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Healthy hips and knees keep us playing hide-and-seek, dancing the night away, walking the dog or enjoying 18 holes on a sunny afternoon. When they get creaky thanks to injury, accident or aging, it’s time to seek out a skilled team like the one at Olympia Orthopaedic Associates (OlyOrtho). OlyOrtho’s talented doctors, including hip and knee replacement specialist Dr. Trevor Barronian, will keep you up and moving all year round.

Dr. Trevor Barronian with a friend standing on a sidewalk in a big city
Dr. Trevor Barronian is joining the OlyOrtho family as a knee and hip replacement specialist. Photo courtesy: Dr. Trevor Barronian

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons estimates that knee and hip replacement surgeries will grow to a combined 2 million procedures annually by 2030. With individuals staying active and healthy well into their later years, having joints that work properly is crucial.

A Pacific Northwest native, Barronian grew up in the Kent and Normandy Park areas and attended local schools there. He then moved to the north side of Seattle and attended University of Washington as an undergraduate. Medical school and residency training was completed at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, and he completed his fellowship on the east coast through the Rothman Institute.

“My wife and I knew we wanted to return to the west coast after completion of my fellowship and desired a medium-sized city,” he explains. “OlyOrtho was recommended by family as a place they trusted and respected which led to my interviewing here.”

But the choice wasn’t just one of convenience and location. “There were several aspects that stood out,” says Barronian. “From the side of joint replacements, they already have a robust joint replacement department that utilizes many of the newer techniques and philosophies. This was attractive as it would make it easier to integrate my training and practice style into the group and allow me to practice in an optimized environment, which is critical for improving patient outcomes. They also had welcoming providers who were practitioners I would enjoy having as mentors.”

The family recommendations, though, didn’t just start with OlyOrtho. His father practices orthopaedics as well, so he was exposed at an early age. “For me it combines the healing aspect of medicine with material sciences and physics, which fit my interests well,” says Barronian. “I also enjoy the field as it allows us to return patients to hobbies and activities they like to do. As someone who enjoys outdoor activities it is exciting to be able to help patients get back to doing what they enjoy.”

Barronian and his wife  at sunset in the desert
Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, when not working Barronian and his wife enjoy travel and time spent outdoors. Photo courtesy: Dr. Trevor Barronian

The science is improving in leaps and bounds. Many replacement joints can now last two decades and provide continuous mobility and a pain-free life for patients. OlyOrtho’s team keeps up with the latest reports and findings to the benefit of their patients.

“It is a fascinating field with regards to the rapid progress made to surgical techniques and implants used,” says Barronian. “Even in the last 20 years we have seen an exponential improvement in outcomes, and I am also excited to see where the field will progress over the next 20 to 30 years.”

Many joint replacements are brought on by osteoarthritis. “In this form the pain and discomfort are caused by a wearing out of cartilage, which is the protective cushion that covers and protects the end of bones where they meet,” Barronain explains. “As that cushion gets thinner when people walk and move it can result in the bones hitting each other which leads to pain, like the sole of your running shoe wearing out. If you were to run with those on, your feet would hurt as they no longer have the protection between them and the road.”

Unfortunately, once this wear and tear occurs to the cartilage the body cannot heal it in any meaningful way. Today’s medicine does not have treatment to regrow it, he says, and it will slowly progress with time. “We see many patients who will continue to wait as the arthritis progresses before seeing a doctor, which just delays their treatment. If the joint is debilitating it is worth seeing your provider because simple x-ray will often show us what we need to know.”

doodle dog on a grey couch
Settling down in Olympia was an easy choice for the two- and four-footed family who also love to garden, cook and relax. Photo courtesy: Dr. Trevor Barronian

Outside of work, Barronian and his wife enjoy spending time outdoors skiing, mountain biking, road biking, hiking and surfing. They also love cooking, working in the garden or on house projects, traveling and just enjoying a good book.

To read more about OlyOrtho’s knee, hip and joint replacement options, head to their website, call 360.570.3460 or schedule an appointment online. They’re happy to discuss your past medical issues, goals and hopes for the future, and available inpatient versus outpatient surgical options. You can even learn more about their Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Technology which is personalized to each patient.

Thanks to OlyOrtho and doctors like Trevor Barronian, living mobile and pain-free is just around the corner at one of their many Thurston County locations. Don’t let knee and hip issues postpone your life any longer.

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