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Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD

Accepting New Patients
Specializes in: Orthopedics/Orthopedic Surgery
St. Louis University School of Medicine
Professional interests include: meniscus repair, shoulder surgery, shoulder impingement, and more.
2907 Chanticleer Avenue Floor 1
Santa Cruz, CA 95065

Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD is an orthopedist in Santa Cruz, CA specializing in orthopedics/orthopedic surgery. He graduated from St. Louis University School of Medicine. Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD is affiliated with Dignity Health, Sutter Health and Dominican Hospital Santa Cruz.

View Doctor's Full Profile (831) 477-2325

Office Locations

Sutter Health

2907 Chanticleer Avenue Floor 1
Santa Cruz, CA 95065
(831) 477-2325
open_in_new

Some issues Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD can help you with:

Hip Replacement

Hip replacement is a surgical procedure to replace parts of the hip joint that are damaged by disease or injury. It is most often done to treat arthritis, a common condition that causes stiffness and pain in the joints. Surgery is used only after other, less invasive treatments have failed to work.

The type of hip replacement patients receive is based on their age and the extent of damage to their hip. The hip joint has two parts: the femoral head, or hip ball, and the acetabulum, or hip socket. The hip ball is located on the upper end of the femur (thigh bone), and the hip socket is part of the pelvis. Depending on whether one or both parts require replacement, patients may need one of the following procedures:

  • Partial hip replacement, which is generally recommended in the case of hip fractures or other hip injuries. If a patient is having a partial hip replacement, only the hip ball will be replaced.
  • Total hip replacement, which is often used to treat the hip joint when it has become damaged due to arthritis. Both the hip socket and hip ball are replaced.
  • Hip resurfacing, which is usually performed for younger patients. A hip resurfacing procedure reshapes the hip ball and only replaces its surface. This preserves more bone and makes future surgeries easier. If a patient is having a partial hip resurfacing, only the hip ball is resurfaced and replaced. If a patient is having a total hip resurfacing, the hip socket will be replaced as well.

During hip replacement surgery, an incision is made along the side of the hip. The surgeon may access the joint directly through this incision, or by using small tools and a lighted tube called an arthroscope to see and treat the joint. The diseased tissue is removed, and the bones are smoothed out and fitted with metal ends. The metal pieces may be cemented in place, or they may have a porous structure that encourages bone to grow into them and hold them securely. A smooth plastic cushion is placed between the two bones to replace the cartilage and allow the joint to move freely.

Hip replacement surgery takes one to two hours, and afterwards patients may stay in the hospital for several days. When patients go home, they will have to use a cane, walker, or crutches at first. Patients will likely have physical therapy to improve their ability to move with their new hip. After the first few weeks, light exercise such as bike riding or swimming will help them heal, but certain actions, such as climbing stairs or bending over at the waist, may be difficult at first. It will take several weeks before they can drive or return to work. Full recovery may take six to 12 months.

Noteworthy Medicare Patient Procedures Performed by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD in 2023

Click on any procedure below to see further details on volume and pricing among Medicare patients.

Top 25%

By Volume:

joint reconstruction
lower extremity surgery
major joint aspiration
major joint injection
reconstructive surgery
total knee replacement

In 2012, Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD performed more joint reconstruction, lower extremity surgery, major joint aspiration, major joint injection, reconstructive surgery, and total knee replacement procedures for Medicare patients than 75% of providers in related specialties within California.

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2012 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD treated as an orthopedist in Santa Cruz, CA during 2012 were aspiration, injections, joint surgery and lower extremity surgery.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration 181
doctor visit 582
hospital care 15
injections 181
inpatient care 15
joint surgery 59
lower extremity surgery 59
minimally invasive procedures 16
reconstructive surgery 43

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2013 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD treated as an orthopedist in Santa Cruz, CA during 2013 were injections, aspiration, reconstructive surgery and joint surgery.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration 215
doctor visit 643
hospital care 18
injections 230
inpatient care 18
joint surgery 56
lower extremity surgery 56
reconstructive surgery 56

2013 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD.

Gender
Male 214
Female 354
Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic White 520
Black 0
Hispanic 29
Asian 0
Other 0
Native American 0
Age
From 65 to 74 283
From 75 to 84 164
85 and over 73
Less than 65 48

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD in 2013

Hypertension 58
High Cholesterol 52
Stroke 4
Ischemic Heart Disease 23
Depression 22
Chronic Kidney Disease 16
Asthma 10
Osteoperosis 16
Atrial Fibrilation 9
Heart Failure 10
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 7
Diabetes 19
Dementia 6
Cancer 12

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2014 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD treated as an orthopedist in Santa Cruz, CA during 2014 were injections, aspiration, lower extremity surgery and reconstructive surgery.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration 169
doctor visit 758
fracture surgery 13
hospital care 26
injections 181
inpatient care 26
joint surgery 55
lower extremity surgery 68
reconstructive surgery 55

2014 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD.

