Daniel B. Chan, MD - Orthopaedic Trauma and Hip & Knee Replacement

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Daniel B. Chan, MD - Orthopaedic Trauma and Hip & Knee Replacement Dr. Daniel B.

Chan is an orthopaedic trauma surgeon specializing in complex fracture reconstruction, minimally-invasive anterior hip replacement, as well as robotic-assisted knee replacement.

On Patriot Day, we remember, reflect, and stand together in unity.
09/11/2026

On Patriot Day, we remember, reflect, and stand together in unity.

Happy Labor Day! We hope you and your family enjoy your time off!
09/07/2026

Happy Labor Day! We hope you and your family enjoy your time off!

“Reconstructions always compromise function.” -Stephen Benirschke, MDWhile I never had the pleasure of training under D...
08/29/2026

“Reconstructions always compromise function.” -Stephen Benirschke, MD

While I never had the pleasure of training under Dr. Benirschke at Harborview, one of the forefathers of foot and ankle trauma surgery, this quote attributed to him I heard at an AO course I taught at years ago has always stuck with me. It speaks to a universal truth that the index surgery is always the best opportunity to get it right and that any subsequent revision or salvage procedure will never be as good as the first surgery done well.

In this / example, a middle-aged patient was involved in a car accident several months ago and sustained this posteromedial tibial plateau fracture which was likely a fracture-dislocation variant. The patient underwent surgery at an outside hospital but unfortunately, the medial subluxation, posterior displacement, and lateral articular defect were not corrected. The patient was left to attempt rehab with the knee in a malreduced position, leading to significant pain and stiffness.

Despite the patient’s relatively young age, the appropriate salvage procedure in this situation was knee replacement which was done staged with initial hardware removal. Once the soft tissues were amenable, total knee replacement at Memorial Healthcare System was performed by releasing the scar tissue that had accumulated in the months since injury. Once the tibial axis was recreated, soft tissue releases were used to balance the knee without any constraint using CR implants. A metaphyseal tibial cone was used to improve fixation in the post-traumatic defect.

Initial post-op films show residual anterior medial femoral / anterior tibial subluxation which was worrisome, but after several months of rehab the knee is now congruent and stable, tracking well with the use of a highly congruent poly spacer. The patient is back to work, but long-term prognosis is certainly not as promising as a fracture appropriately reduced at the first surgery. Rather than pointing fingers at other surgeons (we all have complications), this was a sobering reminder to myself that one should never leave the OR until an injury is as close to perfect as humanly possible 👍🏻

1. The number of senior citizens is rapidly increasing from the baby boomer generation ❌2. Osteoporosis remains a signif...
08/24/2026

1. The number of senior citizens is rapidly increasing from the baby boomer generation ❌
2. Osteoporosis remains a significant problem in the elderly ❌
3. People are trying to stay active in their later years with exercise and recreational sports ✅

When combining these three facts, it accounts for the increase in injuries and fractures from elderly patients engaging in physical activity. In this example, a patient in their 70’s tripped and fell directly on their left side while playing pickleball, resulting in a displaced fracture of the acetabulum (hip socket). In previous years, many of these fractures were treated with benign neglect assuming elderly patients were low-demand or that the hip could always be replaced down the line if symptomatic.

For this active and healthy patient who wanted the best option to preserve the hip joint and to return to sport, the decision was made to perform open reduction and internal fixation to restore the alignment of the hip. The patient was transferred from an outside hospital to have specialized orthopedic trauma care at Memorial Healthcare System ‘s Level 1 trauma center. A single Pfannenstiel (C-section) incision was utilized with traction on a Hana table. The columns were reduced and buttressed with a suprapectineal plate with quadrilateral extension to allow multiple bicortical screws into the posterior column. Post-op films confirm restoration of hip joint alignment and offset. After six weeks of protected weightbearing, the patient is progressed to normal activities and was back on the pickleball courts at three months. Even if hip replacement is necessary in the future (patient has signs of impingement / CAM lesion), it will be a relatively straightforward primary with good bone stock. Osteoporosis management will also be an important part of ongoing treatment to minimize the risk of additional fractures in the future.

Happy 4th of July!Wishing you and your loved ones a safe, joyful, and memorable Independence Day.
07/04/2026

Happy 4th of July!
Wishing you and your loved ones a safe, joyful, and memorable Independence Day.

Happy Father’s Day! Thank you to all the wonderful fathers!
06/21/2026

Happy Father’s Day! Thank you to all the wonderful fathers!

This Memorial Day, we remember and honor those who gave their lives in service to our nation.
05/25/2026

This Memorial Day, we remember and honor those who gave their lives in service to our nation.

Happy Mother’s Day!
05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day!

Happy Earth Day!
04/22/2026

Happy Earth Day!

The saying “better lucky than good” often applies to severe injuries where a successful outcome often depends on many fa...
03/10/2026

The saying “better lucky than good” often applies to severe injuries where a successful outcome often depends on many factors outside a surgeon’s control. In my experience, it’s often by the sheer grace of God that a patient pulls through tough injury without major complications.

In this example from , a patient was involved in a high-speed motorcycle crash and sustained a highly comminuted type IIIA open intra-articular distal femur fracture. In the absence of additional injuries and any gross contamination, the decision was made to proceed with immediate definitive fixation after standard debridement and irrigation, attempting to preserve soft tissue attachments to the comminuted metaphyseal fragments.

After reducing the major articular components, a definitive distal femoral locking plate was applied while using a bone hook to control articular bloc sagittal plane alignment and a colinear clap to control coronal plane reduction. The decision was made to not perform additional fixation (medial plate, IM nail) to preserve future reconstructive options in case nonunion or infection occurred.

Given the comminution, there was an expectation of possible delayed bone grafting but at six weeks, with early callus noted, we decided to ride it out without further intervention and at six months, the fracture has completely healed / remodeled. No further interventions required. This is consistent with a 2013 JOT article from showing better results with limited versus aggressive debridement. While dual plating, nailing, or nail-plate constructs are becoming more common, it’s still possible to treat these injuries with a single lateral plate if adhering to basic principles. Curious to see how others would have tackled this injury!

Lastly, a huge thank you and shout out to for giving me permission to share his pictures / story and for being a resilient patient to the end. Keep up the hard work 💪👍

Address

2122 West Cypress Creek Road, Suite 220
Fort Lauderdale, FL
33309

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

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