Dr. Stetson specializes in sports medicine with an expertise in arthroscopic and reconstructive surgery of the shoulder, knee, elbow and ankle. He has first hand knowledge of athletic injuries and the desire that all of us have to “get back in the game”.

Offices in Burbank utilize leading edge diagnostic solutions to assess and repair knee injuries, shoulder injuries, elbow injuries, and conditions relating to Arthritis .  State-of-the-art, minimally invasive surgery techniques such arthroscopic surgery means faster recovery times.

Dr. Stetson specializes in the following orthopedic and sports medicine procedures:

Sports Medicine Knee Arthroscopy Shoulder Arthroscopy Rotator Cuff Repair ACL Reconstruction Treatment of Arthritis

Knee Ligament Reconstruction Recurrent Shoulder Dislocation Shoulder Impingement/Bursitis Meniscus Repair Elbow Arthroscopy

Use our Online Appointment Request form or contact Dr. Stetson at:

Stetson Powell Orthopaedics &
Sports Medicine
191 South Buena Vista Street
Suite 470
Burbank, CA 91505
(818) 848-3030

The 2nd Annual West Coast Sports Medicine Fellows Lab took place from March 1-2, 2013. Twenty-one fellows from Kerlan Jobe, USC, UCLA, SCOI, San Diego, Stanford and SMOG performed arthroscopic and open procedures in cadaver labs, creating an opportunity for fellows to learn from an all-star faculty including surgeons Steve Snyder, Jim Tibone, Jim Esch, Neal ElAttrache, Tom Knapp, Reza Omid, Chris Lee, William Stetson and Scott Powell. Lectures among the faculty discussed shoulder instability and rotator cuff repair products, as well as the keys to building a successful private practice. The lab meetings were organized by Dr. Powell and sponsored by Dr. Stetson’s non-profit organization Operation Arthroscopy, Smith and Nephew, RTI Biologics, Bledsoe Brace Systems and Arthrosurface.

Two clinical research papers generated by Stetson Powell have been accepted to the respected Arthroscopic Association of North America (AANA) Annual Meeting and International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine (ISAKOS) Congress. The papers, titled “Accuracy of Intra-articular Glenohumeral Injection Confirmed by MR Arthrography” and “Analysis of Low-Field MRI Scanners for Evaluation of Shoulder Pathology Based on Arthroscopy,” were written by our Pre-Med Interns Shane Davis, Shalen Kouk and Ryan Sung, and our doctors Christopher Lee, William Stetson and Scott Powell. The papers will be presented at the AANA Annual meeting in San Antonio, TX between April 25-27, 2013 and the ISAKOS Congress in Toronto, Canada between May 12-16, 2013.

There is new information on cortisone injections that Dr. Stetson would like his patients to review. The internal like is http://www.sportsmedicinedr.com/?p=1203.

Dr. Stetson met with representatives of the Chinese Orthopaedic Association (COA) and other international presidents and representatives as he continued his term as chairman of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) International Committee. The meetings took place at the AAOS Annual Meeting held in Chicago from March 20-24, 2013. In addition to his daily responsibilities as chairman of the committee, Dr. Stetson has been busy planning shoulder courses for a group of Romanian orthopaedic surgeons that will take place in October 2013 and a group of Chinese orthopaedic surgeons that will take place in November 2013.  Drs. Stetson, Powell, Buddy Savoie and Pietro Tonino will travel to Beijing to represent AANA and AAOS in a shoulder symposium at the Chinese Orthopedic Association.

MusiCares provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need. MusiCares’ services and resources cover a wide range of financial, medical and personal emergencies, and each case is treated with integrity and confidentiality. MusiCares also focuses the resources and attention of the music industry on human service issues that directly impact the health and welfare of the music community.

Dr. Powell of Stetson Powell Orthopedics has been on the forefront of MusiCares expansion into the medical community. Dr. Stetson is happily joining the MusiCares team to better support the music industry in Southern California. For more information on MusiCares please visit there website at www.musicares.org

Jennie McKee

William Stetson, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon from Burbank, Calif. specializing in sports medicine, was the Olympic team physician for the U.S. men’s and women’s volleyball teams at the 2012 London
Olympics.

AAOS Now spoke with Dr. Stetson on day four of the Olympics—Tuesday, July 31—about what it is was like to be team physician for these elite athletes.

