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

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.

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 💪👍

With over 800,000 surgeries being done every year in the US, the number of patients experiencing complications requiri...
02/27/2026

With over 800,000 surgeries being done every year in the US, the number of patients experiencing complications requiring revision continues to rise in aggregate with few surgeons able and/or willing to perform these procedures, especially if the original procedure was done by another surgeon.

In this example, a patient had already undergone two revisions for what sounds like loosening and instability. He presented with increasing pain but could not find a local surgeon willing to take on his case, causing him to drive two hours to South Florida to be treated at . Infection workup was negative but X-rays and bone scan were suggestive of implant loosening. The manufacturer of this particular implant has had recall issues with packaging and polyethylene degradation which likely led to the osteolysis most pronounced in the medial distal femur.

At the time of revision, all components and prior cement were removed. The large bone defect was filled with Montage bone graft moldable putty which hardens in minutes. Metaphyseal cones were placed in the distal femur and proximal tibia to improve fixation of the new construct and cemented stems were used to provide immediate fixation and stability. Fortunately, the collaterals were still intact which allowed use of a constrained rotating platform insert instead of a hinge.

Postoperatively, despite the extent of the surgery, the patient noticed an immediate improvement in pain and was mobilized the same day of surgery with discharge home the next morning. Questions to consider - How can we incentivize appropriately trained surgeons to take on revision cases? What reimbursement reform is necessary for these lengthy and higher risk cases? Would other surgeons have chosen an alternative fixation strategy (I.e. sleeves)?

We recently had a chance to put into practice some “damage control orthopedics” principles with a complex injury that pr...
02/19/2026

We recently had a chance to put into practice some “damage control orthopedics” principles with a complex injury that presented to our trauma center , requiring me to return to my trauma roots and training 🫡

In this example, a young female patient was involved in a high-speed motorcyle accident, sustaining numerous injuries but a complex pelvic fracture and severe perineal trauma / open wounds. EMS appropriately applied a pelvic binder in the field to minimize blood loss, and the injury pelvic x-ray is with the binder on, which can minimize the severity and displacement of the injury. The CT scan better shows the complete instability of the left SI joint / hemipelvis with multiplanar displacement.

At the time of surgery, with the binder removed to allow the gynecology / general surgery team to assess the perineal wounds, the extent of the displacement becomes more evident with a grossly open p***c symphysis and along with the posterior pelvic ring injuries. After initial treatment of the perineal wounds, the decision was made to perform open reduction of the left SI joint as closed reduction attempts were not successful. After stabilizing the right SI joint with a percutaneous iliosacral screw, a lateral window of the ilioinguinal approach was utilized to access the left SI joint. Given the multiplanar instability, multiple reduction aids were utilized, including a Farabeuf clamp along the iliac crest, an angled jaw clamp across the sacral ala, as well as an SI joint plate used as a provisional clamp with screws. An iliosacral screw on the left was then inserted and definitive screws were placed in the SI plate to augment fixation.

After posterior pelvic fixation, there was improved but still significant anterior ring displacement. Given the perineal trauma and open wounds, the decision was made to supplement the fixation with an AIIS-pin external fixator. Patient will require staged procedures to address open wounds - question for colleagues - is this fixation adequate as definitive treatment? Is formal anterior internal fixation mandatory? Convert to in-fix? Lots to consider but patient still has a long road ahead… stay tuned…

Wishing you and your family a happy and healthy new year!
01/01/2026

Wishing you and your family a happy and healthy new year!

12/24/2025

Just in time for a Christmas miracle! It was a blessing to be a part of Harrison’s story - it’s not every day we need to do a hip replacement on an 11 year old patient but due to circumstances that could only be described as God-ordained, this young man came to us after being wheelchair-bound for two years. He comes from a Christian family and through this process, he was baptized and now has an incredible testimony of how God has healed his body so that he can reach others for Christ.

Harrison and his parents came to us from over two hours outside South Florida as no one else was willing to do his surgery. Aside from the extreme young age of the patient, the fact that he was under 12 meant his surgery HAD to be performed in a children’s hospital and very few hip replacement surgeons have surgical privileges in pediatric hospitals. Fortunately, we routinely perform hip replacement and fracture surgeries on adolescents which made and a perfect setup to help Harrison. We moved all the specialized instruments, OR table, implants, navigation system, and even the OR staff to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital and the entire operation went smoothly. While Harrison still has a long road to full recovery given his prolonged time in a wheelchair, his determination and faith has strengthened my own and hopefully many others who see his story 🙏

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Galatians 6:10

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” John 9:3

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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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