Orthopedic Care at Penn Highlands

Customized Orthopedic Care Throughout Pennsylvania

If you have an illness, injury, or chronic condition that’s causing you joint or muscle pain, it’s time to seek orthopedic care from an expert. Penn Highlands orthopedic teams provide specialized care for all types of joint, bone, and muscle issues. We combine the most effective treatments from orthopedic care, sports medicine, orthopedic physical therapy, pain management, and orthopedic surgery to create customized treatment plans for each of our patients.

About Us
From Sports Medicine to Joint Replacement Surgery

At Penn Highlands Healthcare, you don’t need to know what type of orthopedic care you need. You can get care for your orthopedic issues through our emergency rooms, orthopedic urgent care, QCare walk-in clinics, or make an appointment with one of our providers. Our integrated approach to orthopedic care means you’ll receive the care that is going to work best for your condition. Unless emergency surgery is needed, we always begin with the most conservative treatment possible with the goal of eliminating or reducing your pain and restoring your function so that you can return to work and life.

Advanced Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation

100 Trich Drive
Suite 2
Washington, PA 15301
724-255-8657

Advanced Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation

1200 McKean Avenue
Suite 106
Charleroi, PA 15022
724-489-0120

Advanced Regional Center for Orthopedics and Podiatry

711 Logan Boulevard
Altoona, PA 16602
814-943-3668

Dicesare Orthopedic Medicine LLC

438 Pellis Road
Greensburg, PA 15601
412-364-8480

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Fracture ClinicA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois

The Fracture Clinic
123 Hospital Avenue
DuBois, PA 15801
814-375-6200 Option Fracture Clinic

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Hospital Drive

154 Hospital Drive
Suite 3
Tyrone, PA 16686
814-684-6347

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Uniontown

150 Wayland Smith Drive
Suite A
Uniontown, PA 15401
724-437-8200,724 379 5802

Penn Highlands Tyrone

Orthopedic Clinic
187 Hospital Drive
Tyrone, PA 16866
814-684-6301

Tri-County Orthopaedics

1200 McKean Avenue
Charleroi, PA 15022
724-489-0120

Doctor Photo
Antholz, Casey, DO
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

University Orthopedics Center - DuBois


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Avolio, Armando, MD
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

Advanced Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation


Doctor Photo In Network
Barter, Bradley A. , DO
Specialties

Foot and Ankle Surgery

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Fracture ClinicA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Hospital Drive


Doctor Photo
Beech, Brett J., PA-C
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

Penn Highlands Tyrone


Doctor Photo In Network
Beers, Tyler, PA-C
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - ClarionA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois

View Providers Practice

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Boscan, Mallory, PA-C
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Charleroi

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Rostraver Township

View Providers Practice

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Brunermer, Todd, PA-C
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

University Orthopedics Center - State College


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Burchfield, Danielle, PA-C
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Sports Medicine

Locations

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Charleroi

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Rostraver Township


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Claar, David Scott, PA-C
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

Penn Highlands Tyrone


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Colquhoun, Vanessa R., PA-C
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

Penn Highlands Tyrone


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Conrad, Lauren E., PA-C
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

University Orthopedics Center - DuBois


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Damin, Anthony, PA-C
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

University Orthopedics Center - Huntingdon


Doctor Photo In Network
Dinsmore, Harry H., MD, MS
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Sports Medicine

Locations

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - HuntingdonA Service of Penn Highlands Huntingdon

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Tyrone


Doctor Photo In Network
Gindlesperger, Mark, PA-C
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Rostraver Township

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Uniontown

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Hanzely, Dulcie, PA-C
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - DuBois COEA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois

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Hennessy, Shane, DO
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Sports Medicine

Locations

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - California

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Charleroi

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Rostraver Township

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Uniontown

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Herbstritt, Macy, PA-C
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Pain Management

Locations

Penn Highlands Interventional Pain Center - DuBoisA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois

Penn Highlands Interventional Pain Center - St. MarysA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - St. MarysA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois


Doctor Photo In Network
Hess, Kayla, PA-C
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

Tri-County Orthopaedics


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Inzana, Andrea L., PA-C, CAQ-OS
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Sports Medicine

Locations

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - DuBois COEA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - St. MarysA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois


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Knerr, Kristen, PA-C
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

Advanced Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation


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Lincoski, Christopher, MD
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

University Orthopedics Center - State College


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McClellan, Christopher S. , DO
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

University Orthopedics Center - DuBois


Doctor Photo In Network
Miksich, Morgan, PA-C
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Sports Medicine