Gender
Male 220
Female 425
Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic White 586
Black 0
Hispanic 35
Asian 0
Other 0
Native American 0
Age
From 65 to 74 325
From 75 to 84 194
85 and over 82
Less than 65 44

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD in 2014

Hypertension 58
High Cholesterol 51
Stroke 3
Ischemic Heart Disease 20
Depression 22
Chronic Kidney Disease 16
Asthma 10
Osteoperosis 16
Atrial Fibrilation 9
Heart Failure 9
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 6
Diabetes 19
Dementia 5
Cancer 10

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2015 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD treated as an orthopedist in Santa Cruz, CA during 2015 were aspiration, injections, reconstructive surgery and joint surgery.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration 217
doctor visit 776
hospital care 21
injections 217
inpatient care 21
joint surgery 71
lower extremity surgery 71
reconstructive surgery 71

2015 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD.

Gender
Male 462
Female 828
Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic White 1144
Black 0
Hispanic 80
Asian 0
Other 34
Native American 0
Age
From 65 to 74 698
From 75 to 84 326
85 and over 170
Less than 65 96

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD in 2015

Hypertension 52
High Cholesterol 49
Stroke 9
Ischemic Heart Disease 21
Depression 21
Chronic Kidney Disease 16
Asthma 10
Osteoperosis 11
Atrial Fibrilation 11
Heart Failure 10
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 7
Diabetes 16
Dementia 5
Cancer 10

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2016 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD treated as an orthopedist in Santa Cruz, CA during 2016 were injections, aspiration, reconstructive surgery and joint surgery.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration 251
doctor visit 846
hospital care 22
injections 267
inpatient care 22
joint surgery 72
lower extremity surgery 72
reconstructive surgery 72

2016 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD.

Gender
Male 257
Female 458
Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic White 635
Black 0
Hispanic 44
Asian 0
Other 20
Native American 0
Age
From 65 to 74 383
From 75 to 84 186
85 and over 95
Less than 65 51

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD in 2016

Hypertension 56
High Cholesterol 46
Stroke 3
Ischemic Heart Disease 21
Depression 23
Chronic Kidney Disease 19
Asthma 14
Osteoperosis 14
Atrial Fibrilation 10
Heart Failure 10
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 8
Diabetes 17
Dementia 5
Cancer 8

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2017 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD treated as an orthopedist in Santa Cruz, CA during 2017 were injections, aspiration, lower extremity surgery and reconstructive surgery.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration 297
doctor visit 1024
fracture surgery 14
hospital care 20
injections 311
inpatient care 20
joint surgery 68
lower extremity surgery 82
reconstructive surgery 68

2017 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD.

Gender
Male 294
Female 547
Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic White 738
Black 0
Hispanic 60
Asian 0
Other 22
Native American 0
Age
From 65 to 74 447
From 75 to 84 223
85 and over 107
Less than 65 64

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD in 2017

Hypertension 53
High Cholesterol 42
Stroke 2
Ischemic Heart Disease 20
Depression 25
Chronic Kidney Disease 21
Asthma 10
Osteoperosis 13
Atrial Fibrilation 10
Heart Failure 10
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 7
Diabetes 20
Dementia 4
Cancer 8

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2018 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD treated as an orthopedist in Santa Cruz, CA during 2018 were aspiration, injections, reconstructive surgery and joint surgery.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration 332
doctor visit 979
hospital care 26
injections 332
inpatient care 26
joint surgery 52
lower extremity surgery 52
reconstructive surgery 52

2018 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD.

Gender
Male 288
Female 559
Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic White 740
Black 0
Hispanic 59
Asian 0
Other 25
Native American 0
Age
From 65 to 74 450
From 75 to 84 252
85 and over 101
Less than 65 44

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD in 2018

Hypertension 53
High Cholesterol 47
Stroke 3
Ischemic Heart Disease 20
Depression 24
Chronic Kidney Disease 21
Asthma 8
Osteoperosis 15
Atrial Fibrilation 10
Heart Failure 11
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 8
Diabetes 17
Dementia 6
Cancer 11

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2019 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD treated as an orthopedist in Santa Cruz, CA during 2019 were aspiration, injections, reconstructive surgery and joint surgery.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration 385
doctor visit 1084
hospital care 33
injections 385
inpatient care 33
joint surgery 75
lower extremity surgery 75
reconstructive surgery 75

2019 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD.

