Inside Pacific Bone & Joint

News & patient education

Practice announcements, new treatments, and plain-language education from our team.

October 19, 2026

Stiff Knee After Knee Replacement: When Physical Therapy or Manipulation May Help

Knee not bending or straightening after replacement? Learn causes of stiffness, physical therapy strategies, when manipulation under anesthesia helps, and warning signs.

October 18, 2026

Flying After Hip or Knee Replacement: Hawaii Travel and Blood Clot Safety

Flying after hip or knee replacement in Hawaii? Learn how blood-clot risk, flight length, wound healing, and mobility affect safe travel planning.

October 17, 2026

Calcific Tendinitis of the Shoulder: Why Pain Can Flare and What Helps

Sudden shoulder pain without an injury may be calcific tendinitis. Learn how X-rays, physical therapy and injections fit, and when to seek care in Hawaii.

October 16, 2026

Swollen Knee After Kneeling? Prepatellar Bursitis and When to Seek Care

A puffy kneecap after kneeling may be prepatellar bursitis. Learn home care, when fluid drainage helps, and warning signs of infection in Hawaii.

October 15, 2026

Carpal Tunnel Wrist Brace at Night: What Helps and When to Get Checked

Does a night wrist brace help carpal tunnel syndrome? Learn how a neutral splint fits, what the evidence shows, and when numbness needs evaluation.

October 14, 2026

Dental Work After Hip or Knee Replacement: Do You Need Antibiotics?

Do you need antibiotics for dental cleaning after hip or knee replacement? Learn what AAOS and ADA guidelines say about antibiotics, dental timing, and infection risk.

October 13, 2026

Wrist Ganglion Cyst: When to Watch, Aspirate, or Remove It

A lump on your wrist may be a ganglion cyst. Learn when to watch it, when ultrasound or aspiration helps, and when surgery is worth considering.

October 12, 2026

World Arthritis Day: Keep a Joint Pain Diary That Helps Your Next Visit

For World Arthritis Day, learn what to record about joint pain, stiffness, swelling and daily function so your next orthopedic visit in Hawaii is more useful.

October 11, 2026

Ankle Keeps Rolling? Why Sprains Repeat and How Physical Therapy Helps

Does your ankle keep rolling or giving way? Learn why repeated sprains happen, when to seek evaluation, how balance and strengthening therapy help, and when surgery is considered in Hawaii.

October 9, 2026

Elbow Pain After a Fall: Could It Be a Radial Head Fracture?

Outside elbow pain and trouble turning your palm after a fall? Learn the signs of a radial head fracture, X-ray evaluation, treatment options, recovery, and when to seek urgent care in Hawaii.

October 8, 2026

Front-of-Knee Pain on Stairs: How Physical Therapy Helps Patellofemoral Pain

Learn what patellofemoral pain feels like, how clinicians evaluate kneecap pain, and how tailored physical therapy can help with stairs and daily activity.

October 7, 2026

Mallet Finger: Why Your Fingertip Droops and When a Splint or Surgery Helps

Cannot straighten a fingertip after an injury? Learn how mallet finger is evaluated, why continuous splinting matters, when surgery may help, and which symptoms need urgent care.

October 6, 2026

Plantar Fasciitis: Why Your First Steps Hurt and How Physical Therapy Helps

Learn what first-step heel pain can mean, how plantar fasciitis is evaluated, and how footwear, stretching, strengthening, and other treatments fit together.

October 5, 2026

Orthopedic VA DBQs: What They Document and How to Prepare

Learn what an orthopedic VA Disability Benefits Questionnaire documents, which records can help, and how a DBQ differs from treatment or a VA rating decision.

October 4, 2026

VA Nexus Letters for Orthopedic Claims: What Makes a Medical Opinion Useful

Learn what an orthopedic VA nexus letter addresses, which records support a reasoned opinion, and why no clinician can promise a favorable conclusion.

October 3, 2026

SI Joint Pain: How It Is Diagnosed and When Fusion Is Considered

Learn how sacroiliac joint pain is distinguished from hip or spine problems, which treatments help, and when minimally invasive SI joint fusion may be considered.

September 28, 2026

Achilles Tendinopathy: How Physical Therapy Helps Persistent Heel Pain

Learn how Achilles tendinopathy differs from a rupture, why gradual strengthening matters, and how heel pain location guides physical therapy and return to activity.

September 27, 2026

Proximal Humerus Fracture: When a Sling Is Enough and When Surgery Helps

A broken shoulder does not always need surgery. Learn how fracture pattern, health, and goals guide sling treatment, fixation, reverse replacement, and recovery in Hawaii.

