Dr. Ralph Salvagno
Orthopedic Surgery
Hagerstown, MD
40 years experience
Locations
Office
Hagerstown, MD
Phone
Practice website
About
Bio
Dr. Salvagno specializes in the joint replacement surgery of the hip, knee and shoulder. He is the founding partner of the Center for Joint Surgery and Sports Medicine and Medical Director and Founder of the Center for Joint Replacement at Meritus Medical Center, both located in Hagerstown Maryland. Dr. Salvagno also serves as Orthopaedic Liaison to the Trauma Program at Meritus.
Dr. Salvagno has performed over 5000 joint replacement operations and is a fellow of American Academy of Hip and Knee Surgeons
SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Orthopedic Surgery
Languages spoken
English
Doctor Q&A
76 Answers
33 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 23-year-old male asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Most likely: Assuming that you are talking about a maisonnieuve fracture ... The fixation screw is kept in place for 6-8 weeks during which time weight bearing is ... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Tendonitis/Meniscus: It depends on the location of the pain and whether or not there was any injury or overuse. The most common cause of anterior knee pain with extension ... Read More
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old male asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Doc questions: You should be prepared to answer how and when the pain started , whether there was any injury, what makes it better, what makes it worse, what therap... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
In most cases: Although surgeons may differ in their approach, many feel that 4-6 wks of "healing time " is beneficial before posterolateral corner repairs or PCL re... Read More
6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Orthopaedic clinic: A clinical examination by a physician should be the first step. In that way the most appropriate x-ray can be ordered (if necessary) and then interpre... Read More
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Calf pain: Blood clots, known as "deep venous thrombosis " or "dvt" can occur in the calf of the leg ( one of the most common sites). Dvt's are characterized by ... Read More
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Night splints: Night splints are commonly used to treat plantar fasciitis. A night splint hold the ankle at a 90 degree angle to provide a constant stretch on the Ac... Read More
6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 63-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Sometimes: Patients often complain of pain and ache in their replaced knee with weather changes . Cold weather can also cause pain probably due to changes in tis... Read More
6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Can be helpful: Braces can be helpful to provide additional support, pain relief, control of swelling and warmth. Many doctors recommend braces as a part of an arthri... Read More
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Not likely: Most stress fractures of the hip do not cause long term problems with the blood supply to the hip joint and therefore will not cause damage to the car... Read More
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Location of tear: Imagine the meniscus as looking like a crescent moon. Radial tears (those occurring along the arc of the outer edge of the "moon") can sometimes heal ... Read More
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 26-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
4-6 weeks: Most muscle injuries will heal in 4-6 weeks. During that time care should be taken to avoid re-injury. After a few weeks gentle stretching is advisabl... Read More
6.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Takes effort: Most patients are hospitalized for 2-3 days for pain medication, antibiotics and physical therapy. Most patients then participate in outpatient physic... Read More
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
6-8 weeks: Most fractures of the forearm and wrist heal in about 6-8 weeks. Fractures of the upper arm and shoulder may take a bit longer, sometimes up to 10-12 ... Read More
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 18-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Patella / kneecap: The most common reason for knee "cracking" is softening of the cartilage of the patella (kneecap). This condition is called "chondromalacia patellae".... Read More
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Failure of previous: Orthopaedic surgeons will try to presevre cartilage if possible. Cartilage grafting may be an option if there is a localized well defined defect in th... Read More
6.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Absolutely : I have been an orthopedic surgeon for 25 years. It is a very rewarding profession both financially and personally. What i enjoy most is being able to ... Read More
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 55-year-old male asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Not if infection: With an active infection you should not have a hip replacement as there is a high risk of surgical infection.Someone who is colonized with staph , for... Read More
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Trigger points: Pain around the shoulder blades (scapula) is commonly caused by trigger points , also known as myofascial pain. These painful areas may respond to i'v... Read More
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 50-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Cartilage injury: Cartilage injury is graded 0 cto 4 based on the following findings ( international cartilage
repair society)
grade 0: (normal) healthy cartilage
g... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Wear and Loosening: X-rays are performed for follow up after joint replacement to evaluate for wear of the components or evidence of loosening. Oftentimes , an x-ray is ... Read More
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
6-12 weeks: Most fractures of the the foot ankle hand wrist and forearm heal in 6-8 weeks . Fracture of the tibia femur and humerus may take up to 10-12 weeks (... Read More
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old male asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Extension Board: If you have had an injury or surgery and you have difficulty getting extension you may want to ask your doctor about use of an extension board or "dyn... Read More
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 29-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Therapy , Cane: Physical therapy to improve motion and strength in the area of the hip would be helpful. Using a cane in the opposite hand would help relieve weight o... Read More
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old male asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Not usually advised: Unless you have significant functional problems like loss of motion of the elbow correction is most commonly not recommended. To do so would involved ... Read More
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 44-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Meds and Stretching: I recommend advil (ibuprofen) 2 tablets 3 times a day for at least 5-7 days for my patients with bursitis. Patients with stomach problems , bleeding d... Read More
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 41-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Muscle tear shoulder: There are some shoulder muscles , such the rotator cuff muscles and the pectoral muscles which might require surgical repair. If one of these are inju... Read More
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Clog shoe: Many people use a clog type shoe if they have a fracture of the toes. You might also check with a local pharmacy and ask for "post op shoe".
