Welcome to the University of Iowa Health Care Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation. 

We provide the most complete bone and joint health services in Iowa. Physicians from across the Midwest refer patients to the University of Iowa because of our comprehensive array of services, our multidisciplinary approach, our state-of-the-art facilities and our national reputation for excellence.  The new University of Iowa Health Care medical campus in North Liberty opens in the second quarter of 2025, serving as the new home for the Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation—providing a full range of musculoskeletal care in one location for a seamless patient experience. 

The following items below share just a small portion of our proud history and continued efforts to maintain excellence in the field of orthopedics. 

  • For over 100 years we have been a leading national orthopedic surgery department.  
  • Current and past faculty members have led all the major Orthopaedic organizations in the country
  • We are the University of Iowa Hawkeye team physicians and surgeons.
  • The University of Iowa is the location where Dr. Ignacio V. Ponseti developed the Ponseti technique, the most widely practiced method for initial treatment of infants born with clubfeet. 
  • The Orthopedics department sees more than 80,000 patients in outpatient clinics yearly and performs more than 9,000 orthopedic operations per year. 
  • Designated as Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield Blue Distinction Center™ -recognized for our expertise and efficiency in delivery of care for knee and hip replacements as well as spine surgery. 
  • Our resident education program is one of the best in the country.  
  • There is a commitment to excellence in cutting edge basic, translational and clinical research. 
  • Our commitment to women in the orthopedic field stretches back for decades.  Dr. Ruth Jackson was the first practicing female orthopedic surgeon in the United States. Dr. Jackson received her residency training at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Department of Orthopedics. 

J. Lawrence Marsh, MD

Chairman

Academic profile

Thank you for taking the time to visit our website, feel free to look around and contact us at ortho@healthcare.uiowa.edu should you have further questions about our department.