Gender
Male 348
Female 591
Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic White 812
Black 0
Hispanic 78
Asian 0
Other 31
Native American 0
Age
From 65 to 74 488
From 75 to 84 282
85 and over 115
Less than 65 54

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD in 2019

Hypertension 52
High Cholesterol 49
Stroke 2
Ischemic Heart Disease 21
Depression 21
Chronic Kidney Disease 21
Asthma 9
Osteoperosis 15
Atrial Fibrilation 9
Heart Failure 12
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 6
Diabetes 19
Dementia 6
Cancer 10

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2020 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD treated as an orthopedist in Santa Cruz, CA during 2020 were aspiration, injections, lower extremity surgery and reconstructive surgery.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration 278
doctor visit 805
fracture surgery 13
hospital care 38
injections 278
inpatient care 38
joint surgery 52
lower extremity surgery 65
reconstructive surgery 52

2020 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD.

Gender
Male 289
Female 410
Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic White 607
Black 0
Hispanic 59
Asian 0
Other 19
Native American 0
Age
From 65 to 74 355
From 75 to 84 219
85 and over 85
Less than 65 40

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD in 2020

Hypertension 49
High Cholesterol 49
Stroke 2
Ischemic Heart Disease 23
Depression 22
Chronic Kidney Disease 21
Asthma 8
Osteoperosis 13
Atrial Fibrilation 9
Heart Failure 13
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 7
Diabetes 18
Dementia 7
Cancer 8

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2021 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD treated as an orthopedist in Santa Cruz, CA during 2021 were aspiration, injections, lower extremity surgery and reconstructive surgery.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration 323
doctor visit 895
fracture surgery 11
hospital care 30
injections 323
inpatient care 30
joint surgery 55
lower extremity surgery 66
reconstructive surgery 55

2021 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD.

Gender
Male 294
Female 497
Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic White 692
Black 0
Hispanic 51
Asian 0
Other 24
Native American 0
Age
From 65 to 74 409
From 75 to 84 246
85 and over 111
Less than 65 25

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD in 2021

Hypertension 50
High Cholesterol 54
Stroke 3
Ischemic Heart Disease 22
Depression 24
Chronic Kidney Disease 20
Asthma 7
Osteoperosis 15
Atrial Fibrilation 10
Heart Failure 11
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 7
Diabetes 16
Dementia 7
Cancer 10

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2022 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD treated as an orthopedist in Santa Cruz, CA during 2022 were aspiration, injections, reconstructive surgery and joint surgery.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration 359
doctor visit 979
hospital care 24
injections 359
inpatient care 24
joint surgery 81
lower extremity surgery 81
reconstructive surgery 81

2022 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD.

Gender
Male 326
Female 528
Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic White 739
Black 0
Hispanic 81
Asian 0
Other 22
Native American 0
Age
From 65 to 74 441
From 75 to 84 279
85 and over 96
Less than 65 38

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD in 2022

Hypertension 63
High Cholesterol 67
Stroke 4
Ischemic Heart Disease 16
Depression 22
Chronic Kidney Disease 15
Asthma 14
Osteoperosis 17
Atrial Fibrilation 17
Heart Failure 11
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 9
Diabetes 18
Dementia 3
Cancer 14

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2012 - 2022

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD treated as an orthopedist in Santa Cruz, CA were injections, aspiration, lower extremity surgery and joint surgery.

aspiration 273
doctor visit 851
fracture surgery 12
hospital care 24
injections 278
inpatient care 24
joint surgery 63
lower extremity surgery 67
minimally invasive procedures 16
reconstructive surgery 61

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2012 - 2022

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD.

Gender
Male 272
Female 472
Ethnicity
Black / African American 0
Asian / Pacific Islander 0
Non-Hispanic White 655
Native American / Alaskan Native 0
Hispanic 52
Other 17
Age
75 to 84 215
85 and over 94
Less than 65 45
65 to 74 389

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD From 2012 - 2022

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD treated were hypertension, high cholesterol, depression and ischemic heart disease.

Hypertension 49
High Cholesterol 46
Stroke 3
Ischemic Heart Disease 18
Depression 20
Chronic Kidney Disease 16
Asthma 9
Osteoporosis 13
Heart Failure 9
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 6
Diabetes 16
Atrial Fibrillation 9
Dementia 4
Cancer 9

Education & Training

Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD graduated from St. Louis University School of Medicine. He completed residency at Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center. He is certified by the Orthopaedic Surgery and has a state license in California.

