Carey Politzer, MD

For fellowship-trained hip and knee replacement specialist Carey Politzer, M.D., improving painful joints is more than a profession—it’s his passion. His expertise is in treating hip and knee arthritis, helping patients move beyond daily limitations and return to the activities they love. “What I enjoy most is seeing people go from struggling to walk around the block to hiking their favorite trail or getting back on the golf course. That’s what motivates me,” Dr. Politzer shares.

Dr. Politzer earned his medical degree from Duke University and completed his residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of California, San Diego. He then pursued advanced fellowship training in hip and knee replacement at the University of California, San Francisco, working alongside world-renowned surgeons and mastering complex procedures with minimally invasive techniques.

Known for his patient-centered approach, Dr. Politzer takes the time to listen, understand each person’s goals, and develop the safest, most effective treatment plan. He treats every patient with the same care and respect he would give his own family.

Outside the clinic, Dr. Politzer enjoys an active lifestyle with his wife, Michelle, and their black lab, Naomi. He loves hiking, running, cooking, and exploring new places near and far.

Specialties

• Nonoperative treatment of hip and knee arthritis
• Minimally invasive partial and total joint replacement
• Direct anterior hip replacement with bikini incision
• Outpatient joint replacement
• Computer-assisted surgery and artificial intelligence (AI) assisted surgery
• Complex musculoskeletal disorders, including Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), achondroplasia, and recurrent hemarthrosis
• Speaks Spanish

