Down To The Bone

Dr Nic Frost joins Down to the Bone for a conversation about one of the most important — and least talked about parts of life after hip surgery: Sex. When can you safely have sex after a hip replacement? Are there positions you should avoid? What actually puts your new hip at risk? And why do so many patients feel too embarrassed to ask? We talk openly about the questions patients often want to as...

This week we welcome Dr Chris Jurkans to talk about one of the most important — and least appreciated — roles in the operating theatre: the surgical assistant. What actually makes a good assistant? What separates a useful assistant from a completely useless one? And what is it really like standing on the other side of the operating table? Chris takes us behind the drapes to discuss the good, the b...

Dr Simon Smith and Dr Harry Stock join us for a chat about life as orthopaedic surgeons in the South West of Western Australia. We get into what it’s really like working in the bush, the challenges and rewards of practising away from the big city, and how they’ve developed an impressive short-stay arthroplasty unit. We also talk unicompartmental knee replacements, why they’ve built such a great fo...

Dr Ed Baddour joins us to get stuck into all things cervical spine — from central stenosis and disc protrusions to the difficult decisions that come with treating patients with neck pathology We discuss the difficulties of personal injury including his Dicky Elbow and the pain of helping manage a spinal trauma service that services the largest isolated land mass in the world. As always told with o...

Dr Taro Okamoto joins us to talk the increasingly interesting world of superior capsular reconstruction and what we're actually trying to achieve when the shoulder has given up on us. This episode isn't just about shoulders. We get into the much harder question of how you survive a career in surgery without letting it take over your entire life. We talk work-life balance, managing stress, switchin...

Dr Daniel Marshall joins the boys to get Down to the Bone about one of orthopaedics’ oldest arguments — cement. We dive into PMMA in total hip replacement, why it has stood the test of time, and whether something that has been around for decades might still be one of the best tricks in the orthopaedic toolbox. But things get a little more personal when the surgeon becomes the patient. What happens...

This week we’re joined by Dr Clay Golledge, infectious diseases physician and all-round expert in the world of orthopaedic infections. We dive into everything from preventing infections before the first incision, to diagnosing the difficult cases, to the often long and complicated road of treatment after surgery. Along the way we explore operating theatre sterility, antibiotic myths, infected join...

What happens when an army officer swaps boots for a scalpel? In this episode, we sit down with Lieutenant Colonel Andy Mattin, an Australian Army OFFICER and orthopaedic surgeon. We cover his path from army life to medical school, the reality of becoming an orthopaedic surgeon, and the surprising parallels between the two—because in both, damage control is just part of the job. As always told with...

In this episode of Down to the Bone, we sit down with Anthony Cutrupi to unpack the world of rehabilitation. From professional athletes to weekend warriors. Anthony takes us through his time working with the Western Force, his move into medical devices, and his return to elite sport with the Redcliffe Dolphins in the NRL. We dig into how rehab principles translate across the spectrum, from top lev...

In this episode of Down to the Bone , we sit down with Dr Colin Whitewood, one of Western Australia’s most respected orthopaedic surgeons, teachers, and storytellers. Dr Whitewood takes us on a journey through the history of orthopaedics in Western Australia, reflecting on the pioneers, personalities, and pivotal moments that helped shape the specialty as we know it today. Along the way, he shares...

Dr Douglas Kingwell joins the team to discuss femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), hip preservation surgery, and the long road from country kid to Orthopaedic Surgeon. We dive into his training journey, life in the city, and the experiences that shaped his career. Along the way, we revisit the registrar years, relive some questionable decisions, and uncover the stories that are probably best left o...

This week the team is joined by special guest Dr Eleanor Houghton, hand and sarcoma surgeon, to talk all things mindfulness, meditation and life inside — and outside — the operating theatre. From staying calm under pressure and navigating the chaos of surgery, to finding balance in a high-stress profession and the realities of life as a surgeon. We dive into baby hip replacements made for the thum...

This week the team is joined by special guest Jesus Reyes, veteran theatre nurse, to talk all things life behind the drapes. From how theatres really run and the chaos of Orthopaedic Surgery, to surgeon stories and piecing the teamwork together.  We dive into the pressures of theatre nursing, the personalities inside the operating room, and the hilarious, bizarre and unforgettable moments tha...

Dr Antony Liddell joins the team to discuss all things Orthopaedic Surgery. We tackle it all, from its origins, to today's practice and where we think it could be going. We recount our own personal trauma and PTSD in delving into how do you become an Orthopaedic Surgeon. As always told with our special blend of truth, exaggeration and a large smothering of hilarious stories that hav...