Locations

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - DuBois COEA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois

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Doctor Photo In Network
Nartatez, Mark A., DO
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Sports Medicine

Locations

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - ClearfieldA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Hospital Drive

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - PhilipsburgA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois


Doctor Photo In Network
Parker, Madalyn, PA-C
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - ClearfieldA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - DuBois COEA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois

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Patel, Ashish Kumar, MD
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - ClearfieldA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - DuBois COEA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois

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Doctor Photo
Popchak, Nicholas, PA-C
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

University Orthopedics Center - State College


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Port, Joshua, MD
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

University Orthopedics Center - Huntingdon


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Pritts, Eric L. , PA-C
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Sports Medicine

Locations

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Rostraver Township

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Uniontown

View Providers Practice

Doctor Photo
Raymond, Alex G., DO
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

Advanced Regional Center for Orthopedics and Podiatry


Doctor Photo In Network
Richman, Jory, MD
Specialties

Orthopedic Trauma

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Fracture ClinicA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois


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Ripepi, Vincent J., DO
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

Advanced Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation


Doctor Photo
Ruby, Brian, PA-C
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Charleroi

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Rostraver Township

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Seeley, Victoria, PA-C
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Sports Medicine

Locations

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - ClearfieldA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - DuBoisA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois

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Sheba, David, DO
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Rostraver Township

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Uniontown

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Sheba, Justin, DO
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Rostraver Township

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Uniontown

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Singer, Robert J., DO
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

Penn Highlands Tyrone


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Smaniotto, John A., PA-C
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

University Orthopedics Center - DuBois


Doctor Photo In Network
Smith, Kati, PA-C
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Sports Medicine

Locations

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - HuntingdonA Service of Penn Highlands Huntingdon

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Tyrone


Doctor Photo
Stracci, Joseph P., MD
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

Advanced Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation


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Thompson, Aaron, PA-C
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

University Orthopedics Center - DuBois


Doctor Photo In Network
Tissenbaum, Allan , MD
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Charleroi

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Rostraver Township

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Doctor Photo In Network
Torretti, Kristina, MPAS, PA-C
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Sports Medicine

Locations

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - DuBoisA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois

View Providers Practice

Doctor Photo
Tyndall, William A., MD
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Sports Medicine

Locations

University Orthopedics Center - Huntingdon


Doctor Photo
Van Kleunen, Jonathan, MD
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

Penn Highlands Tyrone


Doctor Photo In Network
Vanchure, David, PA-C
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Spine Surgery

Sports Medicine

Locations

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - DuBoisA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois

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Doctor Photo In Network
Varacallo, Christopher P., DO, CAQSM, FAAFP
Specialties

Sports Medicine

Locations

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - ClarionA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - DuBois COEA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois

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Doctor Photo In Network
Varacallo, Matthew A., MD, MBA, FAAOS
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Sports Medicine

Locations

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - DuBoisA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois

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Doctor Photo
Walters, Brian, CRNP
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Rostraver Township

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Wells, Rene, PA-C
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Fracture ClinicA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois


Doctor Photo In Network
Yarger, Sarah E., PA-C
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - PhilipsburgA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois


Doctor Photo In Network
Zeliger, Keith L., DO
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Sports Medicine

Locations

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - DuBois COEA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - St. MarysA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois


Doctor Photo In Network
Zenner, Justin A., DO
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Sports Medicine

Locations

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Charleroi

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Rostraver Township


Doctor Photo
Zora, Keith M., DO
Specialties

Orthopedics / Orthopedic Surgery

Locations

University Orthopedics Center - Huntingdon


Orthopedic Care

In Northwestern/Central and Southwestern Pennsylvania

If you have an illness, injury, or chronic condition that’s causing you joint or muscle pain, it’s time to seek orthopedic care from an expert. The orthopedic specialists (also called bone doctors) at Penn Highlands Healthcare are some of the most experienced in Pennsylvania. Our expert diagnostic capabilities and integrated treatment plans mean you’ll receive the best care for your condition, whether that means orthopedic or sports medicine services, arthroscopic surgery, joint replacement, physical therapy, pain management, or home care. Our orthopedic doctors evaluate and treat all types of conditions, including back and neck pain, muscle sprains, broken bones, torn ligaments, arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome and more.

Where Can I Get Orthopedic Care at Penn Highlands?

With 16 locations throughout central Pennsylvania, you can be sure you’ll get the orthopedic care you need close to home.