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Hair dryer: If you're in a cast or splint using a hair dryer on a cool setting to blow cool air in the cast can help. Sometimes an antihistamine like Benadryl (di... Read More
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Unpredictable: The healing time is very dependent on the amount of soft tissue damage that occurs at the time of the fracture. Compound fractures are those that have... Read More
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 52-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Hip pain with sneeze: "hip pain" caused by sneezing might represent a lumbar disc problem.The increase in pressure cause by the sneeze can affect nerves near the lumbar dis... Read More
6.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Usually a splint: Fractured fingers are usually treated with an aluminum or plastic splint on the back side of the finger. Sometimes they are treated by taping the inju... Read More
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Exercise: It will take some time and exercise to regain strength and motion in after a hand fracture . Most of the time the exercises can be done at home but if... Read More
6.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 29-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Computer Aided: Dye is injected into the involved joint and images are obtained. Images of the same joint in the same position are then "subtracted" by the computer (... Read More
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Depends on location: Pain in the "hip" can have many causes. The location and type of pain (sharp, achy, dull) as well as knowing what make it better or worse can help sor... Read More
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Imaging center: Most communities have imaging centers near a hospital or medical facility. In some states MRI scanners are avaiable in a doctors office.
6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Yes: More than 250,000 hip replacements are performed in the US each year. Hip replacement is one of the most successful procedures in medicine measured in... Read More
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 20-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Massage/Heat: Pain and "knots" around the shoulder are often associated with muscle inflammation. Stretching , massage and heat can help relieve the discomfort. I e... Read More
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Orthopaedic sugeon: An orthopaedic surgeon can perform a physical examination to determine if there is any laxity ( looseness) of the ankle ligaments. X-rays , including ... Read More
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Very common: Following hip or knee replacement fatigue is common. The body is mobilizing all its nutritional resources to heal the surgical site and often patients... Read More
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 52-year-old female asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
3 common causes: Common causes of knee pain in 50 yr olds without history of injury include tendinitis , early arthritis and degenerative tears of the meniscus. Pain t... Read More
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 29-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Swelling: Swelling of the knee is often a good sign of significant injury to the knee. Comparison with the other knee by looking in a mirror can be useful. 2 ot... Read More
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Osteoporosis/trauma: The vertebrae are the building blocks of the spine. They are made of cancellous (spongy) bone. They are stacked one on top of another separated by the... Read More
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 25-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Muscle injury: Muscle injury can be detect by MRI in most cases. Weakness can be inferred by atrophy (less muscle mass than the opposite side) but cannot truly be me... Read More
6.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Fit and Stability: There are many different types of "over the counter " knee braces available at your local pharmacy. If you have had a mild ligament injury a neoprene ... Read More
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Spur or meniscus: Popping on the medial side of your knee most likely represents the ligament riding over a prominence of the bone (bone spur-?Early arthritis) or from ... Read More
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Likely 90's: I have performed knee replacements on several patients in their early 90's ( oldest was 92) . What is common among these patients is that they were ph... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Hip arthritis??: One possible cause for anterior thigh pain is hip arthritis. It can be sensitive to changes in position and sometime hurt more when the hip is flexed.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Different causes: Compression fractures are most commonly found in the lumbar and thoracic spine (low and mid back) . The most common cause is minimal trauma associated... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. Ralph Salvagnoanswered
Orthopedic Surgery 40 years experience
Abominal evaluation: Many times pain radiating to the mid back can be a result of problems in the abdomen. These problems can include ulcers, reflux, colitis, and gallblad... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions, provide medical advice, write prescriptions, and more.
TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
2
Recommendations
377
Thank you notes
HealthTap member
Mar 30, 2015
Dr. Salvagno is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Mar 31, 2015
Dr. Salvagno is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Sfbngdm my DMh see gndgbdndhbfs hybrid rd grnbgeng GDP nhdnhnudmhd uhh sngsnggsnnnm mm hchnnhmsng jykkkukkhjtththttjejb my tsh twwhttwjwjeth
HealthTap member
I was reading symptoms on lung cancer and the back pain is a symptom along with a cough I have so I got a little scared; what do you recomme
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! good idea!
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
University of Maryland School of Medicine, MD
Graduated 1982MD
Affiliations
Meritus Medical Center, Hagerstown Maryland
90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions, provide medical advice, write prescriptions, and more.
Answer emailed
in 24 hours or less