September 26, 2026

Quadriceps Tendon Rupture: Why You Cannot Straighten the Knee and When Surgery Is Needed

A patient-friendly guide to quadriceps tendon rupture symptoms, diagnosis, partial versus complete tears, surgical repair, rehabilitation, and recovery.

September 23, 2026

Meniscus Root Tear: Why It Can Cause Rapid Knee Arthritis and When Repair Helps

Learn why a meniscus root tear can accelerate knee arthritis, how MRI and alignment guide treatment, and when repair, therapy, osteotomy, or replacement may help.

September 22, 2026

Osteoporosis Medication After a Fracture: How Prolia, Reclast, and Evenity Differ

A patient-friendly guide to osteoporosis medication after a fragility fracture, including Prolia, Reclast, Evenity, oral bisphosphonates, risks, and sequencing.

September 21, 2026

Adult-Acquired Flatfoot: When Bracing and Therapy Help and When Reconstruction Is Considered

Learn how progressive collapsing foot deformity is diagnosed, when bracing and therapy help, and when flatfoot reconstruction or fusion is considered.

September 20, 2026

Leg Length Discrepancy in Adults: When a Shoe Lift Helps and When Surgery Is Considered

Learn how adult leg length discrepancy is measured, when a shoe lift or physical therapy may help, and when limb reconstruction is considered.

September 19, 2026

Hip Labral Tear and FAI: When Physical Therapy Helps and When Arthroscopy Makes Sense

Learn how hip labral tears and femoroacetabular impingement are diagnosed, when physical therapy helps, and when hip arthroscopy may make sense.

September 18, 2026

Broken Collarbone: When a Sling Is Enough and When Surgery Helps

Learn when a broken collarbone can heal in a sling, when clavicle fracture surgery may help, warning signs, recovery, and return to activity.

September 17, 2026

Thumb-Side Wrist Pain: When De Quervain’s Needs a Brace, Injection, or Surgery

Learn why De Quervain’s causes thumb-side wrist pain, how it is diagnosed, and when a brace, injection, therapy, or surgery may help.

September 16, 2026

Foot Stress Fracture: Why X-Rays Can Look Normal and When It Is Safe to Walk

Learn how foot stress fractures are diagnosed when X-rays look normal, who needs MRI or a boot, and how to return safely to walking and running.

September 15, 2026

Ankle Arthritis: When Bracing Helps and When Fusion or Replacement Makes Sense

Learn how ankle arthritis is diagnosed, which nonsurgical treatments help, and how ankle fusion compares with total ankle replacement.

September 14, 2026

Kneecap Dislocation: When Physical Therapy Is Enough and When Surgery Helps

Learn what to do after a kneecap dislocation, how imaging and rehab guide recovery, and when recurrent patellar instability may need surgery.

September 13, 2026

Shoulder Arthritis: When Is It Time for Shoulder Replacement?

Learn how shoulder arthritis is diagnosed, which nonsurgical treatments may help, and when anatomic or reverse shoulder replacement may be considered.

September 12, 2026

Cubital Tunnel Syndrome: Why the Ring and Small Fingers Go Numb and When Surgery Helps

Learn why cubital tunnel syndrome causes ring and small finger numbness, how it is tested, and when splinting, therapy, or surgery may help.

September 11, 2026

Hip Replacement Failure: Warning Signs, Testing, and When Revision Surgery Helps

Learn which symptoms can signal a failed hip replacement, how specialists test a painful implant, and when revision surgery may be the right next step.

September 10, 2026

Can Physical Therapy Heal a Rotator Cuff Tear? When Rehab Helps and When Surgery Matters

Learn when physical therapy can improve a rotator cuff tear, when surgery may matter, how imaging guides treatment, and which warning signs need prompt care.

September 9, 2026

When Is It Time for Hip Replacement? Symptoms, X-Rays, and Decision-Making

Learn the signs that hip arthritis may be ready for replacement, how symptoms and X-rays guide the decision, alternatives to surgery, risks, and next steps.

September 7, 2026

Labor Day: When a Work-Related Orthopedic Injury Needs Care

Labor Day guide to work-related orthopedic injuries in Hawaii: warning signs, treatment, return to work, prevention, and workers' compensation steps.

September 5, 2026

World Spinal Cord Injury Day: Protecting the Spine, Bones, Joints, and Mobility

World Spinal Cord Injury Day guide for Hawaii: prevention, emergency warning signs, bone and joint health, rehabilitation, shoulder protection, and when orthopedic care may help.

September 2, 2026

Thumb-Base Arthritis: Why Pinching and Gripping Hurt

Thumb-base arthritis guide: symptoms, diagnosis, braces, exercises, medications, injections, surgery, and when to see an orthopedic specialist in Hawaii.