Webinars

Dr. Politzer Publications

• Wu IT, Politzer CS, Chiarappa F, Ball ST. Massive Periacetabular Osteolysis Treated With Acetabular Cup Retention and Cemented Screw Fixation. Arthroplast Today. 2025 Feb;31:101595. doi: 10.1016/j.artd.2024.101595. eCollection 2025 Feb. PubMed PMID: 39850463; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC11754158.
• Kwong J, Politzer C, Ward D. Maximizing Efficiency in Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty. In: Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty Cham: Springer; 2025. p.705-709.
• Politzer CS, Bomar JD, Pehlivan HC, Gurusamy P, Edmonds EW, Pennock AT. Creation and Validation of a Shorthand Magnetic Resonance Imaging Bone Age Assessment Tool of the Knee as an Alternative Skeletal Maturity Assessment. Am J Sports Med. 2021 Sep;49(11):2955-2959. doi: 10.1177/03635465211032986. Epub 2021 Aug 4. PubMed PMID: 34347536.
• Lavoie-Gagne O, Siow M, Harkin WE, Flores AR, Politzer CS, Mitchell BC, Girard PJ, Schwartz AK, Kent WT. Financial impact of electric scooters: a review of injuries over 27 months at an urban level 1 trauma center (cost of e-scooter injuries at an urban level 1 trauma center). Trauma Surg Acute Care Open. 2021;6(1):e000634. doi: 10.1136/tsaco-2020-000634. eCollection 2021. PubMed PMID: 33532597; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7831709.
• Siow MY, Lavoie-Gagne O, Politzer CS, Mitchell BC, Harkin WE, Flores AR, Schwartz AK, Girard PJ, Kent WT. Electric Scooter Orthopaedic Injury Demographics at an Urban Level I Trauma Center. J Orthop Trauma. 2020 Nov;34(11):e424-e429. doi: 10.1097/BOT.0000000000001803. PubMed PMID: 33065668.
• Hong CS, Politzer C, Ryan SP, Wellman SS, Jiranek WA, Bolognesi MP, Seyler TM. Impact of Patent Foramen Ovale on Total Knee Arthroplasty Cerebrovascular Accident Perioperative Management. 2020 May 1;43(3):e151-e158. doi: 10.3928/01477447-20200213-06. Epub 2020 Feb 20. PubMed PMID: 32077965.
• Wall KC, Politzer CS, Chahla J, Garrigues GE. Obesity is Associated with an Increased Prevalence of Glenohumeral Osteoarthritis and Arthroplasty: A Cohort Study. Orthop Clin North Am. 2020 Apr;51(2):259-264. doi: 10.1016/j.ocl.2019.12.001. Epub 2020 Jan 16. Review. PubMed PMID: 32138863.
• Politzer CS, Bala A, Seyler TM, Bolognesi MP, Garrigues GE. Use and Cost of Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty Versus Hemiarthroplasty for Acute Proximal Humerus Fractures. 2020 Mar 1;43(2):119-125. doi: 10.3928/01477447-20200107-06. Epub 2020 Jan 13. PubMed PMID: 31930413.
• Bajpai S, Politzer C, Bala A, Garrigues G. Perioperative Blood Transfusions and Complication Rates in Total Elbow Arthroplasty. Duke Orthopedic Journal. 2020 February; 9(1):43-50. doi: 10.4103/DORJ.DORJ_4_19.
• Warwick H, Hutyra C, Politzer C, Francis A, Risoli T Jr, Green C, Verma N, Huettel S, Mather RC 3rd. Small Social Incentives Did Not Improve the Survey Response Rate of Patients Who Underwent Orthopaedic Surgery: A Randomized Trial. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2019 Jul;477(7):1648-1656. doi: 10.1097/CORR.0000000000000732. PubMed PMID: 31135552; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6999991.
• Hutyra CA, Streufert B, Politzer CS, Agaba P, Rubin E, Orlando LA, Taylor DC, Mather RC 3rd. Assessing the Effectiveness of Evidence-Based Medicine in Practice: A Case Study of First-Time Anterior Shoulder Dislocations. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2019 Jan 16;101(2):e6. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.17.01588. PubMed PMID: 30653051.
• Reuter JM, Hutyra CA, Politzer CS, Calixte CC, Scott DJ, Attarian DE, Mather RC 3rd. Characterizing Patient Preferences Surrounding Total Knee Arthroplasty. JB JS Open Access. 2018 Dec 20;3(4):e0017. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.OA.18.00017. eCollection 2018 Dec 20. PubMed PMID: 30882052; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6400515.
• Ryan SP, Politzer C, Green C, Wellman S, Bolognesi M, Seyler T. Albumin Versus American Society of Anesthesiologists Score: Which Is More Predictive of Complications Following Total Joint Arthroplasty?. 2018 Nov 1;41(6):354-362. doi: 10.3928/01477447-20181010-05. Epub 2018 Oct 16. PubMed PMID: 30321441.
• Ryan S, Politzer C, Fletcher A, Bolognesi M, Seyler T. Preoperative Hypoalbuminemia Predicts Poor Short-term Outcomes for Hip Fracture Surgery. 2018 Nov 1;41(6):e789-e796. doi: 10.3928/01477447-20180912-03. Epub 2018 Sep 18. PubMed PMID: 30222797.
• Kildow BJ, Politzer CS, DiLallo M, Bolognesi MP, Seyler TM. Short and Long-Term Postoperative Complications Following Total Joint Arthroplasty in Patients With Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Hepatitis B, or Hepatitis C. J Arthroplasty. 2018 Jul;33(7S):S86-S92.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.arth.2017.10.061. Epub 2017 Nov 13. PubMed PMID: 29198873.
• Politzer CS, Kildow BJ, Goltz DE, Green CL, Bolognesi MP, Seyler TM. Trends in Opioid Utilization Before and After Total Knee Arthroplasty. J Arthroplasty. 2018 Jul;33(7S):S147-S153.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.arth.2017.10.060. Epub 2017 Nov 14. PubMed PMID: 29198871.
• Goltz DE, Baumgartner BT, Politzer CS, DiLallo M, Bolognesi MP, Seyler TM. The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Surgical Risk Calculator Has a Role in Predicting Discharge to Post-Acute Care in Total Joint Arthroplasty. J Arthroplasty. 2018 Jan;33(1):25-29. doi: 10.1016/j.arth.2017.08.008. Epub 2017 Aug 18. PubMed PMID: 28899592.
• Coutlee CG, Politzer CS, Hoyle RH, Huettel SA. An Abbreviated Impulsiveness Scale (ABIS) Constructed through Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the BIS-11. Arch Sci Psychol. 2014 Apr 14;2(1):1-12. doi: 10.1037/arc0000005. PubMed PMID: 26258000; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4527550.
• Politzer C. The Insula’s Emergence in Drug-Related Cravings and its Potential Role in Addiction Treatment. Neurogenesis: The Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience. 2013; 2(2):2-7.