01
Tell the story
Dr. Morton starts with what happened, what has changed, what you have already tried, and what you need your body to do again.
Fracture care
Fracture care with a clear plan for healing safely.
A fracture visit should answer the practical questions quickly: is the bone lined up, is surgery needed, what can you put weight on, how do you protect the injury, and when do we check healing again?
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How the visit works
You should leave with a clearer plan than when you arrived.
02
Look at the source
Your exam and imaging help separate arthritis, injury, implant problems, referred pain, and other causes that can feel similar.
03
Choose the next step
The plan may be therapy, bracing, injections, orthobiologics, arthroscopy, robotic surgery, revision workup, or a clear reason to wait.
Before you book
The first visit is better when the story is organized.
Joint Replacement Hawaii has always asked practical questions before the appointment because the details matter: what hurts, where it hurts, what you have tried, and what life activity you want back.
01
What are you having trouble with?
Getting in and out of a car
Getting up from a chair
Stairs
Walking long distances
Pain at night
Exercise, sports, or work
02
What are you noticing?
Swelling
Instability or giving way
Stiffness or limited motion
Catching or locking
Grinding
Difficulty bearing weight
03
What have you already tried?
Physical therapy
Brace, cane, walker, or crutches
Steroid or gel injections
PRP or BMAC questions
NSAIDs or Tylenol
Prior arthroscopy or surgery
Before you decide
The conversation I want patients to understand.
01
When I usually see patients
Patients come after a fall, twist, sports injury, car accident, work injury, or urgent-care X-ray that shows a possible fracture.
02
What we look at together
We review the X-rays, location of the break, alignment, joint involvement, skin or swelling concerns, age, bone health, medical risks, and whether the injury is stable.
03
Your options
Some fractures can be protected with a brace, boot, cast, crutches, or activity limits. Others need surgery to restore alignment or protect the joint.
How I think through the recommendation
The decision should be explained, not handed to you.
Patients should know what would make us wait, what would make treatment reasonable, what might require more testing, and what changes recovery planning.
01
What may make us wait
- Symptoms are improving
- The safest first step is therapy, bracing, medication review, or time
- The diagnosis points outside orthopedic surgery
02
What may make treatment reasonable
- Pain is limiting daily life
- Imaging and exam match
- A clear treatment is likely to help the specific problem
03
What may mean more tests
- New injury, swelling, fever, or weakness
- Prior surgery records are missing
- X-rays or MRI would change the recommendation
04
What changes the plan
- Age, fall risk, diabetes, blood thinners, or heart/lung conditions
- Home support and travel
- Work, family, and caregiving needs
Injury decision guide
The first decision is whether this is urgent or unsafe.
After a fall, suspected fracture, swelling, deformity, or sudden inability to walk, the right setting matters. Some injuries need emergency care. Others need orthopedic follow-up and a practical plan.
Think about 01
Do not ignore danger signs
Open wounds, severe deformity, uncontrolled bleeding, chest pain, shortness of breath, numbness, or symptoms that feel dangerous belong in emergency care.
Think about 02
Bring the imaging trail
X-rays, ER notes, urgent care instructions, splints, and the injury timeline help us decide what comes next.
Think about 03
Plan function and follow-up
Patients need to know weight-bearing, work limits, warning signs, and when repeat imaging or specialist follow-up is needed.
For informed patients
The details matter, especially when the decision is not simple.
If you are comparing surgeons, robotics, revision care, injections, or recovery plans, these are the questions I want you to feel comfortable asking.
01
Clear diagnosis
The best first visit separates orthopedic causes from spine, nerve, medical, or referred pain patterns.
ExamImagingPlain-language plan
02
Surgery is one option
Patients deserve to hear when therapy, bracing, injections, time, or a different specialist is more appropriate.
Options comparedRisks explainedNext step clear
Patient words
The trust signal should match the decision.
Patients are looking for listening, clear explanations, office kindness, and a plan that makes sense for their specific problem.
Patient trust
Joint replacement decisions need clarity before commitment.
The right plan starts with diagnosis, imaging, timing, approach, implant questions, recovery support, and whether surgery is truly the next step.
01
Hip and knee replacement education
02
Robotic and revision expertise
03
Recovery planning from consultation through follow-up
You may be ready to schedule if
Urgent care or ER said there may be a fracture
You fell and cannot bear weight comfortably
Pain and swelling are not improving
You need to know if surgery is necessary
You need clear weight-bearing and follow-up instructions
Why patients choose this practice
You do not need to know the diagnosis before scheduling
Pain, injuries, imaging, prior treatment, and daily-life goals are reviewed together
Patients can be guided toward therapy, injections, surgery, second opinion, or watchful waiting
Older patients and caregivers
Older patients and caregivers deserve a clear plan too.
Safety, medications, stairs, rides, hearing, memory, home help, and caregiver questions can change the recommendation and the recovery plan.
01
Who should come with you
Bring the person who helps with medications, rides, meals, stairs, wound checks, or remembering instructions. A second set of ears helps.
02
How to plan home safety
Think about loose rugs, bathroom setup, stairs, lighting, pets, walking aids, shower safety, and where you will sleep the first few nights.
03
When to call the office
Call for worsening wound redness, drainage, fever, severe swelling, a fall, medication confusion, or symptoms that do not match your instructions.
04
When not to wait
Chest pain, shortness of breath, fainting, stroke-like symptoms, major deformity, or dangerous symptoms need emergency care.
Helpful to bring
X-rays, MRI, CT scans, or reports if you already have them
Where the pain starts, where it travels, and what it stops you from doing
Prior injections, therapy, medications, braces, or operations
Your goals for work, walking, golf, hiking, sports, travel, and recovery
Make the visit count
Bring the story, not just the scan.
Imaging helps, but the story matters too: what changed, what you tried, what failed, and what life you want back. This is especially important for revision opinions, prior surgery, and neighbor island travel.
Recovery preview
Choose the recovery center that fits
Public previews help patients and families understand preparation, warning signs, and what the member guide adds.
Procedure pathway
Warning signs
Printable checklists
Patient questions
Questions I hear in the office.
Should I go to the ER first?
If there is severe pain, deformity, open skin, numbness, loss of circulation, or inability to safely get around, emergency care is appropriate.
Can every fracture be treated without surgery?
No. It depends on alignment, stability, joint involvement, patient health, and whether the bone can heal safely in position.
How often do fractures need follow-up X-rays?
It depends on the fracture. Some need close early checks to make sure alignment is holding.
Mahalo
You do not have to figure this out alone.
If pain, injury, arthritis, or an old implant is keeping you from life, bring your questions. Dr. Morton and the team will help you understand the problem and the next step.
Written for patients by the practice
Orthopedic guidance should be clear enough to help you make a real decision.
Dr. Paul Norio Morton created Joint Replacement Hawaii to help patients understand hip pain, knee pain, arthritis, sports injuries, robotic joint replacement, revision surgery, injections, and recovery before they come in for a visit.