September 1, 2026

Pain Awareness Month: When Joint Pain Deserves an Orthopedic Evaluation

Joint pain guide: common causes, red flags, when imaging helps, non-surgical treatment and physical therapy, and when to see an orthopedic specialist in Hawaii.

August 26, 2026

Broken Wrist: When Is a Cast Enough, and When Is Surgery Considered?

A patient-friendly guide to distal radius fractures, including X-rays, reduction, casting, surgery, red flags, recovery, and how treatment decisions are made.

August 25, 2026

Pain on the Side of Your Hip: Gluteal Tendinopathy, Bursitis, and Gluteus Medius Tears

What causes pain on the outside of the hip, how gluteal tendinopathy and gluteus medius tears are diagnosed, and when PT, injections, or surgery may help.

August 24, 2026

Do You Need an MRI for Knee Pain? When X-rays, MRI, and Ultrasound Each Help

Learn when knee pain usually starts with X-rays, when MRI adds useful detail, what ultrasound can show, and when orthopedic evaluation is appropriate.

August 23, 2026

Achilles Tendon Rupture: Surgery vs Nonsurgical Treatment and What Recovery Involves

Learn how surgery and nonsurgical treatment compare after an Achilles tendon rupture, what rehabilitation involves, and when orthopedic evaluation is useful.

August 22, 2026

Return to Sport After ACL Reconstruction: When Is Your Knee Really Ready?

Learn how strength, hop testing, movement quality, confidence, rehabilitation, and time guide a safer return to sport after ACL reconstruction.

August 19, 2026

Trigger Finger: Cortisone Injection vs Ultrasound-Guided Release

Trigger finger causes painful clicking or locking. Compare cortisone injection with ultrasound-guided release: benefits, risks, recurrence, and recovery.

August 18, 2026

Physical Therapy After Hip Replacement: What Recovery Should Look Like

Evidence-based guide to physical therapy after total hip replacement: walking, home exercises, supervised PT, recovery milestones, and warning signs.

August 17, 2026

Fracture Not Healing? Understanding Delayed Union and Nonunion

Why some fractures heal slowly or develop nonunion, how orthopedic evaluation works, and when treatment includes bone stimulation, fixation, or bone grafting.

August 16, 2026

Knee Cartilage Damage and Arthritis: When Can Cartilage Restoration Still Help?

Learn when CartiHeal Agili-C, MACI, OATS or osteochondral allograft may help knee cartilage damage, including selected patients with KL grade 3 arthritis.

August 15, 2026

Could My Joint Replacement Be Infected? Symptoms, Tests, and Treatment

Warning signs of infection after hip or knee replacement, how doctors test for prosthetic joint infection, when aspiration helps, and when revision is needed.

August 14, 2026

Adult Leg Alignment Problems: When Is a Bowed or Crooked Leg More Than Cosmetic?

How adult leg alignment problems are evaluated, when observation or physical therapy is enough, and when osteotomy or limb reconstruction is considered.

August 8, 2026

Fall Prevention for Older Adults: How Physical Therapy Can Reduce Risk

Learn how physical therapy, strength, balance training, home safety, medication review, and bone health can work together to reduce fall risk in older adults.

August 8, 2026

Physical Therapy for Osteoporosis: How to Build Strength Without Taking Unnecessary Risks

How physical therapy for osteoporosis builds strength, balance, and posture, which exercises need modification, and when bone-health evaluation matters.

August 7, 2026

Partial vs Total Knee Replacement: How Do You Know Which One You Need?

Partial vs. total knee replacement: who qualifies for each, recovery tradeoffs, revision risk, robotics, and how surgeons decide which operation fits.

August 6, 2026

Weight Loss for Knee Arthritis: How Much Can It Help Joint Pain?

Can weight loss reduce knee arthritis pain? How body weight affects joint load, what studies show about 5–10% weight loss, and when PT or surgery may fit.

August 5, 2026

Does MLS Laser Therapy Work for Orthopedic Pain? What the Evidence Shows

Does MLS laser therapy work for arthritis or tendon pain? What photobiomodulation research shows, where evidence is limited, and how laser fits with PT.

August 3, 2026

Ankle Sprain or Fracture? When You Need an X-Ray and Orthopedic Care

Learn how ankle sprains and fractures can look alike, when an X-ray is appropriate, what the Ottawa Ankle Rules mean, and when same-day orthopedic care is important.

August 2, 2026

Dr. Paul Morton Featured on Hawaii MDs

Pacific Bone & Joint orthopedic surgeon Paul Norio Morton, MD, FAAOS, FAAHKS is featured on Hawaii MDs, sharing his perspective on orthopedic care in Hawaiʻi.

