In 1976, The Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Center was established in Annapolis with an emphasis on treating sports injuries. Since then, the center has grown to have 18 physicians, four physician assistants, one nurse practitioner and offices in Annapolis, Bowie and Millersville. The practice offers full-spectrum musculoskeletal care in all of its offices, including sub-specialized orthopaedics, physical medicine and rehabilitation, podiatry treatment, orthopaedic physical and hand therapy, and a full ace shop. While they consider all of their physicians to be top doctors, the group is proud to have their colleagues, Dr. Thomas J. Harries, Dr. Jeffrey Gelfand and Dr. James H. MacDonald, recognized as What's Up? Annapolis “Top Docs”!
From Stratford, Connecticut, Dr. Thomas J. Harries joined The Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Center in 1986. He retired from the Navy, where he last served as Chief of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis. Dr. Harries specializes in arthroscopic ligament reconstruction of the knee and performs up to 400 surgeries every year. Dr. Harries is Board Certified and is a Fellow in the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery and with the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine. He completed medical school at Indiana University and received orthopaedic training at the Naval Hospital in Oakland, California and from the University of California in San Francisco. As co-founder of the Helping Hands Foundation with Dr. Gelfand, Dr. Harries is dedicated to providing reconstructive surgery of the upper and lower extremities to individuals, both domestic and a oad, who would otherwise be unable to receive treatment.
New York native, Dr. Jeffrey Gelfand graduated from State University of New York at Binghamton and earned his medical degree from Syracuse University. He completed his residency in orthopaedics at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, and before moving to Annapolis to join The Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Center in 1998, Dr. Gelfand completed a year-long fellowship in upper extremity and microvascular surgery at Syracuse.
Dr. Gelfand is Board Certified and has received a Certificate of Added Qualification in Hand Surgery from the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. He's also an active member of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Furthermore, Dr. Gelfand is involved with international humanitarian efforts and is president and co-founder of the Helping Hands Foundation—an organization he established with Dr. Harries to ing people to Annapolis to receive reconstructive orthopaedic procedures.
Dr. James H. MacDonald earned his medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington D.C., and completed his residency and post-graduate training at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. Additionally, he completed his fellowship in total joint replacement from the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. Dr. MacDonald recently cele ated his seventh year with the physician team at The Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Center.
Dr. MacDonald is Board Certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and is a member of the orthopaedic medical staff at the Anne Arundel Medical Center.
Q: How would I know if I tore my ACL?
A: Tears of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are a frequent occurrence in sports, especially among female athletes. These injuries can occur with contact sports such as football, but are more oft en the result of a non-contact pivoting maneuver. You may hear or feel a pop and the knee generally swells rapidly. Oft en there is a sense of giving way. The diagnosis is made by a careful examination by a doctor and is confirmed with an MRI.
— Dr. Thomas J. Harries, Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Center
Q: I was told I have a problem with my rotator cuff . What can be done for my shoulder?
A: Most problems of the rotator cuff can be treated with an initial trial of conservative treatment including physical therapy, home exercises, and occasionally a cortisone injection. In cases that do not respond to conservative measures, surgery can often provide relief from the symptoms.
— Dr. Jeffrey Gelfand, Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Center
Q: How can I exercise with an arthritic hip or knee joint? A: Patients with hip and knee arthritis should not run or jog for exercising, but there are many other ways to strengthen muscles and get a complete cardiovascular workout. This can include walking, biking, and aqua therapy. See your doctor and get a prescription for physical therapy to start your program.
— Dr. James H. MacDonald, Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Center
