Joel Hurt, MD

Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon

Joel Hurt, MD

Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon
About Dr. Hurt

Clinical Practice & Specialties

Dr. Hurt is a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon specializing in shoulder and knee repair and reconstruction. Surgically, Dr. Hurt’s greatest expertise are:

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KNEE
  • Robotic Total Knee Replacement (primary and revision)
  • Robotic Partial Knee replacement
  • ACL reconstruction
  • Arthroscopy
  • Meniscal Repair
  • Complex Ligament Reconstruction/Repair
  • Cartilage Transplant Surgery
Shoulder
  • Rotator cuff repair
  • Instability surgery
    Arthroscopy
  • Computer-guided shoulder replacement

He also frequently treats common sports and trauma injuries, including distal biceps repairs, wrist fractures, humerus fractures, ankle fractures, and Achilles tendon tears, among others.

Dr. Hurt grew up in Austin and then attended Baylor University. He subsequently graduated from University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas in 1999. He completed a 5-year orthopedic residency, at UT Southwestern and Parkland Hospital, and then finished with an additional year of training at the University of Kentucky in a sports medicine fellowship.

Dr. Hurt has been practicing orthopedics in Austin and Marble Falls since 2005. For years, he has generally treated 130 patients per week in-clinic and performed 30 to 40 surgeries a month. There is no substitute for experience, and this pedigree provides invaluable benefit to his patients. Dr. Hurt’s approach to medicine is guided by the belief that patients should have an opportunity to understand their injury well in order to make the most informed decision. He loves to teach his patients in person, and also enjoys creating educational videos.

Robotic knee replacement and computer-guided shoulder replacement are two of his favorite surgeries. The Mako® robot allows real-time intra-operative millimeter adjustments to implant positioning before any cuts are made. Using this technology since 2018 has allowed Dr.Hurt to see the knee 3-dimensionally and perfect ligament balancing. The end result is knees that get great range of motion and feel stable – happy patients and a happy surgeon.

Similarly, Dr.Hurt uses 3D bone imaging (CT scan) to plan all his shoulder replacements at least 2 weeks prior to surgery. This is incredibly helpful because the shoulder blade has very limited bone and getting screws in the exact right axis is difficult without this imaging aid. If there is severe erosion of bone, he can plan for metal augments in the perfect position with this software. Dr. Hurt usually records the computer screen while he is planning his case, explaining his process along the way. Patients are given access to this prior to surgery.

Practice Philosophy

Treat Others as You Would Want to Be Treated

Treating people with great care and respect undergirds every exchange Dr. Hurt has with his patients. He starts with ensuring they understand why he is recommending a certain treatment, or making a specific diagnosis. It’s your body – you deserve to have as much information as you need.

Dr. Hurt doesn’t feel that it’s his place to make decisions for his patients about how they should live their lives. If someone has knee arthritis (like he does) and still wants to do CrossFit (like he does), then he’s not going to shame them – he’ll do whatever he can (within reason and good medical judgment) to help them live their life well, trying to think outside the box whenever possible. He’ll give them treatment options, pros and cons, and involve them in the decision-making process.

Finally, it’s his custom and privilege to pray with any patient before surgery. This is absolutely optional, and he doesn’t presume upon anyone’s faith – but surgery can be unsettling, and he finds that the majority of patients appreciate the offer.

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Videos & Presentations

Personal Story – Prepared for Good Works

Dr. Hurt grew up in Austin with 3 siblings and a physician dad. His family lived in Rollingwood, which didn’t have many houses back then. Building, fixing, and creating were always central to Dr. Hurt’s person. He spent his days fabricating Lego empires, constructing tree forts in empty lots, and playing soccer or competing on the swim team. Using lawn mowing and pizza delivery money, he bought a 1966 Ford Mustang convertible when he was in high school, and had it towed to his house.

With a repair manual for a guide, Dr. Hurt rebuilt the brakes, replaced the water pump, and eventually got his dream car street-worthy. Eventually, though, Legos lost their charm, the new orthopedic surgeon neighbor tore down his fort and built their house, and Dr. Hurt was forced to sell the Mustang because he had driven the tires down to their steel belted radials and couldn’t afford more. Despite this, he never lost his love for building, creating, and solving problems – something he gets to do every day in his orthopedic practice.

Dr. Hurt attended Baylor University, followed by UT Southwestern Medical School, graduating in the top quarter of his class. He fought hard to stay at Parkland Hospital for his orthopedic residency, and spent the next five years of his life working harder than he ever had or have since. However, it was those difficult years in Dallas that formed the foundation for who Dr. Hurt is, as a surgeon, today.

There was a saying back then: “See one, Do one, Teach one.” At Parkland, it was either learn to swim fast or drown. Finishing his residency, Dr. Hurt felt very adept at most aspects of orthopedics, except for sports medicine, so he added an additional year of training at the University of Kentucky caring for athletes and honing his arthroscopic surgical skills.

Having finished his sports fellowship, Dr. Hurt came back home as quickly as he could, and has been in Austin ever since. He joined a small practice in Westlake before switching to Texas Orthopedics, where he stayed for almost 13 years. However, with time, Dr. Hurt’s desire to have a more personal surgical practice grew – so in 2021 he made the leap back to a smaller practice, founding JHurt Orthopedics. From the very beginning of his time in Austin, Dr. Hurt made weekly clinic trips to Marble Falls in order to service his Hill Country patients.

During these early practice years, Dr. Hurt met his wife, Ashley – she was working in the Seton Main ER as a student nurse. Their first date was to Red Bud Isle with his two Bernese Mountain Dogs, Tex and Tucker – who soon became their dogs, and lived to see all four of their children born. Their kids – Sheppard, Stone, Jolie, and Myles – are a gift, and it’s a joy for Dr. Hurt to raise them with his best friend.

In 2010, something happened that forever changed his life and many, many others – a magnitude 7.0 earthquake decimated the country of Haiti. Within 3 weeks, Dr. Hurt was in Haiti with a medical crew that included many of his partners, doing what they could to aid those who had been affected by the disaster. They amputated limbs, tended wounds, and administered antibiotics. For six months, they sent back teams weekly until it was evident that the trauma was no longer the earthquake – it had just returned to normal life in Haiti. Dr. Hurt’s family has gone back with him a number of times. They love the people of Haiti.

Ashley and Dr. Hurt joined the Austin Stone shortly after they were married, and they truly love that church. To say that God had a part in Dr. Hurt’s journey here would be an understatement. Dr. Hurt is grateful to his Creator for everything He has given him – he feels it is certainly far beyond anything he deserves. It is Dr. Hurt’s faith in Christ that keeps him grounded, reminds him that in a very real sense, everything he has he has been given, and compels him to treat every patient as an individual of immense value, made in His image.

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Specialties

Knee

Shoulder

Sports Medicine

Trauma