From Back Pain to Joint Replacement, Penn Highlands Orthopedic Care has you Covered.

Penn Highlands orthopedic and sports medicine doctors evaluate and treat all types of conditions, including back and neck pain, muscle strains, broken bones, torn ligaments, arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome and more. With locations throughout central Pennsylvania, you can be sure you’ll get the orthopedic care you need close to home. Our orthopedic surgeons and sports medicine physicians treat every type of orthopedic condition, including some of the most common orthopedic injuries and ailments:

  • Spine conditions, such as herniated discs, radiculopathy, sciatica, pinched nerves, and osteoarthritis
  • Joint ailments, including osteoarthritis, injuries, bursitis, and tendinitis
  • Sports or activity injuries, such as tennis elbow, rotator cuff tears, torn ACL or meniscus,
  • Work injuries, including back injuries, carpal tunnel, dislocated joints or strained muscles
Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Clinics at Penn Highlands
Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - California

371 Skyline Drive
California, PA 15419
724-379-5802

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Charleroi

625 Lincoln Avenue
North Charleroi, PA 15022
724-379-5802

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - ClarionA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois

265 Holiday Inn Road
Clarion, PA 16214
814-297-8861

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - ClearfieldA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois

815 Doctors Drive
Clearfield, PA 16830
814-768-2067

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - DuBois COEA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois

123 Hospital Avenue
DuBois, PA 15801
814-375-6200

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - DuBoisA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois

145 Hospital Avenue
DuBois, PA 15801
814-375-6200

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Fracture ClinicA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois

The Fracture Clinic
DuBois, PA 15801
814-375-6200 Option Fracture Clinic

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Hospital Drive

154 Hospital Drive
Tyrone, PA 16686
814-684-6347

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - HuntingdonA Service of Penn Highlands Huntingdon

1227 Warm Springs Avenue
Huntingdon, PA 16652
814-643-8485

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - PhilipsburgA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois

271 Railroad Street
Philipsburg, PA 16866
814-342-2740

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Rostraver Township

800 Plaza Drive
Rostraver Township, PA 15012
724-379-5802

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Southwest
Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - St. MarysA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois

761 Johnsonburg Road
St. Marys, PA 15857
814-834-1686

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Tyrone

221 Hospital Drive
Tyrone, PA 16686
814-684-6301

Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Uniontown

150 Wayland Smith Drive
Uniontown, PA 15401
724-437-8200,724 379 5802

Our Orthopedic Care Experts Help you Achieve your Best

Penn Highlands provides orthopedic care throughout the state of Pennsylvania. In recent years, we have expanded our services to include every aspect of orthopedic care that you might need. Our orthopedic care program features orthopedic surgeons, sports medicine physicians, pain management experts, physical therapists, and home care professionals. This approach means that you can count on our team to get you the care you need in the easiest and fastest way possible.

We offer a wide range of integrated orthopedic care to help you get back to living the life you want. Our orthopedic doctors are experts at figuring out what is causing your pain and developing a customized plan that includes the best combination of treatments, including:

  • Sports medicine: This specialty focuses on preventing and treating injuries that occur from any type of activity, from tennis and golf to team sports.
  • Orthopedic surgery: Our orthopedic doctors are highly skilled at performing surgery for spine and joint issues. They perform minimally invasive orthopedic surgery as well as robotic joint replacement.
  • Orthopedic physical therapy: Ortho rehab is one of the best ways to help you recover from an orthopedic injury and may even help you avoid surgery. After surgery, orthopedic physical therapy will help you recover the most function possible.
  • Pain management: Penn Highlands Pain Management Clinics in central Pennsylvania provide specialized care and therapy to patients who are experiencing back pain, neck pain, joint pain, and other types of pain caused by orthopedic conditions. We help patients avoid long-term use of pain medication with interventional treatments.
  • Walk-in orthopedic care: Penn Highlands QCare Walk-in Clinics can treat many minor orthopedic injuries, including back pain, sprains, and simple fractures. They also conduct sports physicals.
  • Home care: Penn Highlands Healthcare at Home can help patients recover from surgery with in-home rehabilitation services, including physical therapy to improve strength and range of motion, plus massage, icing, and taping.

