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Joseph Mitchell, M.D.Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery

Fellowship Trained in Joint Replacement
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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.

Education/Training
University of Wisconsin-Parkside
Undergraduate Bachelor of Science – Biological Sciences
08/2006–12/2010
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)
08/2011–05/2015
University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics
Orthopedic Surgery Residency
06/2015–06/2020
University of California San Diego
Adult Reconstuction Fellowship
07/2020 – 08/2021
Employment
SHARP Grossmont (Locums)
La Mesa, California
05/2021 – 07/2021
Advocate Aurora Health
Sheboygan, WI
08/2021 – 4/2022
University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics
Madison, WI
05/2022 – 6/2022
University of California San Diego
San Diego, CA
07/2023 - Current
Certifications
  • American Board of Orthopedic Surgery
    Board eligible - September 2020 – 2026
  • Outcomes of Physician-Staffed Versus Non-Physician-Staffed Helicopter Transport for ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction
    Gunnarsson SI, Mitchell J, Busch M, Larson B, Gharacholou S, Raval A.
    Published - J Am Heart Assoc. 2017 Feb 2;6(2).
  • Residual Equinus After the Ponseti Method: An MRI Based – Three Dimensional Analysis
    Mitchell J, Bishop A, Feng Y, Farley D, Ploeg H, Nguyen J, Noonan K.
    Published - J Pediatr Orthop. 2018 May/Jun; 38(5):e271-e277
  • Subtalar Coalition Resection Utilizing Live Navigation: A Technique Tip
    Stokman J, Mitchell J, Noonan K.
    Published - J Child Orthop. 2018 Feb 1;12(1):42-46
  • Statistical Shape Modeling to Analyze the Talus in Pediatric Clubfoot
    Feng Y, Mitchell J, Bishop A, Farley D, Noonan K, Qian X, Ploeg H.
    Published - Comp Meth in Biomech and Biomech Eng. Springer, Cham 2018
  • Current Trends in Capsule Management After Hip Arthroscopy: A Survey of Hip Arthroscopists
    Mitchell J, Mueller, A, Degen R, Coleman S, Kelly B, Spiker A.
    Published – Arthroscopy 2019 Dec; 35 (12) E16
  • MRSA Carrier Rate in Orthopedic Trauma Patients – A Prospective Cohort Study
    Shaw J, Mitchell J, Whalen C, Lang J, Goodspeed D, Doro C, Whiting P.
    Published – J OrthopTrauma. 2020 Jan; 34 (1):1-7
  • Opioid Use in Robotic – Arm Assisted Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Comparison to Conventional Manual Total Knee Arthroplasty
    Greiner J, Mitchell J, Lee E, Wang J, Hetzel S, Illgen R
    Published – Surg Tech Int. 2020 Nov 28;37:280-289
  • Relative Clinical Outcomes Comparing Manual and Robotic Assisted Total Knee Arthroplasty at Minimum 1 Year Follow Up
    Mitchell J, Wang J, Greiner J, Samtani R, Illgen R
    Published – HSS J. 2021 Oct; 17(3):267-273
  • Lingering Effects of Hip Arthroscopy on Conversion Hip Arthroplasty
    Mitchell J, Wang J, Illgen R, Walczak B
    Ongoing data collection
  • The Utility of the Talus to Calcaneus Ratio in Diagnosing Tarsal Coalition
    Mitchell J, Giertych B, Hetzel S, Noonan K.
    Ongong data collection
Awards & Scholarships

Undergraduate

  • Athletic Scholarship for NCAA Division II Basketball
  • Milos Family Pre-Health Scholarship
  • UW Parkside Foundation Scholarship

Medical School

  • UW SMPH Recruitment Scholarship
  • Shapiro Summer Research Scholarship
  • Marvin E. Watts Scholarship
Professional Organizations
  • American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons
  • American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons
Personal Interests
  • Spending time with family and friends
  • Watching and playing basketball
  • Running and biking
  • Live concerts, sporting events, and comedy