Abacoa & Alton Neighbors - May 2025

majority of my practice is about getting people better nonoperatively so they can continue their normal activities.” The majority of joint pain later in life is caused by osteoarthritis, a condition that tends to run in families and is marked by the gradual wear and tear of joints. “About 80% of people have a family history of arthritis, but that also means that 1 in 5 patients don’t,” Dr. Hart says. For patients with knee pain, physical therapy can be particularly helpful for regaining strength and range of motion so that they can return to normal activities — or for building up their bodies to aid recovery from eventual joint replacement surgery. When it does come time for surgery, new techniques such as muscle-sparing anterior hip replacement and robotic-assisted total knee replacement allow patients to recover faster than ever before. “These are game-changing advances that result in less postoperative pain and allow us to help patients get back to their desired daily activities sooner than they ever could in the past,” says Dr. Hart. Dr. Hart specializes in both of these techniques and regularly performs both surgeries at Jupiter Medical Center. H ip and knee pain affect millions of Americans every year, often presenting in very predictable ways for patients. “For hips, pain classically appears as groin, thigh or buttock pain,” says Dr. Gavin Hart, a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hip and knee arthritis. “For hip pain, a lot of times, people will say to me,” I thought I pulled my groin 3-4 months ago, but it’s not getting better, and it feels worse when I walk or sit for a long time,” says Dr. Hart. “Knee pain usually presents as a deep aching pain like a toothache, and tends to worsen with walking,” So how can patients with bothersome hip and achy knees know when it’s time to consult with an orthopedic specialist? Examine your quality of life “If you have daily pain that’s not controlled by over-the-counter medication and is negatively affecting your quality of life, that’s the time to schedule an appointment with a specialist,” Dr. Hart advises. “Other factors to consider… does it prevent you from doing the activities you want to do? Is it interfering with your job, or is it keeping you up at night? Those are all good reasons to see an orthopedist.” Scheduling with an orthopedic specialist does not automatically mean surgery, points out Dr. Hart. “The majority of my daily visits are for non-operative care,” says Dr. Hart. “Patients come in for physical therapy, for cortisone or gel injections, oral medications, and other non-surgical issues. In fact, the EXPERT CONTRIBUTOR – By Sue MacDonald – Is it Time to Visit an Orthopedic Surgeon? YOUR KNEE ACHES, YOUR HIP WON’T LET YOU SLEEP, For more information about the Anderson Family Orthopedic and Spine Center of Excellence, contact the orthopedic navigator at Jupiter Medical Center at 561-263-3633. Gavin Hart, MD, Orthopedic Surgeon M AY 2 0 2 5 | A B A C O A & A LT O N N E I G H B O R S 5