Advanced Orthopedic Care at Penn Highlands

From Clarion to Clearfield, DuBois to Huntingdon, Penn Highlands provides comprehensive and expert orthopedic care throughout central Pennsylvania. We are dedicated to providing you with not just the best orthopedic care possible but the most appropriate care that will relieve your pain and restore function. We always try to treat any orthopedic or spine condition with non-surgical treatments first. If you need surgery, our orthopedic surgeons offer advanced robotic-assisted and minimally invasive procedures, including:

  • Hand surgery: Penn Highlands orthopedic surgeons treat injuries and deformities of the hands, wrists, and forearms with such procedures as microinvasion carpal tunnel release, wrist arthroscopy, and thumb reconstruction.
  • Hip replacement: Surgery to replace all or part of the surfaces of a worn-out hip joint can improve mobility, reduce pain, and allow you to resume the activities you enjoy.
  • Hip resurfacing: During this procedure, the worn surfaces of the hip are resurfaced with man-made components. Less bone is removed with hip resurfacing than with hip replacement.
  • Knee replacement: Surgery to replace all of the worn-out knee joint surfaces as well as a portion of the thigh and calf sections of the joint can improve mobility, reduce pain, and allow you to resume the activities you enjoy.
  • Partial knee replacement: In this procedure, only the affected part of the knee is replaced as opposed to the entire surface.
  • Shoulder replacement surgery: Surgery to replace all of the worn-out shoulder joint surfaces as well as lining the joint to improve mobility, reduce pain, and allow you to resume the activities you enjoy.

The orthopedic surgeons at Penn Highlands are proud to be able to provide central Pennsylvania with access to the latest technology and surgical techniques, including:

  • Mako SmartRoboticsTM: This technology uses 3-D CT-based planning software to help your Penn Highlands orthopedic surgeon create a joint replacement surgical plan that is precise and customized to your anatomy.
  • Fertilized ACL reconstruction: Pioneered by Penn Highlands orthopedic surgeon Matthew Varacallo, this procedure to repair the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) incorporates bone marrow and stem cells to speed healing and reduce risk for reinjury.

Why choose Penn Highlands for Orthopedic Care?

At Penn Highlands, we continuously evaluate our performance to ensure that we provide the highest-quality, individualized orthopedic care to each of our patients. Our team of orthopedic doctors, sports medicine physicians, orthopedic physical therapists, nurses, and advanced practice providers work together to deliver on our shared focus of clinical and service excellence in all aspects of your joint replacement experience.

Penn Highlands is the first in northwestern/central Pennsylvania to offer the latest surgical treatment options for hip replacement, knee replacement, and partial knee replacement. Our orthopedic care team performs joint replacement using the Mako SmartRoboticsTM surgical system at Penn Highlands Clearfield and Penn Highlands DuBois. The Mako robot uses 3-D CT-based planning software so your orthopedic surgeon can know better understand your unique anatomy and create a joint replacement surgical plan that is precise and customized to your body.

You don’t need to travel far to get expert orthopedic care in central Pennsylvania. Ask your primary care provider for a referral to a Penn Highlands specialist or find an orthopedic doctor or sports medicine physician near you.

FAQs

When should I see an orthopedic doctor?


Most muscle, bone, and joint issues can be treated at home or with the assistance of a primary care provider. If you don’t get relief, your pain gets worse, or your condition starts to affect your ability to perform daily activities, it’s time to see an orthopedic doctor. You also need to be evaluated by an orthopedic specialist if you have:

  • Orthopedic trauma, such as from a vehicle collision or crush injury
  • Chronic pain lasting three months or longer
  • Soft tissue injury that doesn’t improve after 48 hours

If your injury is caused by sports or an activity, you may be wondering if you should see an orthopedic surgeon or sports medicine physician. There is a lot of overlap in the two specialties as they both evaluate and treat musculoskeletal disorders, and many orthopedic surgeons subspecialize in sports medicine. The main difference is that sports medicine doctors specialize in injuries and disorders related to activity whereas orthopedic doctors are trained in all musculoskeletal conditions no matter their cause, including aging of your spine and joints.

At Penn Highlands, however, you don’t have to worry about choosing the right type of doctor. Whether you come to us through the emergency room, urgent care, or make an appointment with a Penn Highlands orthopedic surgeon or sports medicine doctor, you can be sure that you will get the right care for your condition.

What are the symptoms of serious orthopedic problems?

If you have pain that doesn’t resolve or if decreased mobility is causing you to alter your routine, it’s time to talk to your doctor. In fact, back pain and joint pain, swelling, and stiffness are some of the most common reasons for medical visits. When larger joints like hips and knees become damaged, they can become weak or unstable, causing you to alter the way you walk (your gait) or make it difficult to climb stairs or get in and out of your car. Other signs to watch for include redness or heat, tingling and numbness, difficulty fully straightening a joint, and popping or crunching noises when you use your joint. You do not need to live with these symptoms. They are treatable, most of the time without surgery.

