Patient Testimonials

Barbara – Annandale
Knee Replacement

Dennis – Amissville
Total Hip Replacement

Blanca – Leesburg
Bilateral Hip Replacement

Sarah – Burke
Fractured Elbow

Ca'Dell – Reston
Achilles Repair

Carolyn – Alexandria
Bilateral Hip and Knee Replacements

Hisham – Reston
ACL Repair

Brian – Herndon
Torn Biceps Tendon

John – Springfield
Spine Surgery

Hiko – Fairfax
Detached Thumb Ligament

Matthew – Fairfax
Shoulder Repair

Courtney –McLean
Fractured Leg

Lisa – Centreville
Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

Maurice – Clifton
Osteoarthritis

Maureen – Oak Hill
Non-Surgical Pain Management

Brian – Reston
Minimally Invasive Total Hip Replacement

James – Arlington
Knee Replacement

Cheryl – Oak Hill
Reconstructive Hand Surgery

Chris – Arlington
Carpal Tunnel Surgery

Vilma – Vienna
Fractured Wrist

Kelsey – Centreville
Spondylolysis

Jeff – Alexandria
Shoulder Repair

Jenna – Centreville
ACL Repair

Brian – Arlington
Knee Arthroscopy

Donna – West Springfield
Pilates and Core Stabilization

Keith – Stafford
Torn Rotator Cuff

Rachel – Vienna
Broken Wrist

Patson – Annandale
Herniated Disc

Jerri – Alexandria
Muscle-Sparing Total Knee Replacement

Matthew – Lucketts, VA
Ankle Replacement

Garrett – Vienna
Shoulder Rehabilitation

Karen – Alexandria
Shoulder Repair

James – Annandale
Distal Biceps Tendon Repair

Laurie – Potomac Falls
Minimally Invasive Hip Arthroscopy

Kevin – Alexandria
Lacerated Extensor Tendon Repair

Mary – Herndon
ACL Reconstruction and Meniscus Transplant

Sam – Edgewater, MD
Shoulder Repair Surgery

Phil – Springfield
Clavicle Fracture

Kelley – Sterling
Dislocated Kneecaps

Brian – Vienna
Skier’s Thumb

Stephanie – Vienna
Knee & Hip Replacement

Patient Testimonials - Karen

Alexandria – Shoulder Repair

What started as a pleasant, first-time horseback ride during a vacation in Iceland turned into a terrifying gallop through sleet and gale-force winds. When the horse finally threw her, Karen landed on the hardest surface imaginable: frozen volcanic rock.

The fall partially dislocated her right shoulder, but by the time she returned home to Alexandria, she thought it had healed. For the next eight years, Karen lived with recurring dislocations, progressive weakness and limited range of motion. Things got so bad she finally consulted Thomas Martinelli, MD, a shoulder specialist at Commonwealth Orthopaedics. Knowing she wasn’t eager for surgery, Dr. Martinelli recommended physical therapy. “At first, I thought it was helping. But when a wave knocked me down during a family beach vacation and my shoulder popped out, I said, ‘That’s it! I’m having surgery,’” Karen recalls.

Dr. Martinelli performed minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery to repair Karen’s shoulder. This advanced technique holds many patient benefits, including shorter operative time, less pain, and faster recovery with better range of motion following rehabilitation.

Karen spent four weeks with her arm immobilized in a sling, and then began several months of physical therapy to restore strength and flexibility. Now fully recovered, she is busy keeping up with her young daughter, Rayyan, and traveling for her job in international development. Her arm is much stronger and more limber than it was before her surgery, and she’s confident it will improve to the point where she will forget about it completely.

“My Commonwealth experience was overwhelmingly positive and Dr. Martinelli did an amazing job,” she says. “I had minimal post-operative pain, my recovery was excellent, and the incisions are so tiny and have healed so well you can barely see them anymore. In the end, my fears were groundless; surgery was definitely worth it. I have my quality of life back.”

Read her complete article here (story on page 16).