We are a full-service orthopaedic clinic. From surgery to therapy – our number one priority is your health, and our knowledgeable staff is here to assist in meeting all of your orthopaedic needs.
A comprehensive space provides you with everything you need as a patient. You can request an appointment, find paperwork, or pay your bill in one place.
Our physicians are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week to handle all of your orthopaedic, pain management, and physical medicine and rehabilitation needs. Correspondence received via the online form is monitored during normal business hours – Monday through Friday, 8am until 5pm. If you have an urgent question after office hours, please call (251) 410-3600.
Low back and leg pain can be caused by a herniated disc or “pinched nerve”. Like most spine surgeons, Dr. Donahoe gets the best surgical results from relieving pain caused by nerve compression. Patients who have not improved with medication and physical therapy may be candidates for a minimally invasion procedure done in our same day surgery center. Using a microscope during the procedure, Dr. Donahoe removes bone spurs and the herniated disc to alleviate compression of the spinal nerves. Patients go home the same day and experience pain relief in the leg from “pinched nerves”.
AOC Doctors pride themselves on providing excellent patient care. Dr. Cockrell received this letter from a patient expressing her gratitude for his “kindness and expertise.” Now, after her procedure, she is able to walk pain-free.
Dr. Russell Hudgens, Orthopaedic Surgeon and Chairman of the AOC Board of Directors and Dean Brown, AOC’s CEO, were proud to present Kim Garrett, from Victory Health Partners a check for $8,600.00.This year was the 19th Annual AOC Charity Golf Tournament with Victory Health Partners as the recipient. At AOC, we eagerly look for ways to get involved in giving back to our community. This is one of many philanthropic steps that bring us closer to our goal.
Dr. Christopher Patton was inducted into the Cottage Hill Christian Academy Athletic Hall of Fame as an Honorary member. Dr. Patton is part of the inaugural class of inductees. He has served as the only team doctor in CHCA history and has been a great supporter of Warrior athletes, spending all home games and several road games on the sideline. Jimmy Messer, Head of School CHCA says, “Dr. Patton is very deserving of his induction to our inaugural class. We are fortunate to have someone of his expertise and love for high school athletics as a part of our team.”
One of the largest joints in the body is the hip, and over time, it can become damaged due to issues like arthritis, a fracture, bone tumors, or hip disease. Alleviating the pain and discomfort caused by an unhealthy hip often calls for total hip replacement surgery. A common procedure, a total hip replacement calls for the bone and cartilage to be removed and replaced with an artificial hip, which can be made of metal, plastic, and ceramic. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, approximately 300,000 total hip replacements occur every year in the United States.
Total hip replacement candidates typically experience symptoms such as:
Constant hip pain
Hip pain while walking or bending
Hip stiffness
There are multiple approaches to total hip replacement, including having the procedure done from behind the hip, to the side of the hip, or in front of the hip. Anterior Approach Total Hip Replacement—meaning the incision is made on the front of the hip—provides the surgeon the ability to perform the surgery through a smaller incision. This surgical approach involves the spreading of a natural split between two large hip muscles, without cutting them. There is less damage to muscles, less pain, faster recovery, and a shorter hospital stay. Because the thick tendons and muscles behind the hip are not cut, patients with this procedure are also usually less likely to experience hip dislocation.
Dr. Matthew Barber traveled to Birmingham, AL last week to speak at the Alabama Self-Insured Association (ASIA) Winter workshop. He spoke to a packed room on the benefits of 3D printed knee implants and was very well-received.
* ASIA is an organization that represents the interests of employers in Alabama who self-insure workers’ compensation coverage on their employees.
Spring Hill Medical Center is unveiling its latest tool to help patients. It’s a robotic arm to assist in surgeries for partial knee and total hip replacements.
So, this is how it works. Patients go through CAT-scans and surgeons use information from that to create pre-operative plans for the placement of their implants. During operation, the surgeon is in control, but the robotic arm limits their movement – that keeps the accuracy within one-tenth of a millimeter.
