
Our Services
SPORTS MEDICINE
Sports medicine refers to the treatment (and prevention) of injuries caused by sports and exercise. In a Valley as full of outdoor enthusiasts as ours, we know how important it is to get you moving again. Dr. Gloria Beim is the most highly credentialed orthopaedic doctor in the Valley. She and her team are committed to providing the same level of care they provide to Olympic athletes, to the residents and visitors of Gunnison Valley.
ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY
At times, surgical intervention is the only way an injury or disease process can be repaired. Dr. Biem built Alpine Surgery Center in order to provide patients with safe, high quality care for their out-patient surgical needs. At a fraction of the price of hospital settings, and with the most personalized care possible, our ambulatory surgery center has been exceeding patient expectations since it opened its doors.
MINIMALLY INVASIVE TREATMENT
Tenex is a quick, minimally-invasive procedure to treat tendon injuries. Avoid surgery with this advanced technology, which safely and effectively removes damaged tissues, allowing tendons to heal and pain to be relieved. Developed in collaboration with the MAYO Clinic, Tenex Health TX® combines ultrasound and TX MicroTip technology to eliminate pain. Alpine Orthopaedics also offers Diagnostic Ultrasound and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) to help save patients the cost of expensive MRIs, and keep them out of the OR when possible.
ACUPUNCTURE
According to the World Health Organization, acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment for a host of health conditions. Alpine Orthopedics is pleased to be able to offer acupuncture and Chinese medicine services to our orthopaedic and sports medicine patients to help healing, prevent injuries, and improve wellness.
Our Specialties
SHOULDER
The shoulder is a large and complex joint, vulnerable to injury and overuse with sports, exercise, and physical activity. The main parts of the shoulder include the humerus, scapula, acromion, clavicle, and coracoid process. Injuries to the shoulder joint that we specialize in include:
Instability, dislocations, fractures
Rotator cuff tears
Overuse tendinitis
ELBOW
Elbow injuries can be caused by overuse, a direct blow, or landing on the joint in such a way that it is forced beyond its normal limits. The providers at Alpine Orthopaedics often treat elbow:
Fractures
Sprains/strains
Hyperextensions & Dislocations
HAND/WRIST
The 27 small bones in the hand, in addition to the radius and ulna of the forearm, and a complex system of muscles, tendons and ligaments, are what allow our hands and wrists move with so much range, strength, and precision. Given that outstretching our arms when falling is a natural protective reaction of the body, many sports make our wrists and hands vulnerable to injury.
Complex fractures
Sprains
Cartilage tears
HIP
In a healthy person, the hips are very stable (and very important) joints. Overuse and disease can cause deterioration to these joints, however, while sports and other physical activity can lead to impact injuries to the hips. Requiring great force to damage the strong bones and connective tissue of the hip joints, these injuries can be quite painful. The hip injuries treated at Alpine Orthopaedics include:
Fractures
Dislocations
Labral tears
KNEE
Associated with all types of movement, the knee is one of the most easily injured joints in our body (especially whilst skiing). The knee is also one of the the largest and most complex joints in the body, comprised of important bones, tendons, ligaments, cartilage and bursae. While Alpine Orthopaedics treats a number of knee conditions - including fractures, dislocations, sprains, and ligament injuries - some of the most common are:
ACL tears
Meniscus tears
Overuse tendinitis
FOOT/ANKLE
These frequently occurring musculoskeletal injuries often result from twisting, jerking, or landing with force, causing the joint to bend at an abnormal angle. Like other sports medicine injuries, pain of the foot or ankle can result from damage to bones, ligaments, tendons - or a combination of these - and can range in severity from mild to severe.
Sprains/strains
Fractures
Overuse injuries (tendinitis)
Tendon ruptures
JOINTS
There are 360 joints - intersections of bones that allow movement - in the human body. Be it through disease, wear, or acute injury, joints can be become damaged, often causing pain and prohibiting full range of motion. While the providers at Alpine Orthopaedics will try to treat a joint conservatively at first, at times, joint replacement (total or partial) may be the only option. In this surgical procedure, damaged joints (or parts of a joint) are removed, and replaced with a prosthesis. Joint replacements are often seen with:
Knees
Hips
Shoulders