Dr. Mark Mudano M.D.
Orthopedist
11 upper Riverdale Rd SW Riverdale Georgia, 30274Rating
3/5
About
Mark Mudano, MD, works at Bayfront Health Medical Group Orthopaedics. Dr. Mudano is a skilled , board certified through the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery orthopaedic surgeon; he specializes in sports injuries, knee arthroscopy, hip and knee replacement, rotator cuff tendon repairs and ligament reconstruction. Dr. Mudano had specific training in Reconstructive Knee Surgery during his education. Now, at his practice, he offers the latest advances in medical imaging for diagnosis, along with surgical treatment for the musculoskeletal problems that require it, as well as quality rehabilitation therapy. Dr. Mudano works as an affiliate doctor at Bayfront Health Dade City hospital, in the north suburban area of Tampa, Fl..
Education and Training
Medical College of Georgia
Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University 1984
Board Certification
American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery
Orthopaedic SurgeryAmerican Board of Orthopaedic SurgeryABOS
Provider Details
Dr. Mark Mudano M.D.'s Expert Contributions
How can you tell the difference between a fracture and a dislocation?
Dislocations are rather rare when compared to fractures; the pain and the deformity are also different; the pain is soft tissue pain which is not nearly as bad as fractured bone pain; With a dislocation one of the bones has moved away from the other articulating surface (joint) and has become stuck and cannot assume its normal position. Often times, just relaxing the patient and apply a gentle maneuver will reduce the dislocation and the deformity is gone and the pain is lowered. Fractures are broken bones which cause considerable localized pain and significant bleeding at the fracture site . There can be a huge deformity if the bone fragments separate by a lerge degree or often the case there will be what we call a "non-displaced" fracture where there is no signif. displacement of the boney fragments and usually this signifies a lower level energy that created the injury. there are many other differences between the two but this is the basic stuff. READ MORE
Is walking good for osteoporosis?
Walking is definitely very helpful in the prevention of osteoporosis. Any weight bearing exercise is good. Actual resistance training is even better, and more and more women are realizing that lifting weights in the gym with very little rest in between exercises not only protects bones, but builds muscle definition and burns way more calories than most forms of exercise. READ MORE
Do broken bones always get a cast?
No, not all fractures get a cast. Many non-displaced fractures that are stable can be protected with a splint or even a removable prefabricated splint designed specifically for that part of the body; wrist and forearm splints are popular as well as leg and knee braces as well as walking fracture boots. READ MORE
Why was my son sent home with fractured ribs?
It is never necessary to operate on “rib fractures.” It would be nice to know the age of this patient, but clearly there is hardly ever a reason to treat rib fractures with anything other than benign neglect. They will always heal on their own. If underlying lungs are severely damaged (which is hardly ever the case) then very rarely would hospitalization be necessary. Rib fractures are not in and of itself considered a severe injury, however, there is no question they are quite painful, but heal in a matter of weeks. Opioid pain meds are usually prescribed during the first 3 weeks, if the pain is not controlled with Tylenol and Ibuprofen as a combo regimen. READ MORE
What is the treatment for musculoskeletal pain?
The musculoskeletal system in our bodies is the spine and extremities with all the soft tissue attachments including cartilage, muscle and tendon, ligaments, and the peripheral nerves that supply the extremity. For starters, one can always try RICE treatment: Rest; Ice; Compression; Elevation. Dr. Mudano READ MORE
My mother is diagnosed with osteonecrosis. Is there a treatment for this condition?
Osteonecrosis (also called avascular necrosis) of what bone or joint? Because it means cell death, the structure that has this condition will lose its ability to bear weight or function properly. When the hip is involved affecting the ball portion of the upper femur, the joint will deteriorate and because of the pain and disability, a hip replacement or resurfacing procedure is usually done. Dr. Mudano READ MORE
My 80 year old mother recently fell and fractured her ankle. How long should it take for her to recover?
If the fracture is not complicated, it should consolidate and be completely healed in 6 weeks; however, pain and especially swelling will persist for at least 4 more months. Now, while the fracture healing is definite, the soft tissue healing is totally up to the patient and how they respond to the ROM exercises and the overall physical reconditioning. If a patient is not very active, does not want to participate in her own recovery, has a poor appetite, is de-conditioned already, these are indicators of a poor outcome. If the pre-injury health is good and she has a good attitude, especially with regard to pain, she will do well. Dr. Mudano READ MORE
Will steroids help in treating my joint pain?
Steroids always help with joint pain, but as with a lot of medications, there are significant side effects from taking oral steroids, especially over a long period of time. What is the diagnosis that is contributing to your pain? In other words, what is causing the pain, and why hasn’t your doctor explained this to you? There are other avenues that patients can take when it comes to certain joint pain issues. Long-term steroid use is fraught with many undesirable side effects, some far worse than the condition which may be causing the pain. Dr. Mudano READ MORE
I have a strange tingling sensation and a little pain in my hips. What could this be?
It’s a bit unusual for this to be affecting BOTH hips, but if there is no pain, I am confident that this is benign. The most common cause of tingling traveling down the outer hip and thigh is a common condition called meralgia paresthetica, basically a pinched nerve in the skin at the pelvic bone, lateral waistline. Sometimes tight clothes or a belt can cause this. Dr. Mudano READ MORE
Why do my fingers hurt when I try to make a fist?
All of the joints in the body have articular cartilage that allows for the joints to do their thing - which is move. There are no blood vessels in the cartilage, so the only way the cartilage surfaces get their nutrients is from the joint fluid, which is only produced when we move the joints. Hence why you have trouble upon awaking in the morning. All joints get stiff and sometimes painful if they are not moved enough. The human body was designed for movement. Dr. Mudano READ MORE
Can I start playing tennis six months after my knee replacement surgery?
