About Dr. Olsen
Who I am, how I was trained, and why I changed the way I do this operation.
I am an orthopedic surgeon at TRIA Orthopedics. I replace hips and knees. The Quiet Knee Protocol is how I do knee replacements now, and it is different enough from how I used to do them that it deserved its own explanation.
Practice philosophy
- Treat people the way Mom would have wanted.
- Honesty matters.
- The trust of a patient and their family is a precious gift.
- You are never good enough at what you do that you can’t get better tomorrow.
- An involved, educated patient always has the best chance of obtaining the best possible result.
The last one is why this website exists. Most of what determines how the first six weeks after a knee replacement go is decided before the operation — by whether you understand what is about to happen and what your part in it is. A patient who knows why the step limits matter follows them. A patient who was handed a sheet of paper does not.
Background
I am originally from Oregon, where I did all of my initial orthopedic training. I trained orthopedic residents in the United States Navy from 1993 to 1996. I have lived in Minnesota since 1996 and have genuinely enjoyed helping patients improve the quality of their lives in that time.
I have four children. Outside of medicine I have a long-standing interest in computers, technology, and genealogy — and a real passion for studying and implementing ways to improve the patient experience and clinical results. The Quiet Knee Protocol came out of that last interest.
Training and credentials
| Board certification | American Board of Orthopedic Surgery |
|---|---|
| Residency | Oregon Health Sciences University, Orthopedics — 1993 |
| Internship | Oregon Health Sciences University, Surgery — 1989 |
| Medical school | Oregon Health Sciences University — 1988 |
Professional associations
- Diplomate, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons
- Member, American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons
Where this protocol came from
The Quiet Knee Protocol is adapted from the work of Dr. Andrew Wickline, who developed and refined this combination of surgical technique, medication strategy, and activity restriction. I adopted it because his results were better than mine, and I have continued to use it because my own results changed once I did.
I did not invent this. I am reporting what happened when I stopped doing knee replacements the way I had been taught and started doing them this way instead.
Disclosure
Dr. Olsen is a paid teaching consultant for MicroPort Orthopedics, Inc. This relationship concerns hip replacement instrumentation and technique.
Hip replacement
This site covers knee replacement only. My hip replacement practice — including the SuperPATH approach — is described at superpathhip.com.
In the operating room
