Forward Momentum

Michael Palmer, MD, and The Christ Hospital Health Network provide award-winning orthopedic care with state-of-the-art treatments.

Dr. Michael Palmer, medical director of the musculoskeletal service line at The Christ Hospital Health Network, was first turned onto orthopedic care after suffering a leg injury in college. As his medical education advanced through Drexel University, he became further interested in the specialty while working in the trauma bay, “I was able to see how everyone gets put back together“ when talking of a particular car accident patient. Palmer graduated residency in 2014 from Allegheny Health Network in Pittsburgh, then served on Active Duty in the United States Air Force at Wright Patterson Air Force base for 3 years. He came to Cincinnati for a fellowship in Orthopedic Sports Medicine at Cincinnati Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center in 2017-18, completing his studies and ultimately choosing The Christ Hospital upon completion of his education.

“The Christ Hospital has a total commitment to excellence which permeates through the organization, from the top leadership down to the staff.” Dr. Palmer mentioned the culture of the local, independently run organization as a blessing to the community. “Doctors are involved in upper leadership right away. The longevity and loyalty of the staff and patients is something I hadn’t experienced before, and it is a very special place.” This commitment to excellence has allowed the organization to continue to look at better ways to take care of its patients.

At present, robotics are a large component of Dr. Palmer’s case load, utilized in 95 percent of both partial and total knee replacement surgeries. The use of robotics allows for more precise three-dimensional balancing, which improves accuracy of bone cuts to limit outliers and minimize trauma and damage to soft tissue created during the surgery. Robotic surgery helps to enable longerlasting knee replacement success.

The joint and spine care team has also adapted new practices based on the changes that COVID has brought on. These include encouraging at-home recovery with more than 90% of joint replacement surgeries as outpatient procedures or being home within 23 hours. ”Our perioperative protocols help minimize complications like infections and blood clots while maximizing patient function and experience; and, overall controlling the costs of the treatments better.”

The commitment to patients and maximizing their recovery after surgery has led to developments of opioid sparing protocols. These include innovations with nerve blocks, preoperative and intraoperative pain control, and a multimodal regimen of treatments after surgery. Aside from joint replacements, many innovative procedures are being performed to help restore function and quality of life for patients. Muscle and tendon transfers, ligament reconstructions, cartilage restoration, and limb and spinal realignment surgeries just to name a few.

It is quite clear that The Christ Hospital Health Network takes medicine, joint, and spine care seriously. Continuing to stay abreast of cutting-edge treatments, using state-of-the-art robotics and technology, and building on more than 125-years of defining exceptional care, their highly-skilled and experienced team of physicians can get you moving again.

To find a physician for you, visit www.thechristhospital.com.