Orthopedic Trauma Second Opinions at MOTUS

Someone told you that you need surgery on your fracture, and something about it didn't sit right. Maybe it was the ER doc, maybe it was another surgeon. The X-rays looked bad and the recommendation sounded reasonable, but you left with more questions than answers.

If that sounds like where you are right now, you're not alone. A big part of what we do at MOTUS is see patients who got a surgical recommendation somewhere else and want to hear from a surgeon who only treats fractures before they make a decision. We're the only orthopedic trauma group in Denver, and we see this every week. Some of those patients end up needing surgery, but a lot of them don't.

Getting a second opinion isn't second-guessing your doctor. It's giving yourself a chance to have your injury looked at by a fellowship-trained trauma specialist whose only job is to figure out what your fracture actually needs.

What a Trauma Second Opinion Actually Involves

Most of the patients who come to us for a second opinion have already been to the ER or seen another orthopedic surgeon. They've got X-rays, maybe a CT scan, and someone told them they need an operation. What they usually don't have is a clear picture of why that's the recommendation, or whether there's another way to handle it.

When you come to MOTUS for a second opinion, we walk through your case the same way we would for any new patient. We start by reviewing your imaging in detail, not just a quick look at the films, but a full read of the fracture pattern, the displacement, and whether what the X-ray shows actually changes what needs to happen. Then we examine you, because an X-ray only tells part of the story. How you're moving, where the pain is, what your range of motion looks like, all of that matters just as much as the films.

After that, we sit down with you and explain what we think. If we agree that surgery is the right call, we'll tell you why and walk you through what the procedure looks like. If we think the fracture can be managed without an operation, we'll explain that too, including what non-operative management involves and what kind of timeline you're looking at. Either way, you'll leave understanding the reasoning behind the recommendation, not just being told what to do.

Why Patients Seek Second Opinions

The people who call us for a second opinion aren't being difficult. They're being smart about a decision that affects their body and their life. We see a few common situations over and over.

The most common one is a clavicle fracture where surgery was recommended but the patient isn't sure it's needed. A displaced collarbone looks dramatic on an X-ray, and the reflex in a lot of settings is to recommend plate fixation. But many of these fractures heal on their own with full function if they're managed correctly, and that option was never brought up.

We also see patients whose surgical recommendation felt rushed. Surgery came up the same day as the injury, there wasn't time to ask questions, and the patient left feeling like the decision was made for them before they had a chance to think about it.

Then there are the patients dealing with high-stakes injuries like limb salvage decisions, revision surgeries for fractures that didn't heal, or complex fractures near a joint. When the treatment plan is going to shape the rest of your recovery, you want to make sure the person making the call has seen enough of these injuries to know what works.

And sometimes a patient comes to us because a fracture was treated and it isn't healing. That's a different kind of second opinion, one where we need to figure out why it failed before we can talk about what comes next.

When a Second Opinion Makes Sense

Not every fracture needs a second opinion. Some injuries have clear reasons for surgery, like an open fracture where the bone has come through the skin, or a fracture that's cutting off blood flow to part of your arm or leg. If you're in one of those situations, you probably aren't sitting at home reading this page.

But if you've been told you need surgery and you have time to think about it, getting another perspective is a reasonable thing to do. We routinely see patients in situations like these:

• You were told you need surgery for a clavicle fracture and you want to know whether it can heal without an operation

• You have a fracture that stopped healing and someone recommended revision surgery, but nobody explained why the first treatment didn't work

• You're facing a decision about limb salvage or amputation and you want to hear from another trauma surgeon before you commit

• You’re a mature patient or your parent or grandparent broke their hip and you want to understand what surgery involves and what recovery looks like for someone at an older age

• The surgeon who recommended your operation doesn't specialize in trauma, and you want someone who treats fractures every day to take a look

The Difference Between an Orthopedic Trauma Surgeon...

Orthopedic surgery covers a lot of ground. There are surgeons who focus on sports injuries, surgeons who do joint replacements, spine surgeons, hand surgeons, and foot and ankle surgeons. Orthopedic trauma is its own thing, with a separate fellowship, its own research, and a very different day-to-day caseload.

We treat fractures, dislocations, non-unions (fractures that stopped healing), and complex injuries to bone and soft tissue. That includes high-energy injuries from car accidents, falls from height, and industrial accidents, along with lower-energy injuries like the ground-level falls that cause hip fractures in older adults. We see these injuries all day, every day, and the patterns we recognize come from decades of treating the same problems over and over. When a patient comes to us after seeing a general orthopedic surgeon or a sports medicine doctor, that doesn't mean the first surgeon did anything wrong. It just means fracture care is what we do, and that kind of focused experience changes how you look at an injury and what you recommend for it.

MOTUS is the one of the longest standing practices in Denver that focuses on orthopedic trauma and nothing else. Dr. Steven Morgan and Dr. Wade Smith are both fellowship-trained orthopedic trauma surgeons with more than 50 years of combined experience treating fractures, non-unions, and complex orthopedic injuries.

What to Bring to Your Second Opinion Appointment

The more information we have when you walk in, the better your appointment will go. If you can, bring your imaging (X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs) on a disc or through your patient portal. If you don't have copies, we can usually pull them from the hospital where they were taken.

It also helps to bring any records you have from your first visit, like the clinic notes from the surgeon who recommended surgery, or an operative report if you've already had a procedure. Discharge paperwork from the ER is useful too.

Write your questions down before you come in. It's easy to forget what you wanted to ask once you're in the room, and having a list keeps the conversation focused.

If you're dealing with a complex injury or a big decision, bringing a family member or someone you trust to listen and take notes makes a real difference.

You might need a referral to come to MOTUS for a second opinion.

Just call our office and we'll get you scheduled.