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About Joseph Mitchell, MD

Joseph Mitchell, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon providing care to adults with advanced degenerative disorders of the hips and knees, including osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis, and avascular necrosis.

Dr. Mitchell performs both primary and revision hip and knee replacements. He has experience in all modern surgical techniques, including computer-assisted navigation, robotic-assisted surgeries, and patient-specific (custom) instrumentation.

His forte is direct anterior hip replacement, a technically challenging procedure that speeds up patient recovery times and is associated with a lower risk of dislocation. This may be particularly beneficial for patients who plan to return to an active lifestyle following hip replacement. He utilizes the anterior approach almost exclusively for his patients.

Dr. Mitchell's approach to care is to manage patients in a stepwise fashion with surgery as a last resort. He says the most rewarding part of his practice is restoring his patients' quality of life and mobility.

Dr. Mitchell's research has examined the advantages of anterior hip replacement over the traditional posterior approach. He has also studied whether robotic-assistance and computer navigation improve patient outcomes. More recently, he and colleagues are gathering data on the lingering effects of hip arthroscopy on patients who go on to need a hip replacement.

Prior to joining UC San Diego Health in 2023, Dr. Mitchell was an orthopedic surgeon with the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

Dr. Mitchell completed a fellowship in joint replacement at UC San Diego School of Medicine. He completed residency training and medical school at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

He is a member of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.

Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with family and friends, watching and playing basketball, running and biking, live concerts, sporting events and comedy.

UC San Diego Health Links

For more information, see Orthopedics.

Medical DegreeUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WIResidencyUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WIFellowshipUC San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA
GenderMale
Date Joined Staff2023-07-01
Conditions and Treatments
  • Knee Pain
  • Hip Replacement
  • Hip Surgery
  • Knee Surgery
  • Knee Replacement
  • Robotic Surgery
Orthopedics

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