Dr. Michael J. Pensak, MD, FAAOS

Media Releases

Get to know Hand Surgeon Dr. Michael J. Pensak, who serves patients in New Jersey.

As a highly-trained and skilled hand surgeon, Dr. Pensak is in practice with Ocean Orthopedic Associates. He sees patients at the offices in Toms River and Old Bridge, New Jersey.

Ocean Orthopedic Associates is a collection of talented, highly trained orthopedic surgeons and staff dedicated to serving Ocean, Monmouth, and Middlesex counties. It was founded in 1969 by some of the original orthopedic surgeons to practice in Ocean County and the commitment to excellence and dedication continues today. The goal of Ocean Orthopedic Associates is to provide a comprehensive team approach in order to offer patients a continuum of care from general orthopedics and fracture care to highly specialized spine and joint reconstruction.

Professionally, Dr. Pensak is affiliated with several medical centers in the New Jersey area, including Community Medical Center (Toms River), Ocean Medical Center (Brick), Raritan Bay Medical Center (Old Bridge), and Riverview Medical Center (Red Bank). 

A Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (FAAOS), the doctor is board-certified in orthopedic surgery and also achieved a Subspecialty Certificate in Orthopaedic Surgery of the Hand by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery (ABOS). The ABOS is an organization with the goal of establishing educational and professional standards for orthopedic residents and surgeons as well as evaluating the qualifications and competence of orthopedic surgeons. 

Before embarking on his medical career, Dr. Pensak earned his medical degree from the SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University in 2009. He then went on to complete his Orthopaedic Surgery residency at the University of Connecticut Health Center (UConn). He was the first-ever orthopaedic resident selected to complete a dedicated year of basic science research under his Chairman, Dr. Jay R. Lieberman. Dr. Pensak published numerous basic science investigations during his time at UConn. His work focused on healing critical bone defects through novel gene therapy applications utilizing Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs) as well as the administration of parathyroid hormone and demineralized bone matrices. His award-winning research was recognized at numerous regional and national conferences including the prestigious Orthopaedic Research Society. To date, he has authored over 30 abstracts, books, chapters, review articles, and basic science investigations. Upon completion of his residency he pursued a hand and microvascular fellowship at the University of Colorado. 

Hand surgery involves surgery of the hand, wrist forearm, elbow, and the peripheral nerves of the upper limb. It also encompasses reconstructive surgery that improves upper limb function. Many disorders and injuries of the hand are treated without surgery, using splints, taping, injections, and hand physiotherapy. Hand surgeons care for these problems with and without surgery. They are specially trained to operate when necessary. Many hand surgeons are also experts in diagnosing and caring for shoulder and elbow problems.

Outside of the office, Dr. Pensak enjoys skiing and playing golf. His favorite place to vacation is in Utah. 

Recommended Articles

• Life and Work: Maintaining a Delicate Balance

  Finding the right balance between work and life can be difficult. According to psychologist Robert Brooks, PhD, the co-author of The Power of Resilience: Achieving Balance, Confidence, and Personal Strength in Your Life, most people put in extra hours at work thinking that their layoffs and...

• Study Finds New Breakthrough for Lupus: Transplanting Placental Cells

  In a recent lab test using mice, transplantation of human placental cells suppressed immune and inflammatory responses of systemic lupus erythematosus. This success is a breakthrough in the treatment for lupus, an autoimmune disease that causes chronic pain. ...

• Is Fibromyalgia Brain Fog a Prelude to Dementia?

  The word dementia has been sparking fear since the moment the term was coined. Those who suffer from any disease belonging to this category often have their whole lives turned upside down; people who used to matter and bring joy to their lives no longer register on their memory, as if they don’t...

• Nurse Scientists and Nurse Engineers Pioneering New Territory in Patient Care

  In the field of healthcare, nurses provide a unique perspective on policy-making and the best practices since they come in contact with patients most often. However, that is just the beginning.Nurses are also trailblazers in the areas of research and innovation. They bring with them the wisdom that...

• What is HIV: Get the Facts

  Over the course of our four million or so years of evolution, we humans have developed a highly-specialized immune system that is quite a warrior in combating infections. We are bombarded daily by bacterial and viral pathogens which have the potential to cause us serious illness, but, completely...

• Reasons Why You Need Carpal Tunnel Surgery

  Carpal tunnel syndrome is a tingling, numbness, or weakness in the hands due to pressure on the Median nerve that is located in the wrist. Whenever you are faced with this challenge, you will be in discomfort after it progresses into the later stages. This is a condition that arises from stress...