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Shoulder and sports medicine

Get back in the game.

Arthroscopic shoulder and knee surgery,ACL reconstruction, rotator cuff repair,and shoulder replacement.
Rotator Cuff Repair
ACL Reconstruction
Total Shoulder Replacement
Meniscus Repair
Meet the surgeons
Joint replacement · Mako robotic

Move without thinking about it.

Mako robotic-arm-assisted total and partial knee,direct anterior hip replacement, and revisionsurgery when an earlier joint has worn out.
Total Knee Replacement
Partial Knee Replacement
Total Hip Replacement
Revision Knee Replacement
Meet the surgeons
Hand and upper extremity

Three hand surgeons. One address.

Hand, wrist and elbow surgery, includingoffice-based wide-awake carpal tunnel releasewithout general anesthesia.
Carpal Tunnel Release
Wide-Awake Carpal Tunnel Release
Trigger Finger Release
Thumb CMC Arthroplasty
Meet the surgeons
Foot and ankle

Every step, below the knee.

Bunions, ankle fractures, Achilles repair,ankle replacement and arthroscopy, plantarfasciitis and diabetic foot care.
Bunion Surgery
Ankle Fracture Repair
Achilles Tendon Repair
Total Ankle Replacement
Meet the surgeons
Fracture and trauma care

Broken, then fixed right.

Fractures of the shoulder, collarbone, wrist,hand, hip, leg and ankle. Same-day visitsfor acute injuries whenever we can.
Fracture Fixation (ORIF)
Hip Fracture Surgery
Wrist Fracture Repair
Ankle Fracture Repair
Meet the surgeons
How We Approach Sports Medicine

Shoulder and Sports Medicine

A sports medicine surgeon is an orthopedic surgeon with an additional fellowship year focused on the shoulder.
All four of ours completed that year at named programs.Surgery is not the first step for most injuries. We start with an exact diagnosis, then physical therapy, activity changes and injections where they help. We operate when the structure will not heal on its own.When we do operate, most procedures are arthroscopic: small incisions, a camera, and a plan to return you to your sport, your job or your trail.
Meet the surgeons
Kevin Christensen, MD, Knee, Shoulder and Sports Medicine surgeon at Ridgeline Orthopedic Specialists
Dr. ChristensenAndrews Institute fellowship
Michael Carlson, MD, Shoulder and Sports Medicine surgeon at Ridgeline Orthopedic Specialists
Dr. CarlsonArthroscopy, five joints
J. Ryan Taylor, MD, Shoulder and Sports Medicine surgeon at Ridgeline Orthopedic Specialists
Dr. TaylorDual fellowship, shoulder and elbow
Jeffrey Wallentine, MD, Joint Replacement surgeon at Ridgeline Orthopedic Specialists
Dr. WallentineThirty-four years, Mako robotics
Request an appointment
or call801-640-0000
Shoulder and Sports Medicine

What We Treat

Everything from a first dislocation to a shoulder that has worn out: rotator cuff tears, labral and SLAP tears, instability, impingement, frozen shoulder, biceps problems, AC joint separations, fractures and arthritis.In the knee, ACL and meniscus tears, cartilage injuries and kneecap instability. In the hip, labral tears and impingement treated arthroscopically.If you are not sure which of these you have, that is normal. Most patients arrive with a symptom, not a diagnosis.
Shoulder and Sports Medicine

The Surgeons

Together they hold privileges at Utah Valley Hospital, Spanish Fork Hospital, American Fork Hospital, Mountain View Hospital, Timpanogos Regional Hospital and Central Utah Surgical Center.
Dr. Christensen, MD
Andrews Institute sports medicine fellowship under Dr. James Andrews. Board certified in orthopedic surgery and orthopedic sports medicine. Fluent in Spanish.
Dr. Carlson, MD
Arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder, elbow, knee, hip and ankle. Published sports medicine researcher. Fourteen years in practice.
Dr. Taylor, MD
Dual fellowship trained in sports medicine and in shoulder and elbow surgery. Former Division I football player.
Dr. Wallentine, MD
Thirty-four years in practice. Mako robotic-assisted hip and knee replacement. Stanford sports medicine fellowship. BYU athletics team surgeon.
Shoulder and Sports Medicine

Procedures We Perform

Twenty procedures in this service line. The six most common are listed here; all twenty, from MCL and MPFL reconstruction to biceps tenodesis and clavicle fixation, are under Procedures.
Rotator Cuff Repair
Shoulder Labral Repair
Total Shoulder Replacement
Reverse Total Shoulder Replacement
ACL Reconstruction
Cartilage Restoration
Shoulder and Sports Medicine

Conditions We Treat

Rotator Cuff Tear
Shoulder Instability
Shoulder Arthritis
SLAP Tear
Biceps Tendon Injury
Shoulder Bursitis
Torn ACL
Torn Meniscus
Hip Labral Tear
Throwing Injuries
Shoulder and Sports Medicine

Browse the Full Lists

All 20 shoulder and sports procedures
Twenty procedures, most of them arthroscopic, performed by four fellowship-trained sports medicine surgeons.
All 12 shoulder conditions
Shoulder pain that lasts more than a few weeks usually has a specific cause we can name at the first visit.
All 6 knee conditions
Knees tell us a lot by how they hurt: a pop and swelling, a catch, or stiffness that built over years.
All 5 hip conditions
Hip problems show up in the groin and thigh, not the side, and they fall into two very different groups.
Shoulder and Sports Medicine

When to See Us

A pop with immediate swelling, a joint that came out of place, or weakness that appeared suddenly should be seen within days.Those are the injuries where early repair changes the outcome.Pain that has lasted more than three or four weeks despite rest, or that keeps returning with the same activity, deserves an exam and an X-ray rather than another month of waiting.You do not need a referral unless your insurance requires one, and you do not need to have tried therapy first.
Shoulder and Sports Medicine

Your First Visit

Expect forty-five to sixty minutes.A history of how the injury happened, an exam of the joint and the ones around it, and X-rays taken on site the same day.MRI is ordered when it would change the plan, not routinely. Many shoulder and knee problems are diagnosed in the room.You leave with a diagnosis or a plan to reach one, a treatment plan that starts with the least invasive option that will work, and a direct line back to the clinic.
Shoulder and Sports Medicine

Sports Medicine Surgeon or Orthopedic Surgeon?

Every sports medicine surgeon at Ridgeline is an orthopedic surgeon first: medical school, a five-year orthopedic residency, then a fellowship in sports medicine. Board certification in orthopedic surgery, with a subspecialty certificate in sports medicine for Dr. Christensen, Dr. Carlson and Dr. Wallentine.
That differs from non-operative sports medicine, which is a primary care pathway. Those physicians treat injuries without surgery and refer to us when a tear, instability or cartilage loss needs repair.You do not need to be an athlete. The same training that reconstructs a torn ACL for a college player repairs a weekend hiker, a fifty-year-old skier, or a grandparent who slipped on ice.
Request an appointment
or call801-640-0000
ContactTalk toa real person.
Two clinics, one number to call or text. Same-day appointments for acute injuries whenever we can. The front desk will match you with the right surgeon.
Call801-640-0000
TextSend a text
Provo1055 N 300 W, Ste 104
Orem700 W 800 N, Ste 330
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