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About Me

Dr. Jack Skendzel’s approach to care

“An active lifestyle requires superior physical function, and I understand that my patients have exceptionally high standards for their performance and joint health. My goal is to return patients to optimal function so that they can continue to perform and master their personal athletic goals.”

Jack Skendzel’s patients appreciate his personable approach. “The best part of my job is seeing my patients, getting to know them, and working with them to help them regain function,” he explains. Dr. Skendzel is known for calling patients personally to report and explain their imaging results. He makes education a priority. “When we meet with a new patient, I always go over their x-rays with them and explain their condition and their options. Not all of our patients are surgical candidates, but I think it is important that they understand the condition of their hip or knee so we can work together to make an informed decision.”

“We like to treat patients like they are a member of our own family,” Skendzel smiles. “From education, to providing patients with materials and resources, to managing expectations about surgery and recovery, to being available if they do have questions, we are committed to providing our patients with the services they need to regain function and go back to the active life they love.”

Education and training

An avid downhill skier, Dr. Skendzel shares a passion for active sports with his patients. After completing his undergraduate work at Notre Dame, medical school at Georgetown University School of Medicine, and his residency program at the University of Michigan, Skendzel did a fellowship at the Steadman Philippon Research Institute in Vail, Colorado. His passion for skiing complemented his work as team physician for the U.S. Men’s and Women’s Ski Team, and he traveled to Europe, Chile and New Zealand to provide medical assistance.

Sports medicine care for all ages

Jack Skendzel, M.D. is an orthopedic surgeon, sub-specializing in sports medicine. “I enjoy working with active people; sports medicine sets the bar high for me,” he says. “My patients are people who are physically functioning at a very high level to begin with; if they experience an injury or pain, they expect our team to get them back to the very highest level of performance. I like that. My specialty is working with athletes between the ages of thirteen and sixty. Today, lifestyle defines my patients more accurately than age. I treat 55- and 60-year-olds with a healthy, active lifestyle who love sports and look fantastic.” Recreational, high school, college athletes are well cared for using a comprehensive, team-based approach​.

Highly-specialized hip care: Hip labral tears, hip impingement, and hip arthroscopy

Dr. Skendzel’s focus is sports medicine, with a special interest in hip labral tears, hip impingement, and hip arthroscopy. “Hip arthroscopy is relatively new in the field of orthopedics,” explains Skendzel. “Today, MRI scans are so good that we can see labral tears—in the past, imaging a tear was not possible. Also, previously, correcting hip impingement required us to dislocate the patient’s hip in a significant, invasive procedure. With today’s technology, we have much less invasive surgical options to offer these patients.”

A large amount of hip arthroscopy surgeries are performed by Dr. Skendzel. He is highly specialized in hip labral tears and hip impingement in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Many patients travel to seek out Dr. Skendzel’s unique expertise in this area from greater Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the surrounding regions. If you ask Dr. Skendzel, recovering from hip surgery takes a team, and his entire team is well versed in hip conditions and treatments to provide cohesive care.

Patient satisfaction for hip arthroscopy

Patient satisfaction and the results of patients’ care are tracked. The Skendzel team does this to help other patients know what to expect, ensure continued high patient satisfaction, and continually advance and refine care. For more information on these quality measures, check out the resources tab at the top of the page.

Advanced knee care

When it comes to the knee and athletes, many things can wrong. Dr. Skendzel sees a variety of injuries and conditions, but particularly sees a high volume of ACL tears, multi-ligament knee injuries, knee cartilage, and meniscus injuries. He uses modern techniques designed to return patients to sports and activities quickly and safely. To reduce the risk of re-injury, Dr. Skendzel partners with the physical therapy team here at Summit Orthopedics to develop the ASCEND physical therapy program. The ASCEND program is designed to provide the specialized conditioning athletes need. It bridges the gap between standard therapy and return to play, with a focus on injury prevention.

