Find a Top Orthopedic Surgeon Near Me in Mission Viejo, CA – Book an Appointment Instantly

Brandon A. Ortega, MD, is a fellowship-trained orthopedic spine surgeon who provides comprehensive and personalized spinal care to adults in Torrance and Long Beach, California. His dedication to helping each patient regain mobility, reduce pain, and improve their quality of life has earned the respect of everyone in the community struggling with neck and back pain.

Dr. Ortega received his medical degree from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. He stayed at USC to complete his orthopedic surgery residency, where he served as chief resident.

He pursued specialized training in spine surgery, completing a fellowship at the prestigious University of California, Davis. During his fellowship training, he learned traditional, minimally invasive, and image-guided techniques for treating complex adult and pediatric spinal deformities.

Dr. Ortega specializes in diagnosing and treating all cervical (neck), thoracic (mid-back), and lumbar (lower back) conditions. His areas of interest include motion-preserving and minimally invasive surgery and using advanced technologies like navigation, robotics, and endoscopy to improve patient safety and outcomes.

He has published many peer-reviewed articles and textbook chapters and presented his research at national and international medical conferences. 

Taking a compassionate and patient-centered approach, Dr. Ortega believes in treating each patient as a person and tailoring treatment to meet their specific needs and goals. 

He creates treatment plans that integrate nonoperative interventions, including lifestyle and activity changes, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and pain management. His whole-person approach addresses each patient’s spine condition, optimizing conservative treatments and helping them avoid surgery whenever possible.

Dr. Ortega welcomes new patients and looks forward to providing ongoing care to his current patients, working with them to restore an active, healthy life.

UC Davis Medical Center- Sacramento, California

Welcome to Keck Medicine of USC, Orthopaedic Surgery, providing cutting-edge care for complex shoulder, elbow, and knee injuries in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. As sports medicine and orthopaedic specialists, we know how to treat musculoskeletal injuries effectively in athletes and nonathletes alike.

Our practice is built on three pillars –– excellence in clinical service, excellence in teaching, and excellence in research. We strive to be one of the preeminent orthopaedic centers in the world, offering high-quality care for various musculoskeletal problems, including sports injuries, joint stiffness, frozen shoulder, and knee injuries. 

We take a conservative, minimally invasive treatment approach whenever possible. Instead of automatically prescribing surgery, we first exhaust other options like orthobiologic treatment and physical therapy.

Our practice is conveniently situated near the University of Southern California and features plenty of on-site parking. We never rush appointments and make time to understand each patient’s symptoms, concerns, and treatment goals.

Whether you’re recovering from a sports injury or have a child suffering from a knee deformity, our compassionate and knowledgeable providers can help. Call Keck Medicine of USC, Orthopaedic Surgery, today to schedule an appointment, or book your visit online.

Welcome to Keck Medicine of USC, Orthopaedic Surgery, providing cutting-edge care for complex shoulder, elbow, and knee injuries in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. As sports medicine and orthopaedic specialists, we know how to treat musculoskeletal injuries effectively in athletes and nonathletes alike.

Our practice is built on three pillars –– excellence in clinical service, excellence in teaching, and excellence in research. We strive to be one of the preeminent orthopaedic centers in the world, offering high-quality care for various musculoskeletal problems, including sports injuries, joint stiffness, frozen shoulder, and knee injuries. 

We take a conservative, minimally invasive treatment approach whenever possible. Instead of automatically prescribing surgery, we first exhaust other options like orthobiologic treatment and physical therapy.

Our practice is conveniently situated near the University of Southern California and features plenty of on-site parking. We never rush appointments and make time to understand each patient’s symptoms, concerns, and treatment goals.

Whether you’re recovering from a sports injury or have a child suffering from a knee deformity, our compassionate and knowledgeable providers can help. Call Keck Medicine of USC, Orthopaedic Surgery, today to schedule an appointment, or book your visit online.

Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon
Specializing in Foot and Ankle Disorders & Hip and Knee Replacements

Medical Degree

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Sarah Graham Kenan Scholarship
John B. Graham Research Society

Internship

Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia

Orthopedic Residency

Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia

Orthopedic Fellowship

Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina

Research Presentations

• Clinical and radiographic results of 227 consecutive primary total hip arthroplasties using a femoral component with proximal and distal precoating and built-on centralizers. Found significant association between initial cement mantle radiographic grade and mechanical loosening. Presentation at the 1999 North Carolina Orthopaedic Association Conference and at the 2000 John B. Graham Student Research Day.
• Effect of barium sulfate particle size on production of IL-1, IL-6. and TNF-alpha. Found no difference in cytokine production between micro- and nano-sized particles exposed to mouse macrophages. 2003. Presentation at 2003 MCV Resident's Day.
• Short term outcomes after tibial shaft fractures: a retrospective study at MCV hospital. Found that institutional data correlates with similar outcome studies in the trauma literature which included a low complication rate and a functional deficiencies in a majority of patients. 2005. Presentation at 2005 MCV Resident's Day.
• Open reduction and internal fixation of the symptomatic type II accessory navicular. Found no significant difference between excision and ORIF of symptomatic accessory navicular bones. 2006. Video poster presentation at 2006 Summer AOFAS meeting. Presentation at 2006 North Carolina Orthopaedic Society Meeting. Poster presentation at 2007 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Publications

• Scott A, Sabesan V, Saluta JR, Easley ME. Open reduction and internal fixation of the symptomatic type II accessory navicular. Foot Ankle Int. in press 2008.
• Saluta JR, Nunley JA. Chapter: Percutaneous open reduction and internal fixation of fifth metatarsal base fractures. MIS Techniques in Orthopaedics. Springer. 2009. In press.
• Saluta JR, Nunley JA. Ankle injuries in athletes. The Journal of Musculoskeletal Medicine. 23:195-201; 2006.
• Saluta JR, Nunley JA. Foot and ankle rehabilitation success hinges on screening accuracy: Biomechanics. June, 2006.

Lectures

• Grand Rounds: Five foot and ankle problems every doctor should know. Good Samaritan Hospital 4/05/2007. California Hospital Medical Center 4/08. St. Vincent Medical Center 5/08.
• Grand Rounds: My Experience with Hip, Knee, and Ankle Arthritis. Good Samaritan Hospital. 1/16/2008.
• Foot and Ankle Injuries in Running. Speaker at McDonalds Expo. Los Angeles Marathon. 2/29/08 and 3/01/08.
• Advancements In Orthopaedics: Hip, Knee, and Ankle Technologies. Speaker. Stryker International. 3/19/08

Media

• Care of the Foot and Ankle. Radio Manila. Consultant, Orthopaedic Surgeon. Health segment of one hour international radio talk show. Dec 2006.
• Governor Schwarzenegger recovering from surgery. KABC-TV Los Angeles evening news. Consultant, Orthopaedic Surgeon. Dec 2006.
• What Happens Next: When a Bone Breaks. Banner Caswell Productions. Television documentary. Consultant, Orthopaedic Surgeon. Veria channel, Dish network. Dec 2007.

Professional Affiliations

• American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
• American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society
• Piedmont Orthopaedic Society
• California Orthopaedic Association

Community

• 2008-2010 Official Medical Team Los Angeles Marathon
• 2008-2010 National Youth Leadership Forum Volunteer Speaker
• January 2010 Medical Mission at California Medical Center in San Fernando, La Union, Philippines
• 2006 Member of Orthopaedic Trauma Team at California Hospital, Level 2 Trauma Center

About Us

Carlos Uquillas, MD, is an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in adult and pediatric sports medicine as well as arthroscopy. He serves patients across Southern California and Los Angeles at his office in Westchester, California.

Dr. Uquillas received his medical degree from the Stanford University School of Medicine, where he had a scholarly concentration in clinical research and received a Leland Stanford Junior University Outstanding Graduate Mentor Award. Dr. Uquillas completed his residency at the prestigious Hospital for Joint Diseases at New York University Langone Medical Center, where he received the Eleanor Kauffman Award for Research in Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery. He continued his training with a fellowship in sports medicine at the Kerlan Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic and a pediatric orthopaedic surgery fellowship at Children’s Hospital – Los Angeles.

Areas of special interest to Dr. Uquillas include sports medicine, joint preservation, and fracture care. To better serve his patients, Dr. Uquillas is fluent in English and Spanish.

Dr. Uquillas has an appointment at the Cedars Sinai-Kerlan-Jobe Institute and is a team physician for the Los Angeles Angels. Dr. Uquillas is also the head team physician for the Los Angeles Black Storm. He has been an orthopaedic consultant to the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Kings.  Dr. Uquillas was previously the director of Sports Medicine at Shriners Hospitals for Children in Pasadena, CA. 

He is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, Pediatric Research in Sports Medicine and the Arthroscopy Associations of North America. He is Board Certified in Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine. 

Dr. Uquillas is active in research and education. He is part of the Kerlan-Jobe Fellowship academic staff as well as the Cedars Sinai Orthopedic residency program core faculty.