August 2, 2026

Prehab Before Knee Replacement: Does Physical Therapy Before Surgery Help?

What prehab before knee replacement can and cannot do, who benefits, what physical therapy focuses on, and when therapy should not delay surgery.

August 1, 2026

ACL Tear Treatment: When Do You Need Surgery and Which Graft Is Best?

Learn when an ACL tear may need surgery, when rehabilitation may be reasonable, how ACL graft choices differ, and what matters before returning to sport.

July 31, 2026

Pain After Knee Replacement: Causes, Testing, and When Revision May Help

Pain after knee replacement can come from infection, loosening, instability, stiffness, alignment, or fracture. How a revision-focused evaluation works.

July 31, 2026

Ultrasound-Guided Knee Injections: Accuracy, Options, Risks, and What to Expect

Ultrasound-guided knee injections for arthritis, swelling, and Baker’s cysts: cortisone, gel, PRP, aspiration, risks, recovery, and when they help.

July 29, 2026

Ultrasound-Guided Hip Injections: What They Can Diagnose, Treat, and What to Expect

Ultrasound-guided hip injections for arthritis, labral pain, bursitis, and tendon problems: accuracy, benefits, risks, recovery, and when they help.

July 27, 2026

Outer Hip Pain: Is It Bursitis, Gluteal Tendinopathy, or a Tendon Tear?

Learn what causes outer hip pain, how GTPS is diagnosed, when physical therapy is first-line, and when injections, MRI, or surgery may help.

July 26, 2026

Knee Osteoarthritis: Stages, Symptoms, and Evidence-Based Treatment Options

A patient-friendly guide to knee osteoarthritis stages, symptoms, X-rays, exercise, medications, injections, biologics, and when surgery may help.

July 25, 2026

Baker’s Cyst Behind the Knee: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Baker’s cyst behind the knee: causes, warning signs, ultrasound/MRI diagnosis, aspiration and injections, recurrence, and when surgery is considered.

July 24, 2026

Subchondral Insufficiency Fracture of the Knee: Why Severe Pain Can Hide on X-rays

Sudden severe knee pain with a normal X-ray may be a subchondral insufficiency fracture. How MRI, meniscus root tears, unloading and bone health fit together.

July 23, 2026

Shoulder Cortisone Injections: Where the Shot Goes, When It Helps, and When It Does Not

How shoulder injections differ by target, when cortisone gives short-term relief, how ultrasound improves accuracy, and when another treatment fits better.

July 21, 2026

Knee Arthroscopy for Meniscus Tears and Arthritis: When Does It Actually Help?

Learn when knee arthroscopy may help a torn meniscus, locking, or loose body, and why it usually does not relieve pain from established knee arthritis.

July 20, 2026

Broken a Bone From a Simple Fall? It May Be a Fragility Fracture

Learn why a wrist, hip, shoulder, pelvis, or spine fracture after a simple fall may signal osteoporosis and how to prevent the next fracture.

July 19, 2026

Ultrasound-Guided Carpal Tunnel Release: What the Latest Evidence Shows

When carpal tunnel surgery may be needed, how ultrasound-guided release compares with open surgery, and what 2024–2026 evidence shows about recovery.

July 18, 2026

Knee Arthritis Flare: What to Do When Pain Suddenly Gets Worse

A patient-friendly guide to managing a knee osteoarthritis flare, including rest, ice, medications, injections, warning signs, and when to seek orthopedic care.

July 16, 2026

Hip Arthritis vs. Bursitis vs. Back Pain: Where Is Your Hip Pain Coming From?

Learn how hip arthritis, lateral hip bursitis, and back-related nerve pain differ, what symptoms matter, and when to schedule an orthopedic evaluation.

July 16, 2026

Knee Replacement Recovery Week by Week: What Patients Can Expect

A practical, patient-friendly guide to pain, swelling, walking, physical therapy, sleep, driving, work, and warning signs after knee replacement surgery.

July 14, 2026

Frozen Shoulder and Diabetes: When PT, Injection, or Surgery Makes Sense

Why diabetes raises frozen shoulder risk, how adhesive capsulitis is diagnosed, and when physical therapy, steroid injection, hydrodilatation, or surgery helps.

July 13, 2026

Can Physical Therapy, PRP, BMAC, and Minimally Invasive Orthopedics Help You Avoid Surgery?

Learn when physical therapy, PRP, BMAC, and ultrasound-guided procedures may delay or avoid surgery, and when surgery is still the best choice.

July 12, 2026

Welcome to the new pacificboneandjoint.com

Our redesigned website makes it easier to explore our services, meet the team, and request an appointment across Oahu and the Big Island.

Have a question about your bones or joints?

Schedule Appointment → Call (808) 439-6201