Blog Archive

Dr. Andrew  Maser to Retire After 23 years, board-certified spine specialist Andrew Maser, DO, is retiring on May 26. He leaves behind a legacy of world-class patient care and a trove of fond memories. ‘I’m looking forward to doing some philanthropic work and touring Spain with my wife, but I...

Osteoarthritis is a condition of wear and tear on the joints that tends to be progressive in nature. “Arthritis tends to be age related, although not everyone who gets old gets it,” says Dr. Alan J. Graves, adult reconstruction specialist. “I see people in their 90s whose joints are great...

Jeff F., a certified athletic trainer, is also one of the friendly and helpful faces patients see when they visit our doctors at Orthopedic Specialists. Versatile and helpful, he brings patient back to the clinic area, fits braces – “whatever I can do to help them feel better,” he says....

Annie R. was 20 when she and a group of friends took off from Wisconsin to Clearwater Beach for some sun and fun. She never left. Now, more than four decades later, she is preparing to retire along with Dr. Andrew Maser, for whom she has served as a surgical...

  Phillip Falcon is a star goalkeeper on Tampa Bay United U19 MLS NEXT and Jesuit High School’s soccer team – with big aspirations. The senior has been accepted to the University of Pennsylvania’s soccer team in fall 2023. He got there with raw talent, persistence, a supportive family, and...

Patient Care Spotlight: Kelly M. Kelly is one of the friendly, dedicated clinical assistants who help our doctors care for patients at Orthopedic Specialists, but there’s more to that smile than meets the eye. Like most of our young assistants, she intends to further her medical career – in her...

Whether pruning trees before a storm, decking the house for the holidays, tackling spring cleaning chores, or just changing a light bulb, most people rely on ladders to get the job done. But extreme caution is the watchword, say our doctors, who see it all in the emergency room and...

Congratulations to Christopher James, M.D., adult reconstructive specialist, who recently earned his board certification from the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS). establishes standards for an orthopedic physician's education, practice, and conduct. Certification by this prestigious organization occurs following residency or fellowship and two years of practice. Board-eligible candidates must...

If your teen athlete is suffering from back pain, you might shrug it off as a normal part of sports participation. But for 30 percent of young athletes, it might be something more serious: spondylolysis, also known as pars stress fracture. This lumbar spine condition occurs when the back is...

Congratulations to Ryan Davidson, one of our clinical assistants, who was accepted into the Physician Assistant master’s program at Northeastern University in Boston. She is the latest in a long line of Orthopedic Specialists’ clinical assistants who go on to advanced careers in medicine. Ryan, a Palm Harbor native, graduated...

Trigger finger is one of the most common hand and wrist conditions. More than 800,000 Americans are diagnosed with stenosing tenosynovitis (its medical name) every year. It causes pain, swelling, and stiffness of a finger when it is flexed or extended. In the worst cases, the affected finger(s) may "catch"...

Denise B., CNA, BMXO, wears many hats at Orthopedic Specialists: Surgical scheduler for Dr. Alan Graves, medical supply inventory manager, and x-ray technician. You could also call her a mother figure to our many young medical assistants. “The kids started calling me Big D,” she says, pointing to her large...

Disc golf is a fast-growing sport, with an estimated one million people playing. In fact, Aug. 5 has been designated as National Disc Golf Day.  Florida is the fifth most active state for disc golf play and tournaments, according to the Professional Disc Golf Association. The number of people discovering...

Obesity affects nearly 94 million adults in the United States. Studies show this number has more than doubled in the past 30 years. In addition to triggering a wide range of health problems, obesity goes hand-in-hand with joint pain. Ironically, many are turned down for joint replacement surgery unless they...

Children under 12 who specialize in a single organized sport can develop overuse injuries because of repetitive movements to the young shoulders, knees, elbows, and wrists. If the injury sidelines them for a significant amount of time, they can become not only injured but discouraged from engaging in healthy activities....

When to Consider Shoulder Replacement? Many shoulder conditions can be treated with conservative measures such as physical therapy, injections, biologics, or arthroscopic surgery. The top reasons your doctor might consider replacing your shoulder joint include severe cases of osteoarthritis, rotator cuff tear arthropathy, avascular necrosis, or rheumatoid arthritis. Shoulder replacement...

Ron F., Radiology Technologist After nearly 18 years in our on-site imaging department, Ron is jokingly called the CEO of X-Ray. He helps our orthopedic doctors identify fractures through technology. While some people fall into this career, it was on Ron’s radar from a young age.   A native of...

A Conservative Approach to Spine Conditions Eight in 10 Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lives. Many fear addressing back pain and loss of mobility because they believe surgery is the inevitable outcome. We are here to tell you that is not true. The first step...