AAOS Now: Before we get into your role as team physician, can you tell us about your own background as a volleyball player?

Dr. Stetson: I went to the University of Southern California on a volleyball scholarship and played there for 4 years. I was an All-American in 1981 and 1982 and was captain of the team in 1982. We went to the Final Four every year; we won the national championship in 1980, finished second in 1979 and 1981, and finished in third place in 1982. So, we had a great deal of success.

Dr. Stetson stands outside Earls Court, the venue where the U.S. men’s and women’s volleyball teams competed during the 2012 London Olympics. Courtesy of William Stetson, MD

AAOS Now: How did you become an Olympic team physician?

Dr. Stetson: I’ve been taking care of the male volleyball players since 2005, and I’ve been helping care for the women since 2009.

To become an Olympic team physician, you have to be selected by what are called the national governing bodies. Volleyball has its own national governing body, as do other sports, such as swimming. Then, after you are selected, you need to apply to the United States Olympic Committee, or USOC, which verifies all of your credentials.

After that, you go to an Olympic training center for 2 weeks to see how you get along with the athletes as well as the athletic trainers. The athletic trainers are a big part of the USOC, so you have to make sure that you’re able to work well with them and that you fit in with the team. If that goes well, then you have the possibility of going to the Olympics.

AAOS Now: What was it like to be at the Opening Ceremony?

Dr. Stetson: You could sense the excitement in the air. Everyone was taking lots of photos. Kobe Bryant [of the U.S. men’s basketball team] was probably the biggest hit. Everyone wanted to take a photo with him.

AAOS Now: What are your responsibilities as team physician?

Dr. Stetson: I am with the athletes in the training room as well as when we travel to the venue. For volleyball, the venue is Earls Court in downtown London. During the pregame warm-up, I am on hand in case problems arise. I’m also there at the match. The team physician is actually required to be on the bench, rather than just on the sidelines.

Because of my volleyball background, I can serve as the team doctor and also help do some statistics and scout the other team during matches. I really enjoy being here and being so close to the action.

AAOS Now: What are some of the most common musculoskeletal conditions and injuries?

Dr. Stetson: By far, the most common problems we see in volleyball players are overuse injuries, both of the shoulder and knee. We also see some injuries that require surgery. For example, one player had an osteochondral defect—the athlete knocked off a piece of cartilage on the lateral femoral condyle, meaning the outside part of the knee. I performed surgery to remove a loose body and then performed abrasion chondroplasty.

AAOS Now: What about other illnesses?

Dr. Stetson: Anyone who has been a sports team doctor knows that we take care of a lot of other things besides orthopaedic injuries. We have to be well-versed on general medicine, too. We are really blessed at the Olympics because the USOC has a medical clinic staffed by excellent physicians, including family medicine physicians and sports medicine physicians. So, if one of our athletes has a cold or a problem I haven’t treated in 20 years, I send the player there.

AAOS Now: You also need to stay current on the list of banned substances, correct?

Dr. Stetson: Absolutely. When we prescribe medicine, we are careful about ensuring it is not on the list of banned substances. After every match, one of our athletes is usually chosen to undergo random drug testing. It doesn’t just have to be after a match, though. It can occur anytime, day or night.

AAOS Now: What are the medical facilities like in the Olympic village?

Dr. Stetson: The Olympic village is like a small city. The medical clinic for the American athletes has chiropractors, massage therapists, physical therapists, general practitioners, family doctors who specialize in sports medicine, and orthopaedic surgeons.

The International Olympic Committee has what’s called a polyclinic, a four-story building staffed with dentists, orthopaedic surgeons, massage therapists, chiropractors, a full-time pharmacy, and more. Outside, they have two MRI scanners, a full radiographic suite, and a computed tomography scanner, so athletes are able to get any of those tests right away, if needed.

AAOS Now: What will you remember most about your time at the 2012 Olympics?

Dr. Stetson: It has been fun working with all the players and coaches. I have known many of these coaches for years. We have great camaraderie with one another. I also can’t say enough about the athletic trainers, who do the lion’s share of the work here.

It’s really been a thrill to be here and be part of the Olympic spirit. The people here in London have been fantastic—very friendly and helpful. They are putting on a wonderful Olympic games. Hats off to them.

AAOS Now
September 2012 Issue
http://www.aaos.org/news/aaosnow/sep12/youraaos3.asp