“A huge and overwhelming benefit is really being able to place those components accurately. We know from multiple studies that placing implants in their correct orientation leads to better outcomes, fewer complication, and enhance the longevity of the implant. So, we want patients to have a great result but also a very durable result.” – Dr. Matthew Barber, AOC
Spring Hill Medical Center is the first hospital in the Mobile area to offer operations with this device.
Springhill Medical Center is the first hospital in the Mobile area to offer Stryker’s Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Partial Knee and Total Hip replacement procedures. This latest advancement in joint replacement surgery is transforming the way joint replacement procedures are performed.
“This system allows us to be extremely precise in the planning, preparation and implantation of joint prostheses to help patients achieve the best possible results,” said Dr. Matthew Barber, AOC Joint Replacement Specialist.
Robotic-arm assisted surgery is a new approach to joint replacement that offers the potential for a higher level of patient-specific implant alignment and positioning. The technology allows surgeons to create a patient-specific 3D plan and perform joint replacement surgery using a surgeon-controlled robotic-arm that helps the surgeon execute the procedure with a high degree of accuracy.
“Mako is changing the way joint replacement surgeries are performed,” said Dr. Barber. Using a virtual 3D model, the Mako System allows the surgeons to personalize each patient’s surgical plan pre-operatively, so there is a clear plan for how the surgeon will position the implant before entering the operating room. During surgery, the surgeon can validate that plan and make any necessary adjustments, while the robotic-arm then allows the surgeon to execute that plan with a high level of accuracy and predictability. The combination of these three features of the system has the potential to lead to better outcomes and higher patient satisfaction.
The Mako Partial Knee application is a treatment option designed to relieve the pain caused by joint degeneration due to osteoarthritis that has not yet progressed to all three compartments of the knee. Following the personalized pre-operative plan, the surgeon guides the robotic-arm during bone preparation to execute the predetermined surgical plan and to position the implant. By selectively targeting only the part of the knee damaged by osteoarthritis, surgeons can resurface the diseased portion of the knee while helping to spare the healthy bone and ligaments surrounding the knee joint. Studies have shown robotic-arm assisted partial knee replacement to be two to three times more accurate than manual partial knee replacement procedures.
The Mako Total Hip application is a treatment option for adults who suffer from degenerative joint disease of the hip. During surgery, the surgeon guides the robotic-arm during bone preparation to prepare the hip socket and position the implant according to the predetermined surgical plan. In cadaveric studies, Mako total hip replacement acetabular cup replacement has been shown to be four times more accurate and reproducible than manual total hip replacement procedures.
“AOC is very proud to have this innovative technology in the greater Mobile area,” said Dr. Barber. “I am excited about leveraging the use of robotic technology to produce better outcomes for our patients.”
Many athletes who play contact sports like football, can experience shoulder separation. A common misconception about a separated shoulder is that it’s an injury to the shoulder joint. A separated shoulder involves the acromioclavicular joint (known as the AC joint), which is where the collarbone meets the highest point of the shoulder blade.
A fall directly on the shoulder is the most common cause of a separated shoulder as it injures the ligaments, muscles, and tendons around the AC joint. If the movement or fall that caused the injury is bad enough, it can tear the ligaments attached to the collarbone, which is what separates the shoulder.
Symptoms of a separated shoulder include:
– Limited joint mobility
– Pain in the shoulder
– Swelling, or bruising
An X-ray usually identifies what’s wrong with the shoulder, and sometimes nonsurgical treatments like ice packs, slings, and anti-inflammatory medications can help manage the pain and help the shoulder return to its normal function. Oftentimes, however, surgery is required. Depending on the severity of the injury, the surgeon may suggest trimming the end of the collarbone so that it doesn’t rub the acromion. If the injury is more severe, the surgeon may have to reconstruct the ligaments that attach to the collarbone.
In sports medicine, everyone is an athlete. Whether they are a workplace athlete, weekend warrior, maturing athlete or growing young athlete. A sports and shoulder surgeon giving back the life they enjoy is true dedication. Dedication is taking the time to listen to the patient and learn. Dedication is a thorough exam using state of the art technology. Dedication is teamwork that pushes forward through the recovery period.
