Joel Hurt, MD

Dr. Hurt is a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon specializing in shoulder and knee repair and reconstruction.

He also frequently treats common sports and trauma injuries, including distal biceps repairs, wrist fractures, humerus fractures, ankle fractures, and Achilles tendon tears, among others.

Dr. Hurt grew up in Austin and then attended Baylor University. He subsequently graduated from University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas in 1999. He completed a 5-year orthopedic residency, at UT Southwestern and Parkland Hospital, and then finished with an additional year of training at the University of Kentucky in a sports medicine fellowship.

Dr. Hurt has been practicing orthopedics in Austin and Marble Falls since 2005. For years, he has generally treated 130 patients per week in-clinic and performed 30 to 40 surgeries a month. There is no substitute for experience, and this pedigree provides invaluable benefit to his patients. Dr. Hurt’s approach to medicine is guided by the belief that patients should have an opportunity to understand their injury well in order to make the most informed decision. He loves to teach his patients in person, and also enjoys creating educational videos.

Robotic knee replacement and computer-guided shoulder replacement are two of his favorite surgeries. The Mako® robot allows real-time intra-operative millimeter adjustments to implant positioning before any cuts are made. Using this technology since 2018 has allowed Dr.Hurt to see the knee 3-dimensionally and perfect ligament balancing. The end result is knees that get great range of motion and feel stable – happy patients and a happy surgeon.

Similarly, Dr.Hurt uses 3D bone imaging (CT scan) to plan all his shoulder replacements at least 2 weeks prior to surgery. This is incredibly helpful because the shoulder blade has very limited bone and getting screws in the exact right axis is difficult without this imaging aid. If there is severe erosion of bone, he can plan for metal augments in the perfect position with this software. Dr. Hurt usually records the computer screen while he is planning his case, explaining his process along the way. Patients are given access to this prior to surgery.