Brad L. Sparks, MD

Dr. Brad Sparks is a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine, joint replacement, and orthopedic trauma. He is the only doctor in Alaska (and one of only a handful of physicians in the entire country) to be certified in the Jiffy Knee procedure, an approach to total knee replacements that offers patients a faster recovery, less pain and an easier rehab process. Dr. Sparks received special training from the founder of the Jiffy Knee, Dr. Manish Patel.

Dr. Sparks joined Alaska Fracture and Orthopedic Clinic in 2014. After graduating from medical school at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky, Dr. Sparks went on to complete residency training in orthopedic surgery at the University of Louisville.

He received advanced fellowship training in sports medicine at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (Fellowship training is the highest level of specialty training for physicians.) As a fellowship-trained sports medicine surgeon, he specializes in arthroscopic shoulder instability, total knee arthroplasty, total hip arthroplasty, total shoulder arthroplasty, reverse total shoulder arthroplasty, and ACL reconstruction.

Dr. Sparks takes a special interest in getting to know his patients individually and providing specialized care to meet each patient’s needs and expectations. He is happiest when he is able to improve his patients’ quality of life through nonoperative or operative musculoskeletal care.

When he’s not seeing patients at Alaska Fracture & Orthopedic Clinic, Dr. Sparks enjoys hunting, camping, hiking, fishing, snow machining, ATV riding, downhill skiing, and photography.

Jiffy Knee: A Game Changer for Total Knee Replacements

Most total knee replacements require an incision along the front of the knee. To access the kneecap, multiple muscles and the quadriceps tendon must be cut and then stitched back together after the procedure. (These are the workhorse muscles for walking and moving up or down stairs.) When you bend your knee during rehab, the freshly repaired muscles and tendon are stretched – leading to great discomfort and a long recovery.

With the Jiffy Knee procedure, Dr. Sparks gains access from the side of the knee. He then uses special instruments and techniques to slide the muscles and tendon away, rather than cutting them. The Jiffy Knee approach offers the following unique benefits:

• Less post-procedure pain
• Significantly less swelling and stiffness
• Less need for narcotics (most patients need just a single Rx)
• Far less downtime
• Fast rehab and recovery
• Decreased risk for complications like blood clots
• No more post-surgical muscle atrophy due to lack of use
• Patients are more active early on, leading to better outcomes
• No sutures or staples to remove
• No additional costs or upcharges

If you are a candidate for a total knee replacement, you are a candidate for the Jiffy Knee! To learn more, visit www.jiffyknee.com, or call AFOC at one of the phone numbers below.