New Joint & Spine Office Opening in Mission

Specialist available to treat knee, hip, shoulder, elbow, other orthopedic conditions

Mission – A new orthopedics office, “Restore Joints and Spine”, is opening in Mission, with an experienced orthopedic specialist, Dr. Vaibhav ‘Van’ Kanawade, available to treat patients with hip, knee, shoulder, and elbow problems and spine disorders.

Dr. Kanawade specializes in adult hip, knee, shoulder and elbow joint replacement, revision surgery and complex reconstructions. He is also specialist in shoulder, elbow, and knee joint arthroscopy/ligament reconstruction, minimally-invasive spine surgery and orthopedic trauma. Some of his other clinical interests include development of robotic arm technology to improve the precision and accuracy of joint replacement surgeries.

Dr. Kanawade has special interest in “joint conservation”, preserving as much of a patient’s joints as possible. His emphasis is always towards non-operative management, utilizing a multi-disciplinary and multi-modal approach with local steroid or gel shots, orthobiologics like PRP or stem cell therapy, TENEX and arthroscopic cartilage repair/transplant surgery.
However, if a patient’s arthritis or joint pain has advanced to the point that surgery is necessary, Dr. Kanawade can perform precise knee and hip replacements, as well as other orthopedic procedures which can help patients to recover as quickly as possible with minimal pain/complications.

Dr. Kanawade is internationally recognized for his groundbreaking research on understanding the 3D (3-Dimensional) joint implant position and movement dynamics. Successful joint replacement depends on the proper position of components/implants. Surgeons have been performing surgery and placing implants based on 2D (2-Dimensional) X-rays. Dr. Kanawade for the first time introduced and defined the 3D concept of implant position for hip replacement surgery. He coined the 3D term “Ante-inclination”, helping surgeons to understand 3D hip cup position and biomechanics during hip replacement surgery. His classification on “Flexibility of Lower Spine and Pelvis Complex” is well-recognized and helps surgeons to understand variations in anatomy, flexibility and movement between different patients.

Dr. Kanawade further proved 3D hip joint behavior in different body positions, such as sitting, standing and sleeping, making joint replacement surgeries more patient-specific. These concepts have opened a new era for joint replacement surgeries and helped surgeons to place implants more accurately, according to the need of the patient, contributing to longer lasting replacements.
Dr. Kanawade is author of multiple national and international book chapters on primary and revision joint replacements, and his research on the precision of robotic arm technology for total hip replacement, as published in the Journal of Arthroplasty, is highly acclaimed.

Dr. Kanawade has seen the huge difference that properly-performed orthopedic procedures can make in helping patients to achieve a better quality of life.
“First and foremost, these procedures can enable a patient to become independent again,” Dr. Kanawade said. “For example, the patient may be able to go the bathroom without waiting for someone’s help. Or just being able to put on your socks or shoes by yourself again … it helps the patient to feel totally independent and that can make them happy.”
A successful knee or hip replacement may also allow a patient to sleep comfortably through the night – something they may not have done in a while. Or it may allow the patient to be able to sit and eat without pain.

Patients who have spinal procedures with Dr. Kanawade may be able to eventually return to work and improve their standard of living.
In time, recovering patients may be able to start driving again – or return to dancing, playing sports, and other favorite activities. Dr. Kanawade recalls one of his patients – a true Texas cowboy – who injured his elbow. A week after his surgery with Dr. Kanawade, the cowboy was back to riding hard-charging bucking bronchos and ready for a rodeo!
“Regardless of their activity levels, I look forward to helping patients in the Valley with all of their orthopedic needs,” Dr. Kanawade said.
Originally from India, Dr. Kanawade did much of his orthopedic training at Ohio State University and USC – two schools known for their football teams. Dr. Kanawade himself did play intercollegiate sports and is an enthusiastic follower of the Buckeyes.

Dr. Kanawade is a Fellow of the International College of Surgeons and a member of the Royal College of Surgeons, which is based in London. In addition to completing a Clinical Fellowship in Orthopedic Surgery of Spine at Ohio State and a Clinical Research Fellowship in Robotic and Computer Navigation Adult Joint Reconstruction at the University of Southern California, Dr. Kanawade also did a Clinical Fellowship in Shoulder and Elbow Surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.
In his spare time, Dr. Kanawade enjoys spending time with his family – as well as helping/teaching children and youngsters to build robots. With a friendly smile, Dr. Kanawade also enjoyed acting while in college – and even won an award for best actor in an intercollegiate cultural competition.

With 10 years of experience in orthopedics, Dr. Kanawade is ready to serve patients in the Valley, which he considers “very nice, very beautiful”, with the weather reminding him of his hometown in India. Same-week appointments are available at Dr. Kanawade’s spacious new office, Restore Joints and Spine, located in the Mission Doctors Plaza West, 910 S. Bryan Road, Suite 205, adjacent to Mission Regional Medical Center. For more information, or to make an appointment please call (956) 598-7070.

About Mission Regional Medical Center

Mission Regional Medical Center is a 297-bed non-profit hospital that provides
inpatient and outpatient hospital services to the people of the Rio Grande Valley. Rated one of
the top hospitals in the country for clinical excellence in many services including maternity and
orthopedic care, Mission Regional Medical Center has been offering quality health care, close to
home, for more than 65 years. For more information, please visit www.missionrmc.org.

CONTACTS
Kathleen Avila or Paola Lopez
956-566-8163 or 956-323-1150
[email protected]
[email protected]