Orthopaedic Associates adds army surgeon to roster | Business

Orthopaedic Associates has added a new hometown surgeon to its staff.  Dr. Daniel Emerson was born and raised in Evansville.  He graduated with honors from Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana and earned his medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine. 

Following medical school, Dr. Emerson served in the Army and completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington.  He then completed a tour of duty in Iraq in 2008 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, acting as Chief and General Staff of Orthopaedics at Martin Army Community Hospital.  His final four years in the Army were spent at Fort Benning, Georgia.

“Army medicine is not unlike the civilian sector in many regards.  The most noticeable difference, at first glance, is that physicians and hospital staff wear their Army Combat Uniform (camouflage) when working. The similarities quickly dissolve when encountering war-time medicine in a hostile environment overseas,” said Dr. Emerson when asked about his time with the Army.

“It truly has been an honor to work for the United States Army, serving the personnel of the Armed Forces and their families.  It has been an invaluable experience that I will never forget.  However, I highly anticipate the transition to a new civilian life, settling back in Evansville, and the opportunity to provide care to the local community in which I have deep ties and respect for,” said Dr. Emerson.

Certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Dr. Emerson has multiple orthopaedic interests including trauma, adult reconstruction (total joint replacement), shoulder surgery, and general orthopaedics.  Dr. Emerson’s special area of expertise is sports medicine, particularly ACL reconstruction.  Nationally, 85% of the surgeons who perform ACL reconstructions do less than 10 ACL surgeries each year.  In comparison, Dr. Emerson does approximately 45 ACL reconstructions per year.