The doctors at Orthopedic Specialists treated more than 1,000 fractures in our Palm Harbor orthopedic practice in 2021 - and that's just in the office, not in the hospital. We are vested in your health and safety and aim to educate our patients on the treatment of osteoporosis  - a...

Patient Care Spotlight - Cindy Rice – May 2022 Physical therapy assistant Cindy R. is known for her love of wellness and fitness – both as a teacher and a lifelong student. It fuels her desire to help patients regain strength and flexibility at Orthopedic Specialists. “I love what I...

When something causes swelling within the carpal tunnel or tightening of the ligament that goes across it, the nerve becomes pinched and produces numbness, tingling, or pain in the thumb, index, and long finger as well as part of the ring finger. What Causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome The exact cause...

Why Do Knuckles Crack? The cracking sound is caused by the snapping of tendons, ligaments, and joint capsules as they move across a bony prominence.  Does Cracking Your Knuckles Increase Arthritis Risk?  The short answer is no. “There are no data to support the idea that cracking knuckles causes or...

What is Tech Neck? Our orthopedic spine specialists in Palm Harbor see tech neck cases frequently. This term is shorthand for neck strain caused by hours of bending over a phone or other tech device. This soreness can also affect the shoulders and other parts of the body. The issue...

Justin B.  – OPA-C Certified orthopedic physician assistant Justin B. is one of the most energetic, dedicated, and eclectic people you will ever meet. He’s Dr. Brian Maiocco’s surgical assistant and right hand in the clinic. The father of an eight-year-old daughter, Justin is the one you’ll see playing with...

What Are Spinal Discs? Discs separate and cushion the vertebral bones that make up the spine. They are made up of a gelatinous substance encased in a fibrous capsule. With age, these can deteriorate and shrink, a condition known as degenerative disc disease or spine arthritis. This causes a loss...

Kathleen S., Surgical Coordinator Kathleen has earned a good-natured nickname among staff: “The Sarge.” It’s a compliment to the precise way she keeps physicians’ surgical schedules – and communication – flowing. “As a surgical coordinator for Dr. Christopher James and Dr. Taylor Beatty, I’m in contact with primary care offices...

Matt V., Radiologic Technologist (RT) If you need an x-ray, arthrogram, or other guided injection at Orthopedic Specialists, chances are good you will meet Matt V. Although he’s always on the move, working with up to 50 patients a day, he always has a kind word and a smile on...

Patient Care Spotlight: Jean L., Authorization Specialist   Jean is one of those Orthopedic Specialists team members patients don’t see, yet she touches many aspects of patient care behind the scenes – and has for more than three decades.   As our insurance authorization specialist, Jean works with hospitals, referring...

If you have had a hip replacement, you might wonder whether you should take antibiotics as a precaution against infection (antibiotic prophylaxis). About one in 100 arthroplasty patients develop a prosthetic joint infection (PJI), and the effects can create serious complications. The debate continues over what role oral bacteria play...

Jeff F., a certified athletic trainer, is also one of the friendly and helpful faces patients see when they visit our doctors at Orthopedic Specialists. He brings patients back to the clinic area, fits braces, and does “whatever I can do to help them feel better,” he says. Although technically...

There are multiple surgical approaches to the hip joint for hip replacements.  Two of the most popular are anterior (from the front) and posterior (from the back). The board-certified surgeons at Orthopedic Specialists offer both types of hip replacement surgery in Palm Harbor. Anterior Approach to Hip Replacement The anterior, or front, approach...

What is Platelet-rich Plasma Therapy? Platelet-rich plasma has been used for decades to promote soft tissue repair and regeneration. PRP therapy as offered by Orthopedic Specialists in Palm Harbor, Fla. is a natural surgery alternative that harnesses and enhances your body’s healing ability. A growing number of studies show this...

Running is a heart-healthy activity known to strengthen leg bones and muscles. A study at the University of Memphis in Tennessee also shows that the sport also strengthens cartilage, which cushions joints. The combination of stronger bones and soft tissues creates stronger joints that are less prone to injury.   Where...

Whether spring training, summer athletic camp or in-season, organized sports offer a healthy outlet for young people’s energy and a way to hone lifelong interpersonal skills; but youth athletics comes with risks: one-third of all injuries incurred in childhood are sports-related. Sports injuries account for one in five injury-related emergency...

A research team at Maimonides Medical Center in New York examined the lifestyles of more than 13,000 patients who underwent total hip replacement for pelvis fracture between 2005 and 2015. They parsed out lifestyle factors and found a correlation between postoperative infection and health. The strongest risk factors included obesity (Body Mass...

One in four adults with arthritis report severe joint pain, and nearly half report feeling pain nearly every day, according to the Centers for Disease Control. This leads many to avoid exercise for fear of making the problem worse. But a growing body of evidence suggests the opposite: Moving more...