With a background in general orthopedics and orthopedic trauma, Dr. Alford has advanced training in shoulder and sports medicine injuries, specifically all-arthroscopic shoulder repairs, ligament reconstruction of the knee, and cartilage restoration/transplantation. He is also a clinical assistant professor at Brown University Medical School and a faculty member at the Orthopedic Learning Center in Chicago, where he teaches other orthopedic surgeons new arthroscopic techniques. Previously, he served as team physician for the Chicago White Sox.
He emphasizes a highly personalized, empathetic approach to the evaluation and treatment of orthopedic injuries, and takes the time to answer questions and understand a patient’s goals and concerns. Dr. Alford is a Castle Connolly Top Doctor.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, Dr. Alford was a varsity squash player at Amherst. He conducted part of his research in Madrid, Spain, which helped him become fluent in Spanish.
Originally published by Roberston Davies in his 1951 novel, Tempest-Tost, this phrase summarizes the philosophy of Rene Descartes “We do not describe the world we see, we see the world we can describe”. Awareness of this....
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The videos below demonstrate a typical rotator cuff tear before (vid1) and after (vid2) a repair. The key features of these videos are that the repair takes advantage of the native bone’s ability to provide growth factors and other blood-born, glue-like properties to firmly cement the repair in place. In addition, the repair construct has strong fixation medially, which establishes the anatomy of the repair which is strengthened by lateral anchors which drape the sutures over the repair - like bungie cords on a roof rack. This produces a strong repair, with a large surface area for robust healing and early motion.
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Over the years of helping people recover from shoulder surgery and injuries, I’ve noticed an under emphasis on regaining symmetric internal rotation of the shoulder joint, which is key to achieving healthy balanced shoulder mechanics. On a very basic level, this is measured by our ability to raise our thumb behind our back up to our shoulder blade (scapula). Most of what we do with....
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