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Hip and knee pain treatment in Honolulu — the short answer
Hip and knee pain treatment starts with a named diagnosis — an exam and weight-bearing X-rays in the same visit — and then the least invasive treatment that works: therapy, injections, biologics, or surgery only when structure demands it. Dr. Paul Morton, a fellowship-trained hip and knee surgeon and founder of Pacific Bone & Joint in Honolulu, treats every rung under one roof, and most of his patients never need an operation.
- Exam and standing X-rays taken in clinic the same day; MRI only when it would change the decision
- The mimics are checked first: spine, SI joint, tendon, and pain referred from the hip to the knee
- Every level in one practice — physical therapy, image-guided injections, PRP and BMAC, iovera°, arthroscopy, and robotic joint replacement
- Four clinics — Honolulu (Ala Moana), West O‘ahu (Kunia), Hilo, Kona — plus telehealth when an in-person visit isn't practical
- Most new patients are seen within one to two weeks; walk-in injury care at Wiki Wiki Orthopedics in Kunia
Why the diagnosis is the treatment's foundation
Hips and knees are famous for misdirection. True hip-joint pain usually lives in the groin, not the side; side-of-hip pain is often tendon or bursa; buttock pain frequently comes from the SI joint or spine. Knee pain can be referred from the hip above it. Treating any of these with the wrong target wastes months and money — which is why every plan here starts with an exam and weight-bearing X-rays, adding MRI only when it will change the decision. The guides on hip pain causes and knee pain causes map the usual suspects, and the arthritis guide explains how a worn joint is staged.
What we treat
The practice covers the full range of hip and knee problems, from the sprain that needs reassurance to the failed replacement that needs a revision specialist:
- Hip arthritis and worn hips — from injections to robotic anterior hip replacement, most patients walking the day of surgery
- Knee arthritis — the non-surgical ladder, partial knee, and robotic total knee replacement
- ACL tears — reconstruction and repair for the knee that popped, swelled, and can't be trusted
- Meniscus tears — repair when the blood supply allows, trimming when it doesn't, and no surgery when none is needed
- Biologics — PRP and BMAC for joints and tendons with tissue still to protect
- Cartilage and joint preservation — cartilage restoration and sports injury care for active patients
- SI joint and referred pain — diagnosis and minimally invasive fusion when buttock pain isn't the hip
- Painful or failed replacements — the Revision Hip & Knee Clinic other surgeons refer to
Then: the least invasive thing that works
With a named problem, treatment follows a disciplined ladder:
- Foundation: targeted strengthening with in-house physical therapy at Ala Moana and Kunia, activity redesign, weight optimization
- Office treatments: image-guided injections — cortisone, gel — matched to the diagnosis
- Biologics: PRP and BMAC where the evidence supports them
- Nerve-level relief: iovera° cryoneurolysis for knee pain, months at a time
- Surgery, when structure demands it: arthroscopy, preservation procedures, or robotic joint replacement — most often same-day
Which path fits you?
Most patients recognize themselves in one of these patterns. The exam confirms it — but this is where each path leads:
- You may be a candidate for joint replacement if X-rays show bone-on-bone arthritis, a real trial of therapy and injections has stopped holding, and pain is limiting your work, daily life, family, or the activities you love → hip or knee replacement
- It may be too soon if the joint still has cartilage on X-ray, you haven't tried structured strengthening, or a single injection still buys months → the arthritis ladder, injections, PRP
- A twist, a pop, swelling within the hour, a knee that gives way → ACL evaluation, promptly
- Joint-line pain with clicking, catching, or locking → meniscus evaluation
- Groin pain in your 30s–50s with no injury → MRI for avascular necrosis before the ball collapses
- A replacement that still hurts → the second-opinion and revision pathway
What happens at your first visit
One honest hour. You'll be examined, standing X-rays will be taken in clinic the same day, and you'll leave with a named diagnosis and a plan — not a referral to come back after an MRI. Bring a photo ID, your insurance card, a list of current medications, and any prior X-rays, MRI, or operative reports; imaging taken in Hawai‘i can usually be retrieved electronically.
- Step 1
Exam + weight-bearing X-rays
Same visit, in clinic. Hip, knee, spine, and SI joint are all examined so the mimics are ruled out.
- Step 2
A named diagnosis
Arthritis staged, tears and ligaments assessed; MRI ordered only when it would change the decision.
- Step 3
The least invasive plan
Therapy, bracing, injections, or biologics first — surgery only when structure demands it.
- Step 4
Follow-up and escalation
If a rung stops working, the next one is under the same roof — up to same-day robotic replacement.
Neighborhoods and islands we serve
The Honolulu clinic at 1441 Kapiolani Blvd, Suite 2020 — with in-house physical therapy — serves urban Honolulu, Ala Moana, Kaka‘ako, Waikīkī, Kaimukī, Hawai‘i Kai and East O‘ahu, and is the natural hub for fly-in patients. The West O‘ahu clinic in the Kunia Shopping Center serves Kapolei, Ewa Beach, Waipahu, Pearl City, ‘Aiea, Mililani, Wahiawā, Wai‘anae and the North Shore, with Wiki Wiki Orthopedics walk-in urgent care and X-ray on site. On Hawai‘i Island, the Hilo and Kona clinics cover East and West Hawai‘i. Patients on Maui, Kaua‘i, Moloka‘i and Lāna‘i, in Guam, Saipan and American Samoa, and overseas start by telehealth when an in-person visit isn't practical, with imaging arranged near home — the fly-in program handles the rest.
Red flags: when not to wait for an appointment
Most hip and knee pain can wait for a scheduled visit. These findings can't — go to an emergency room or, for injuries on the Leeward side, walk into Wiki Wiki Orthopedics in Kunia:
- Trauma with visible deformity, or a leg that looks shortened and turned out after a fall
- A hot, swollen joint with fever or chills — a joint infection can damage cartilage within days
- Inability to bear weight, or a knee that gave way with a pop and swelled within the hour
- A joint that locks and won't straighten
- Numbness, tingling, color change, or open wounds over the joint — emergency room, not urgent care
How to book
Book online or call (808) 439-6201 — one number for all four clinics: Honolulu (Ala Moana), West O‘ahu (Kunia) for Kapolei, Ewa, Pearl City and Mililani, Hilo, and Kona. Most new patients are seen within one to two weeks, and urgent problems are prioritized. PPO plans and traditional Medicare generally allow self-referral; managed-care and Medicaid/Quest plans need a referral from your primary care physician, which our schedulers coordinate with your doctor's office. Most insurance is accepted, with benefits verified before you're seen. For injuries, Wiki Wiki Orthopedics in Kunia takes walk-ins with X-ray on site. Telehealth is offered when an in-person visit isn't practical. Pain that's been "on the list" for months usually needs one honest hour to become a plan.
Medically reviewed by Paul N. Morton, MD, FAAOS, FAAHKS — board-certified orthopedic surgeon, fellowship-trained in adult hip & knee reconstruction and orthopedic trauma. Last reviewed: .
This page is for education only and isn’t a substitute for an exam and personalized advice — schedule a consultation to discuss your situation.