What does your surgeon say? Most people that undergo Total Knee Replacement surgery cannot play tennis, period. How often were you playing before your surgery? I think it’s probably okay to play if you warm up properly; but, here’s the thing: if you were playing a lot of tennis prior to the TKR surgery, not really knowing your history, I’d have to say that you would NOT be a candidate for such surgery in the first place. READ MORE
Is osteoporosis hereditary?
Osteoporosis is not necessarily a disease, but rather a condition that can affect all women passed menopause; the best defense against acquiring this decreased bone density is to start in your 30,s with regular bouts of simple wgt-bearing exercise and especially resistance training (weights/machines/push-up s etc); if you are in the 25-50 age range and eat a diet with lots of dairy , you really don’t need calcium supplements. Still very good idea to start taking a good women’s multivitamin in your 30’s and continue indefinitely. If you remain ACTIVE and put yourself thru regular periods of exercise where you are lifting or pushing or pulling and you need no more than 30 mins of heavy breathing sessions, and you have no other chronic diseases, your worries of osteoporosis can and should be minimal READ MORE
How long does a knee dislocation take to heal?
A true “knee” dislocation is a serious and rare injury that often compromises the vascular and nerve supply to the lower leg; your husband most likely has sustained a patellar dislocation, which is more common and poses no threat to the leg. The kneecap (patella) acts as a sort of pulley over the top of the knee and has articulate cartilage on the back side since it forms the front of the knee joint. This cartilage gets scraped during a patella dislocation and can cause problems down the road if the cartilage is damaged enough. The usual healing time for a dislocation is 6-8 weeks. Depending on his age and other factors, the knee is likely to be stiff for quite a while and so, if he can begin ROM exercises sooner rather than later (cycling on stationary bike is best), the long-term stiffness becomes less likely. Dr. Mudano READ MORE
For my knee pain should I use hot treatment or cold?
Never use heat on the joint if there is pain from inflammation; always Use ice and ice packs can be applied for up to 60 minutes or longer directly on the skin. The old 20 minutes max for icing body parts was a wives tale for people that were not smart enough to know if they were getting frostbite. READ MORE
Can lifting weights in the gym cause my bones to become weak?
No, actually, it’s the exact opposite: resistance training is one of the best ways to develop strong bones and joints. Bones respond to gravity and any and all compressive loads; that’s why sitting too much is not a good idea no matter your age. And the chemicals your brain releases after any workout in the gym or at home where you are engaged in heavy breathing is extraordinarily beneficial to almost every system in your body. Weight training is also an excellent way to turn up your metabolic rate and burn more calories than just about any other form of exercise. Dr. Mudano READ MORE
What is the cause of loss of bone density?
The list of causes for decreased bone density is extensive. The primary reason people lose bone density is being a post-menopausal female and a decrease in daily wt-bearing activities, including resistance exercises. This does NOT mean swimming; if this patient has no other basic etiologies such as non-dairy intake, petite frame with genetic predisposition (mother has osteoporosis? And multiple fractures?), GI malabsorption issues, poor protein intake, then it all boils down to resistance exercises that will help rebuild bone density. Bone mass is a function of what we are born with, our genetics, our diet, and, most importantly, our activity level once we get past 40 yrs of age. READ MORE
Does a fracture take longer to heal when you have diabetes?
There’s no recent definitive data on delayed healing of long bone fractures in chronic diabetic patients. If the blood sugars remain high and the A1C is elevated, there are many processes in the body that will not be normal. But, all other factors being equal, most diabetics in reasonably good health will consolidate their fractures in 6-8 weeks. Dr. Mudano READ MORE
My right ankle seems to be swollen but there is no pain. Should I try ice therapy to reduce the swelling?
Ankle swelling without an injury or event means there is something “upstream “ that is causing the swelling; depending on your age and any other possible medical conditions like venous insufficiency or even diabetes could be what is the etiology of this swelling. So it could be any number of things such as vascular malformation, prior leg or knee injury or surgery, or even a benign soft tissue mass. READ MORE
What is the effect of mobile phones on the hands?
First of all, every single human needs to distance themselves from their “smart” phone on a regular basis; this technology has many more psychological, social, and intellectual drawbacks and yet we cannot seem to live without our phones! Albert Einstein said that when the day comes that technology overtakes human interaction, the world will have a whole generation of idiots! And we are quickly approaching that landmark. But to answer, there are no musculoskeletal issues of any significance from regular use of handling a cell phone. Mark L. Mudano, MD READ MORE
Can a childhood fracture hurt in adulthood?
Very unlikely that a common pediatric fracture at age 7 would come back 20 yrs later as a sequelae; all pediatric fractures have great remodeling potential and it is extremely rare to see any routine fracture cause a problem if there was normal healing with standard treatment. Now, the exceptions might be open fractures with neurological injury or severe growth plate injuries or joint involvement where cartilage was lost or crushed. READ MORE
Areas of expertise and specialization
Treatments
- Torn Meniscus
- Arthritis
- Osteoarthritis
- Rotator Cuff Syndrome
- Pain
- Tendonitis
- Broken Ankle
Professional Memberships
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Charities and Philanthropic Endeavors
- Catholic charities ; Catholic Relief Services; Jesuit High School; Food for the Poor
Internships
- Georgia Baptist Hospital in Atlanta, Medical College of Georgia
Professional Society Memberships
- Georgia Orthopaedic Society, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
What do you attribute your success to?
Having Great Parents and a Good Education
Hobbies / Sports
- Triathlons, Golfing, Being a Pilot
Favorite professional publications
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Journal
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