Ask Dr. Skendzel: Knee-related articles

Get more expert advice and tips from Dr. Jack Skendzel in these knee-related articles:

ACL Injuries

  • Can pre-surgical therapy improve my ACL surgical outcome?

Knee Cartilage

Unstable Kneecaps

Specialized shoulder care

Active adults and athletes can also encounter reduced function and injury to the shoulder. Dr. Skendzel treats active patients with rotator cuff tears, shoulder dislocations, and shoulder labral tears. To learn more about how shoulder dislocations are treated, and best managed by a specialist familiar with the intricacies of the shoulder.

Education

Undergraduate Studies

University of Notre Dame — Notre Dame, IN

Medical School

Georgetown University School of Medicine — Washington, DC

Residency

University of Michigan — Ann Arbor, MI

Fellowship

The Steadman Philippon Research Institute |The Steadman Clinic — Vail, CO

Professional Memberships

  • American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS)
  • Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA)
  • The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM)
  • International Society for Hip Arthroscopy (ISHA)

Certifications

  • Subspecialty Certification in Sports Medicine, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery

Team Medical Coverage

  • Team Physician Coverage, Livonia Churchill High School Varsity Football, Fall 2008 & Fall 2009 Seasons
  • Team Physician Coverage, University of Michigan Men’s Hockey 2010–2011, 2011–2012 Season
  • Team Physician Coverage, University of Michigan Men’s Basketball 2010–2011 Season
  • Team Physician Coverage, University of Michigan Men’s Wrestling Team 2011–2012 Season
  • Team Physician Coverage, Eastern Michigan University, Men’s Basketball 2010–2011 Season
  • Team Physician Coverage, Eastern Michigan University, Women’s Basketball 2010–2011 Season
  • Team Physician Coverage, Battle Mountain High School, Men’s Football 2012–2013 Season
  • Team Physician Coverage, US Men’s Ski Team/United States Ski and Snowboard Association, New Zealand Camp, August 2012
  • Team Physician Coverage, US Women’s Ski Team/United States Ski and Snowboard Association, Valle Nevado, Chile Camp, September 2012
  • Team Physician Coverage, US Men’s Ski Team/ United States Ski and Snowboard Association, Copper Mountain Speed Center, November 2012
  • Team Physician Coverage, US Women’s Ski Team Europa Cup Downhill, Jasna, Slovakia, January2013
  • Team Physician Coverage, GoPro Mountain Games, Vail, CO, June 2013
  • Team Physician for Woodbury High School—Woodbury, MN
  • Team Physician for US Alpine Ski Team

My Team

My Team

At Summit, each physician works alongside a team of professionals to care for you, our patient.

