Rafael Serrano, MD

• What's your specialty? I'm an orthopedic surgeon with subspecialty training in sports medicine. I specialize in ACL reconstruction, rotator cuff injuries and cartilage restoration. I also treat acute and chronic conditions related to the upper and lower extremities.
• Why did you become a physician/provider? I'm grateful for the opportunity to care for others. You can positively affect a patient who is seeking help after a disruptive episode in their life. Being part of that process and witnessing how they heal and return to their lives is very rewarding.
• As a provider, what is your medical philosophy? Taking care of patients the same way I would take care of a family member.
• What type of care/clinical interests are you most passionate about? ACL injuries and clinical research to advance the field of orthopedic sports medicine.
• Why did you choose your specialty? Musculoskeletal disorders can become quite debilitating to the point of interfering with activities of daily life. It's very rewarding helping someone to get back to his or her active lifestyle.
• What qualities best describe the care you provide your patients? I take pride in offering a personalized approach to my patients based on their activity level and expectations. Every patient is different and my goal is to learn what is important for them so we can together define a plan that is in line with their expectations.
• What is the most important thing patients should know about you and your practice? This is the first sports medicine office in the Cedar Valley and one of the few in the Midwest. We take pride in offering a wide variety of treatment options, utilizing cutting-edge technology. Our team manages a wide spectrum of orthopedic conditions, from concussions to knee injuries to mental health and nutrition. Research is an important pillar that allows us to continue to improve clinical outcomes.
• Personal interests? Soccer and being outdoors

Research

• Increased Failure Rates After Arthroscopic Bankart Repair After Second Dislocation Compared to Primary Dislocation With Comparable Clinical Outcomes
• Proximal Humerus Fractures: Leave It Alone, Fix It, Replace It?
• Current trends in the anterior cruciate ligament part 1: biology and biomechanics
• The Basic Shoulder Arthroplasty: Simple Shoulder Replacement for the Generalist.
• Modern Results of Functional Bracing of Humeral Shaft Fractures: A Multicenter Retrospective Analysis (vol 34, pg 206, 2020)
• Navicular Body Fractures—Surgical Treatment and Radiographic Results
• Effect of Nail Size, Insertion, and Δ Canal-Nail on the Development of a Nonunion After Intramedullary Nailing of Femoral Shaft Fractures
• Extreme Nailing: Is It Safe to Allow Immediate Weightbearing After Intramedullary Nail Fixation of Extra-articular Distal Tibial Fractures (OTA/AO 43-A)?
• Potential economic benefits of limited clinical and radiographic follow-up after plate fixation of midshaft clavicle fractures
• Midshaft Clavicle Injuries: Operative Management
• Cephalomedullary nail fixation of intertrochanteric femur fractures: are two proximal screws better than one?
• Additional scholarly articles