What are the most common orthopedic injuries and conditions?

There are more than 200 bones in the human body, plus six major joints—hip, knee, ankle, shoulder, elbow, wrist—and many others, like those in your fingers and toes. Each has a system of ligaments, tendons, and muscles holding them in place. In addition, your spine is a complex series of vertebrae and discs. That means there are a multitude of orthopedic-related conditions that can affect you. Some of the most common conditions treated by our orthopedic doctors and surgeons are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, sports injuries, broken bones, torn ACLs and other ligaments, degenerative disc disease, and carpal tunnel syndrome.

How will an orthopedic doctor diagnose my condition?

To diagnose orthopedic conditions and determine their severity, orthopedic doctors use a variety of tests. In addition to a physical exam and range of motion tests, they rely on diagnostic imaging to get an inside look at your bones, joints, and ligaments. Those tests may include X-rays, bone scans (DEXA), CT scans, discography, MRI, and nerve conduction studies.

How are common orthopedic conditions treated?

Your primary care physician typically will recommend non-surgical treatments such as rest, ice, physical therapy, occupational therapy, pain and anti-inflammatory medications, injections, wrapping, or splinting. If your pain or mobility doesn’t improve with these types of treatment, you might be referred to an orthopedic surgeon or sports medicine doctor for a closer look and additional therapies.

Arthroscopy is a common minimally invasive surgical technique used by orthopedic surgeons. In this approach, the surgeon uses a small camera, inserted through a 1- to 3-centimeter incision to visualize the inside of your joint. The same incisions are used to insert small surgical tools to remove or repair damaged tissue or bone. Arthroscopic surgery can be used for repairing a torn meniscus in the knee, a torn rotator cuff in the shoulder, carpal tunnel syndrome, or to perform other procedures on joints, ligaments, and tendons.

If damage to a joint is severe enough, your orthopedic surgeon may recommend either total or partial joint replacement. This surgery is most often performed on the hip, knee, and shoulder. Penn Highlands specializes in knee replacement and hip replacement surgery.

Learn more about the Joint Replacement Program at Penn Highlands Healthcare.

Upcoming Orthopedic Care Events

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Conditions We Treat

  • ACL Injuries
  • Ankle Injuries/Discomfort
  • Arm Injuries/Discomfort
  • Benign Bone Tumors
  • Bone Cysts
  • Bone Diseases
  • Bone Grafting
  • Bowlegged Deformity
  • Brachial Plexus Injuries
  • Broken Bones
  • Bunions
  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Dislocations
  • Elbow Injuries/Discomfort
  • Foot Injuries/Discomfort
  • Golfer's Elbow
  • Growth Plate Arrest
  • Hand Injuries/Discomfort
  • Hip Impingement
  • Hip Injuries/Discomfort
  • Hip Replacement
  • Joint Arthritis
  • Joint Infections
  • Knee Replacement
  • Leg Injuries/Discomfort
  • Limb Deformities
  • Meniscus Problems
  • Muscular Dystrophy
  • Neck Injuries/Discomfort
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Osteoblastoma
  • Pelvic Injuries/Discomfort
  • Replacement Surgeries
  • Scoliosis
  • Shoulder Injuries/Discomfort
  • Spine Injuries/Discomfort
  • Sprains
  • Tendinitis
  • Wrist Injuries/Discomfort

Orthopedic Care News

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Videos

Brian Picks Penn Highlands Mako Robot for Hip Replacement
Bruce Discusses Penn Highlands Mako Joint Replacement
Dale Shares His Experience Penn Highlands Mako Joint Replacement
​​​David Sheba, DO, Meet Your Provider
FMRC Keeping DuBois Dream Healthy
Jerry is the First Patient at Penn Highlands to Get Knee Replacement
Joann Talks About her Penn Highlands Mako Joint Replacement
Justin Sheba, DO, Meet Your Provder
Keith Zeliger, DO - Here with the best care we can provide.
Matt Varacallo, DO - We’re still here to serve you.
Matthew A. Varacallo, MD - Hip Arthritis
Matthew A. Varacallo, MD - Knee Arthritis
Matthew A. Varacallo, MD - Shoulder Arthritis
Meet Penn Highlands Mako Robot for Joint Replacement
Meet the Penn Highlands Mako Robot
Samantha Robinson, CRNP