Reviews

Articles

Resources

Resources

Patient Education

Hip Animated Conditions and Treatments Library

Knee Animated Conditions and Treatments Library

Shoulder Animated Conditions and Treatments Library

Publications

  • Long JL, Ruberte-Thiele RA, Skendzel JG, Jeon J, Hughes RE, Miller BS, Carpenter JE. Activation of the Shoulder Musculature During Pendulum Exercises and Light Activities. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2010;40:230-237. PMID: 20200451
  • Skendzel JG, Blaha JD, Urquhart AG. Total Hip Arthroplasty Modular Neck Failure. J Arthroplasty 2011;26:338.e1-e4. PMID: 20381993
  • Skendzel JG, Sekiya JK. Arthroscopic Glenoid Osteochondral Allograft Reconstruction without Subscapularis Takedown: Technique and Literature Review. Arthroscopy 2011;27:129-135. PMID: 21187250
  • Skendzel JG, Jacobson JA, Carpenter JE, Miller BS. Long Head of Biceps Brachii Tendon Evaluation: Accuracy of Preoperative Ultrasound. Am Journal of Roentgenology (AJR) 2011;197:942-948. PMID: 21940583
  • Skendzel JG, Sekiya JK, Wojtys EM. Current Concepts in the Management of the Multiple Ligament-Injured Knee. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2012;42:234-242. PMID: 2238035
  • Skendzel JG, Sekiya JK. Diagnosis and Management of Humeral Head Bone Loss in Shoulder Instability. Am J Sports Med 2012;40(11):2633-44. PMID: 22343756
  • Knesek MJ, Skendzel JG, Kelly BT, Bedi A. Approach to the Patient Evaluation using Static and Dynamic Hip Pathomechanics. Oper Tech Sports Med 2012;20:260-272.
  • Knesek MJ, Skendzel JG, Dines JS, Altchek DW, Allen AA, Bedi A. Diagnosis and Management of Superior Labrum Anterior Posterior (SLAP) Tears in Throwing Athletes. Am J Sports Med 2013;41:444-460. PMID: 23172004
  • Mehran N, Skendzel JG, Lesniak BP, Bedi A. Contemporary Graft Options in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.  Oper Tech Sports Med 2013;21:10-18.
  • Skendzel JG, Goljan P, Philippon MJ. An Update on Hip Instability. Minerva Ortopedica e Traumatologica 2013;64(1):1-13.
  • Weber AG, Skendzel JG, Waxman DL, Blaha JD.  Aseptic Hydrogen Pneumarthrosis as a Sign of Crevice Corrosion Following Modular Neck Total Hip Arthroplasty.  JBJS Case Connector 2013 Jul 24;3(3):e76 1-6.
  • Skendzel JG, Philippon MJ. Management of Labral Tears of the Hip in Young Patients.  Orthop Clin North Am; published online 29 July 2013.
  • Skendzel JG, Weber AG, Ross JR, Larson CM, Leunig M, Kelley BT, Bedi A. The Approach to the Evaluation and Surgical Treatment of Mechanical Hip Pain in the Young Patient, for The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (Am);95(18):E133 1-16.
  • Skendzel JG, Sekiya JK. Arthroscopic and Open Glenoid Allograft Reconstruction for Shoulder Instability, uploaded to http://www.vumedi.com.
  • Skendzel JG, Sekiya JK. Reconstruction of Hill-Sachs Lesions with Humeral Head Allograft, uploaded to http://www.vumedi.com.
  • Skendzel JG, Warth R, Millett PJ. Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty, Instructional Video for the 2014 AAOS Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA.
  • Skendzel JG, Bedi A. Tendon Degeneration in the Rotator Cuff, in Basic Principles and Operative Management of the Rotator Cuff, edited by Ma CB and Feeley BT. (In Print)
  • Knesek MJ, Skendzel JG, Bedi A. Computer Navigation in Hip Arthroscopy, in Operative Hip Arthroscopy, 3rd edition, edited by Byrd JWT. (In Print)
  • Skendzel JG, Sekiya JK. Treatment of Combined Bone Defects of the Humeral Head and Glenoid: Arthroscopic and Open Techniques, in Surgical Techniques of the Shoulder, Elbow, and Knee in Sports Medicine 2nd Edition, edited by Cole BJ and Sekiya JK. (In Print)
  • Skendzel JG, Philippon MJ, Bedi A. Outcomes in Return to Sport, in Sports Hip Injuries: Diagnosis and Management, edited by Kelly BT, Bedi A, and Larson C. (Pending Publication)
  • Knesek MJ, Skendzel JG, Bedi A. Introduction to Static and Dynamic Hip Overload.  Invited Book chapter. (Pending Publication)
  • Dr. Skendzel featured in MD News article.

Dr. Skendzel was the lead author on a study investigating the effect of arthritis on outcomes after hip arthroscopy which was published this summer in The American Journal of Sports Medicine.

  • Skendzel JG, Philippon MJ, Briggs KK, Goljan P. The Effect of Joint Space on Midterm Outcomes After Arthroscopic Hip Surgery for Femoroacetabular Impingement, in The American Journal of Sports Medicine. May 2014 vol. 42 no. 5 1127-1133

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