doctor's office questionnaires, that paperwork actually serves a vital role in better understanding how to treat you. Called patient reported outcomes, this information gives medical specialists insight into how treatments truly impact you as a patient.