Nathan Chen keeps it easy: The 31-year-old Playa del Rey resident’s commute is just a short ride on the beach bike path up to his office in Santa Monica.
But on one day earlier this year, he had an unexpected detour. A large sandy patch caused him to skid and fall hard on his arm and hand. As he slowly got to his feet, he saw his left thumb dangling loosely, and he couldn’t move it.
He headed straight for the closest UCLA Health urgent care office in Marina del Rey. After an initial exam, he was told about a new UCLA Health clinic that was uniquely qualified to diagnose and treat his injury – a walk-in orthopedic clinic staffed by bone and soft-tissue specialists and equipped with an onsite imaging suite as well as a casting and splinting room.
The clinic, located at 1225 15th St., Suite 2100 and part of UCLA Health Santa Monica Medical Center, treats adults and children older than 7 with unexpected, acute orthopedic injuries such as fractures, pulled muscles and sprains. Patients are treated by orthopedic and sports medicine physicians without the long wait times often associated with traditional emergency care centers.
Once Chen checked in, he was immediately taken to imaging for a hand X-Ray. Then, he and his girlfriend were ushered into an exam room.
“I could tell the patient was worried that he had torn a tendon or done something that would significantly affect his hand function,“ said Tyler Jackson, MD, one of the orthopedists staffing the clinic that day. “Fortunately, I could see that it was a dislocation – something that looked severe, but that could easily be manipulated back into place by someone who had seen this type of injury many times before.”
While the actual treatment would only take a few minutes, Dr. Jackson, knowing it would be painful, made sure Chen’s hand was numbed with lidocaine beforehand.
“I was amazed with how confidently the doctor approached my dislocated thumb – he didn’t hesitate at all. He just popped it back into place,” Chen said.
Chen’s hand was a little sore for a few days, but a follow-up appointment in the clinic showed that the injury had healed well. He was pain-free and back on his bike within a week.
“A lot of seemingly minor falls or cuts can quickly become painful injuries that make walking or extending a limb difficult or even impossible,” Dr. Jackson said. “It’s best to be seen by an orthopedic specialist right away – and this clinic makes it easy to do that.”
To see an orthopedic specialist at the clinic, patients can walk in on weekdays 11 am-7 pm, call 310-319-1234 to make a same-day appointment, or visit the clinic website and use the “save my spot” feature.
