The menisci are supplemental cushions in the knee that may tear and cause discomfort and swelling. The menisci may tear concomitant with another trauma to the knee such as an ACL tear. The menisci become more brittle with age and may tear with minimal trauma such as a twist or squat. Most meniscal tears are treated surgically with repair or trimming the damaged tissue arthroscopically. Dr. Adams has treated over 1000 patients with meniscal tears over the last 22 years and stays up to date with the latest surgical techniques. Whether the tear is repair or trimmed is based on the location and quality of the meniscal tissue.

This injury usually requires reconstruction of the torn ligament.   Adams Orthopaedics uses up to date techniques with a personalized approach.  The reconstruction is done using either a tendon graft harvested from the same patient such as a hamstring graft or patella tendon graft or a tendon graft harvested from a cadaver such as patella tendon graft.  The choice of graft is tailored to your age and activity level.  Dr. Adams has extensive experience and has treated hundreds of athletes from the valley. He uses the latest techniques with proven success. He does not experiment with unproven techniques to reconstruct your ACL.

At Adams Orthopaedics we treat your knee arthritis with conservative measures such as bracing or injections when it is warranted.  When conservative measures fail and knee replacement is necessary.  We use the latest Zimmer® Personna system for partial and complete knee replacements. Dr. Adams has been using Zimmer® knee replacements for over 20 years with great success and longevity. For very active individuals, he uses an implant preserving the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) which has been shown with multiple studies to last longer than implants sacrificing the PCL. The PCL aids in proprioception which gives the patient better stability with activities such as skiing, hiking, golf and tennis. Dr. Adams has performed over 1000 partial and complete knee replacements in his career.

At Adams Orthopaedics, we treat your hip arthritis with conservative measures as much as possible.   When conservative measures fail, hip replacement surgery is necessary.   We have over 7 years of experience performing a muscle sparing direct anterior approach which minimizes soft tissue damage and significantly decreases your recovery time. X-ray assistance during the surgery ensures proper sizing and placement of the hip prosthesis. We use the Accolade 2 press fit femoral stem, ceramic head, and Trident acetabular press fit cup with the X 2 polyethylene insert from Stryker®. We have used the Stryker® system for over 19 years with unparalleled success.

An MRI (special x-ray) is used to diagnose a rotator cuff tear.  If a significant partial thickness (greater than 50% of the width of the tendon) or a full thickness tear is found on the MRI, surgery is usually performed to reattach the torn tendon.  Dr Adams performs an arthroscopic, double row technique using the latest implants from Smith and Nephew®and Mitek®.  The recovery after rotator cuff surgery may take up to 6 months and requires strict adherence to guidelines and physical therapy.

Most of us live in the Roaring Fork Valley in order to enjoy the numerous outdoor activities available. Unfortunately, these activities are occasionally fraught with accidents and fractures. At Adams Orthopaedics, fractures are treated based on their severity with either conservative measures such as casting or bracing or with surgical repair. Over the last 22 years, we have treated 1000’s of patients with fractures and use the latest surgical repair systems available. The most common fractures treated surgically by Dr. Adams surgically include fractures of the hip, wrist, clavicle, ankle, tibial plateau, tibial shaft, humerus, scaphoid, olecranon, metacarpal(hand), metatarsal(foot), finger, forearm, and femoral shaft in order of frequency of the injury.

The ankle is complicated joint which can sustain many different types of injuries. Adams Orthopaedics treats all injuries with the most appropriate interventions.  Many are treated with conservative measures such as: bracing, immobilization with a boot, and physical therapy.  There are others which require surgical intervention such as certain fractures, achilles tendon tears, recurrent instability, osteochondral injuries, and peroneal tendon disorders.

Most patella dislocations are managed with bracing and physical therapy. If physical therapy fails or the dislocation is recurrent, surgical reconstruction is warranted. Surgeries done by Adams Orthopaedics to stabilize a patella are: MPFL (medial patellofemoral ligament) reconstruction, patella realignment osteotomy with a lateral retinaculum release and a medial plication or a medial patellofemoral ligament repair. The type of surgery performed is based on the latest orthopedic recommendations and 22 years of experience. Experimental procedures are not performed.  Physical therapy is used following surgery to return mobility and strength.

Tendinitis and ruptures are the most common injuries to the quadriceps and patella tendons of the knee.  We treat tendinitis with conservative measures such as physical therapy and rarely surgery. Tendon ruptures, however, require surgical repair.  We perform these surgeries in the most effective and proven measures with repair of the tendon back to its insertion on the patella. Recovery involves bracing and significant physical therapy and may take up to six months.

At Adams Orthopaedics, we treat a variety of hand injuries and disorders.  These include carpal tunnel syndrome, trigger Fingers, ganglion cysts, fractured/dislocated/sprained fingers, and mallet fingers.  Many of these issues can be resolved without surgery, however, many times they require surgical intervention including: carpal tunnel releases, trigger finger releases, cyst removal, and fracture fixations.

We treat a wide variety of elbow disorders: medial and lateral epicondylitis, bursitis, biceps and triceps tendon ruptures, olecranon and radial head fractures, and dislocations.  Most elbow disorders are treated conservatively, however some require surgery.  Adams Orthopaedics performs the following surgeries: biceps and triceps tendon repairs, olecranon and radial head fracture repairs when necessary, bursectomies, and nerve transpositions.