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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.
Sports medicine and joint preservation
Sports knee care for people who want to stay active.
Whether you are an athlete, worker, parent, golfer, hiker, or weekend warrior, the goal is the same: understand the injury and choose a plan that protects the joint and gets you moving again.
Online booking in about a minuteHMSA, Medicare & other major plansHonolulu · West Oahu · Hilo · KonaTelehealth for neighbor islands
Board-certifiedFellowship-trainedFAAOS / FAAHKSRobotic hip & kneeRevision expertiseHawaii roots
How the visit works
You should leave with a clearer plan than when you arrived.
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Look at the source
Your exam and imaging help separate arthritis, injury, implant problems, referred pain, and other causes that can feel similar.
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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.
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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
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What are you noticing?
Swelling
Instability or giving way
Stiffness or limited motion
Catching or locking
Grinding
Difficulty bearing weight
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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.
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When I usually see patients
Patients come in after a pop, twist, swelling, instability, catching, locking, or pain that will not let them trust the joint.
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What we review
We review the injury story, exam, X-rays, MRI if needed, sport or work goals, and whether arthritis is part of the problem.
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Your options
The plan may be rehab, bracing, injections, PRP or BMAC discussion, arthroscopy, meniscus repair, ACL reconstruction, or a joint-preservation plan.
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.
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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
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What may make treatment reasonable
- Pain is limiting daily life
- Imaging and exam match
- A clear treatment is likely to help the specific problem
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What may mean more tests
- New injury, swelling, fever, or weakness
- Prior surgery records are missing
- X-rays or MRI would change the recommendation
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What changes the plan
- Age, fall risk, diabetes, blood thinners, or heart/lung conditions
- Home support and travel
- Work, family, and caregiving needs
Knee decision guide
Knee pain needs the right source, not a rushed answer.
Knee pain may come from arthritis, meniscus injury, ACL instability, tendon pain, referred pain, or a prior implant. The diagnosis guides the next step.
Think about 01
Try the right nonsurgical care
Therapy, bracing, medications, injections, PRP, BMAC, and activity changes can help the right patient.
Think about 02
Compare partial and total knee
Arthritis pattern, ligaments, alignment, pain location, and goals decide whether partial knee replacement is realistic.
Think about 03
Use robotics or revision workup when it fits
Robotic planning may help with selected knee replacements. Painful implants need old records and a careful revision evaluation.
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.
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Clear diagnosis
The best first visit separates orthopedic causes from spine, nerve, medical, or referred pain patterns.
ExamImagingPlain-language plan
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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
Sports knee patients want their confidence back.
ACL and meniscus care is about more than the MRI. It is about stability, swelling, mechanical symptoms, activity goals, and a recovery plan the patient can follow.
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ACL reconstruction planning
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Meniscus repair and arthroscopy guidance
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Return-to-sport and return-to-work milestones
You may be ready to schedule if
A pop, twist, swelling, or sudden loss of confidence
Catching, locking, or giving-way symptoms
MRI shows ACL, meniscus, cartilage, or tendon findings
You want to return to sport, work, hiking, golf, or family life
You want to compare rehab, injection, arthroscopy, or reconstruction
Why patients choose this practice
Sports knee, meniscus, ACL, injection, and recovery decisions are connected
MRI findings are matched to the exam and the way the knee behaves
Return-to-work, return-to-sport, and long-term joint protection are discussed together
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Do sports injuries always need surgery?
No. The plan depends on instability, mechanical symptoms, imaging, activity goals, and how the knee responds to rehab.
Should I get an MRI before I come in?
Sometimes, but not always. X-rays, exam, swelling, and the injury story may come first depending on the problem.
Can PRP or BMAC help sports injuries?
Sometimes they are worth discussing, but they are not substitutes for every repair, reconstruction, or rehab plan.
Keep reading
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.
