Peter A. Cole, MD

10/14/2025

One of the most vexing challenges in the realm of Scapula Fracture Surgery and Total Shoulder Replacements is the dreaded acromion fracture associated with a Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty. It is an extremely painful condition which occurs in about 5% of patients who undergo a shoulder replacement which means there are about over 7,000/year in America alone. I joined a team of 5 fracture & arthroplasty surgeons and 3 engineers to develop a solution for this problem which is being introduced at the Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association this week in Phoenix, AZ. I will have the opportunity to expand upon a surgical solution which will help solve this problem.

REGISTER HERE: https://web.cvent.com/event/9a1b529a-1da5-4f60-9418-22e983541603/summary?RefId=Summary%2FWebsite%2FPDF

Displayed are X-Ray images of methods I have employed to fix the problem to now, and an illustration of the new plate used for fractures of the Acromion Spine.

10/08/2025

10/06/2025

09/25/2025

It was a Marathon Week hosting our 6th Minnesota Scapula Course and 5 International Scapula Scholars at Regions Hospital. The course was a knockout and featured two rising stars in the field, Drs. Douglas Haase (U of MO) and Humza Shaikh (OSU), in addition to scapula thoughtleader-stalwarts Andrew Choo (UT Houston) and Jonah Davies (UC Irvine), and my incomparable partner David Weatherby (U of MN—Regions NorthStar). What most impressed me is that the standards of treatment and understanding are deeper and rising, both on the part of faculty and participants. I could have chosen 5 of the 16 attendees to join faculty in the future and that represents opportunities for scaling in other states. Multitudes of injured patients are now clearly receiving treatments that did not exist in most places even 5 years ago! Finally, our teams shined—Research Team (The Scapula Institute), sponsor Stryker, and et al.—aces across the board. Thank you!

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09/15/2025

Ortho Trauma Surgeons Weigh In

Solid steady effort to get this project done – proud of this TEAM!
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0020138325004401

An experienced Orthopedic Trauma Surgeon with a 15-year practice has treated around 7,500 patients and has implanted well over 15,000 plates or nails. If only 5% required hardware removal, that would be 750 hardware removals—a plausible statistic in North America. This matter is important.

In a prior retrospective investigation, we examined the incidence and motivations behind patients requesting the return of their hardware, as well as the increased respect shown toward their surgeon and hospital when this request was granted (Mavrommatis S, LaRoque MC, Yang G, Brahme IS, Cole PA. Does the Option to Keep Explanted Orthopaedic Trauma Implants Influence Patient Satisfaction and Perception of Care? Results of a Survey Study. J Orthop Trauma. 2023;37(7):e288–e293).

Additionally, we published on the ethical considerations of this issue (The Ethics of Explanted Orthopaedic Hardware Return to Requesting Patients. J Orthop Trauma. 2022;36(8):371-374). I have been impressed with the emotion many patients have around wanting their hardware back, and toward that end, we are currently enrolling patients in a prospective trial to learn more about patients’ rationale for wanting (or not wanting) their explants, and whether culture, age, or gender reveals trends around the matter. I have had many patients make things out of their hardware such as jewelry, lamp stands, and picture frames— it is heartwarming to receive gifts from patients made of hardware that I placed many years earlier. There are many things to consider including cost and safety, legal implications, precedent and implants in other specialties, but I believe they can all be addressed with reasonable guidelines.

09/12/2025

It was a thrill to bring my friends together from around the globe for a Super Panel to discuss my favorite recent topic: Top 5 Challenges in Scapula-Clavicle Trauma. We lit up San Diego and a room full of 50 surgeon & engineer challengers to roil in the controversies!

TGIF! It’s time to KICK OFF our annual course!

09/08/2025

Dear Scapula Fracture Desiring Learners & Enthusiasts,

I would encourage you to Register for the one hour AO Webinar tomorrow night, September 9th, at 8pm ET. Weatherby, Barei, and Douglas Haase are awesome educators and we’ll have an engaging session. We hope this helps raise awareness and enthusiasm to help more indicated patients.

SIGN UP HERE: https://events.aona.org/event/eventdetailresp/10508

AO Foundation, AO North America, AO Trauma

08/18/2025

Many Surgeons are uber-excited about the new solution to Acromion Fractures & Nonunions occurring with shoulder replacements. There are approximately 5% of 150,000 US patients who desperately need help for something that previously had no good answer. I'm personally thankful to have been a part of an incredible surgeon and industry team of 10 focused members who purposed to slay this dragon. Now it's about the teaching!

07/17/2025

So Long Great One!

It has been an honor to serve under the recent past Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery for 18 years. Since I’ve served as Chief of Orthopaedics at Regions Hospital, responsible for the growth of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Minnesota practice in Saint Paul, I have had the chance to co-lead the transitions over this period working with many dozens of faculty, fellows, residents, medical students, and university personnel, on behalf and for Dr. Denis Clohisy. My success would not have been possible without this giant of the field, a mentor, friend, and great physician colleague. Denis’ grit-factor is off the scales. He has navigated a highly complex web of relationships between the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Physicians, The University of Minnesota, and many health systems with mercurial faculty and a spectrum of leaders.

This past graduation and retirement month, Dr. Clohisy’s accolades cascaded through the ceremonies and events celebrating his career. It is fitting that he was selected Teacher of the Year—again. It is fitting that he was recognized as a foremost basic science investigator with top-ranked NIH funding. It is fitting that his primary callout for the new generation’s highest priority should simply be, The Patient. Have fun fishing Denis, and loving your growing family.

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07/17/2025

Built on purpose

07/15/2025

In the past I have designed implants myself with engineers, but this was better—a TEAM Tour de Force. The project was highly gratifying professionally and personally as we all grew in knowledge, skill, network, and wisdom. This team started with a clinical problem that had no published good solution, yet one which I was being referred frequently—the dreaded rTSA related fracture. Our 6 surgeon-lenses and Exactech’s premier group just crushed it. You have a phenomenal team. Thank you.

🔗 https://www.exac.com/exactech-announces-fda-clearance-of-first-to-market-scapula-reconstruction-system-for-acromial-stress-fractures/

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06/20/2025

Last month, Scalpel At The Cross celebrated the grand opening of the Miracle Campus in Pucallpa, Peru—an important step forward in bringing orthopaedic care, prosthetics, and rehabilitation to a region long underserved. The campus will serve as the first Orthotics & Prosthetics and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation facility in the Peruvian Amazon Jungle.

This miracle symbolizes much more than a mere building—it’s the result of years of dedication, vision, and tireless work from an extraordinary team. From architects and medical professionals to local partners and global supporters, countless hands and hearts came together to bring this to fruition...yet it is just the beginning.