Medical School: St. Louis University School of Medicine

Residency: Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center

Board Certification: Orthopaedic Surgery

Licensed In: California

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

Dignity Health
Sutter Health
Dominican Hospital Santa Cruz

Insurance Information

Please note: Insurance information may change at any time, and the provider may accept your insurance plan even if it is not listed below. Please contact the provider's office to confirm that your insurance is accepted.

Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD appears to accept the following insurance providers: Blue Shield of California, Medicare Advantage, HealthSmart, MultiPlan, United Healthcare, TRICARE, Cigna, Alliance PPO, Anthem Blue Cross of California, Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS), Accepted Valley Health Plan Plans: Classic Commercial HMO Plan only, Accepted Central California Alliance for Health Plans: TotalCare (HMO D-SNP), Accepted SCAN Plans: SCAN Compass (HMO), Accepted Santa Clara Family Health Plan Plans: DualConnect (HMO D-SNP), Accepted Provider Networks of America Plans: PPO, Accepted Sutter Health Plan Plans: Individual and Family Plan HMO: Large and Small Group HMO, Accepted Chinese Community Health Plan Plans: Active Choice- PPO Silver: Amber 50 HMO Silver: American Indian/Alaskan Native (Covered CA for Individual & Families): Bronze 60 HDHP HMO (including... and Accepted Aetna Plans: Aetna Choice POS II: Aetna Select EPO: Aetna Select Open Access: Aetna Signature Administrators (ASA): Aetna Student Health Program: Health Fund HMO (aka HMO/HRA): Health Fund....

Insurance Accepted by Provider includes:

According to our sources, Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD accepts the following insurance providers:

Blue Shield of California
Medicare Advantage
HealthSmart
MultiPlan
United Healthcare
TRICARE
Cigna
Alliance PPO
Anthem Blue Cross of California
Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS)
Accepted Valley Health Plan Plans: Classic Commercial HMO Plan only
Accepted Central California Alliance for Health Plans: TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
Accepted SCAN Plans: SCAN Compass (HMO)
Accepted Santa Clara Family Health Plan Plans: DualConnect (HMO D-SNP)
Accepted Provider Networks of America Plans: PPO
Accepted Sutter Health Plan Plans: Individual and Family Plan HMO: Large and Small Group HMO
Accepted Chinese Community Health Plan Plans: Active Choice- PPO Silver: Amber 50 HMO Silver: American Indian/Alaskan Native (Covered CA for Individual & Families): Bronze 60 HDHP HMO (including...
Accepted Aetna Plans: Aetna Choice POS II: Aetna Select EPO: Aetna Select Open Access: Aetna Signature Administrators (ASA): Aetna Student Health Program: Health Fund HMO (aka HMO/HRA): Health Fund...

Ratings & Reviews

Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD has an exceptional overall rating with an average of 4.79 out of 5 stars based on 457 ratings. We collect ratings and reviews of Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD from all over the web to help you find the right in Santa Cruz, CA. 

4.79
Overall Rating
Leave a Review
Reviews Left On DocSpot
Overall Rating: 1.0 2016-12-19 
Three months ago I was walking outside when I felt a pop behind my knee. I was falling down when I grabbed on to a fence and was taken home by some wonderful strangers. I was in terrible pain. Christoffersen told me I had a Baker's cyst. No MRI. He wouldn't discuss any other diagnosis, even when I told him my sister had torn her meniscus. For my pain? Tylenol. Last week I went to another doctor who took an MRI. Results- torn meniscus, PCL ligament tear, sprain of MCL. I wish I could sue him.

General Payments

These charts describe general payments received by Dr. Karl Christoffersen, MD. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.

Payments by Company
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. $149 Echo
$149
Stryker Corporation $45 AUGMENT INJECTABLE
$45
BIOVENTUS LLC $19 Exogen
$19
Types of Payments
Education $149
Food and Beverage $65

Biography

Dr. Karl Christoffersen, who practices in Santa Cruz, CA, is a medical specialist in orthopedics/orthopedic surgery. He obtained his medical school training at St. Louis University School of Medicine and performed his residency at Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center. His areas of expertise include the following: hip replacement, meniscus repair, and knee problems. Patients gave Dr. Christoffersen an average rating of 5.0 stars (out of 5). He accepts Anthem, Blue California, HealthSmart, and more. His hospital/clinic affiliations include Dignity Health and Sutter Health. According to Dignity Health, Dr. Christoffersen is currently accepting new patients at his office in Santa Cruz, CA.

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