Danielle Melton, MD

Professional Titles

• Professor - University of Colorado
• Adjunct Associate Professor - University of Texas Health Science Center

Recognitions

• Impact Award for Osseointegration, UCHealth (2024)
• Paradigm Medical Director Impact Award, Paradigm Outcomes (2024)
  Clinical Contribution
• Best Doctors in America, 2009 - 2021 (2021)
  Top 5% in specialty, consensus by peers
• America's Top Physicians, Consumer Research Council of America (2018)
  Awarded yearly 2010 - 2018

Research Interests

My research involves novel approaches to treating phantom limb pain and neuromas, limb salvage with Major Extremity Trauma Research Consortium (METRC) and innovations in prosthetic components. I was selected as the scientific chair for the NIH funded/ Mayo Clinic PI for the Limb Loss and Preservation Registry.

Publications

• Gaffney BMM, Gimarc D, Thomsen-Freitas PB, Pattee J, Wong C, Milius DW, Melton DH, Christiansen CL, Stoneback JW. Associations Between Skeletal Alignment and Biomechanical Symmetry Before and After Transfemoral Bone-anchored Limb Implantation. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2024 Dec 24. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 39745233
• Tracy JB, Gaffney BMM, Thomsen PB, Awad ME, Melton DH, Christiansen CL, Stoneback JW. Dynamic gait stability and stability symmetry for people with transfemoral amputation: A case-series of 19 individuals with bone-anchored limbs. J Biomech. 2024 Jun;171:112208. PubMed PMID: 38941842
• Awad ME, Melton D, Shaw KG, Lev G, Gaffney BMM, Christiansen CL, Stoneback JW. How Comprehensive and Efficient Are Patient-Reported Outcome Measures for Individuals with Lower Extremity Amputation Undergoing Implantation of Osseointegrated Bone Anchored Limbs?. JBJS Rev. 2024 Mar 1;12(3). PubMed PMID: 38489397
• Voigt JD, Potter BK, Souza J, Forsberg J, Melton D, Hsu JR, Wilke B. Lifetime cost-effectiveness analysis osseointegrated transfemoral versus socket prosthesis using Markov modelling. Bone Jt Open. 2024 Mar 15;5(3):218-226. PubMed PMID: 38484760
• Roda GF, Awad ME, Melton DH, Christiansen CL, Stoneback JW, Gaffney BMM. The Amputated Limb Gluteus Medius is Biomechanically Disadvantaged in Patients with Unilateral Transfemoral Amputation. Ann Biomed Eng. 2024 Mar;52(3):565-574. PubMed PMID: 37946055
• Gaffney BMM, Davis-Wilson HC, Awad ME, Tracy J, Melton DH, Lev G, Stoneback JW, Christiansen CL. Daily steps and stepping cadence increase one-year following prosthesis osseointegration in people with lower-limb amputation. Disabil Rehabil. 2024 Apr;46(7):1432-1437. PubMed PMID: 37073780
• Roda GF, Awad ME, Melton DH, Christiansen CL, Stoneback JW, Gaffney BMM. The Amputated Limb Gluteus Medius is Biomechanically Disadvantaged in Patients with Unilateral Transfemoral Amputation. Ann Biomed Eng. 2023 Nov 9. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 37946055
• Vandenberg NW, Stoneback JW, Davis-Wilson H, Christiansen CL, Awad ME, Melton DH, Gaffney BMM. Unilateral transfemoral osseointegrated prostheses improve joint loading during walking. J Biomech. 2023 Jun;155:111658. PubMed PMID: 37276681
• Gaffney BMM, Davis-Wilson HC, Awad ME, Tracy J, Melton DH, Lev G, Stoneback JW, Christiansen CL. Daily steps and stepping cadence increase one-year following prosthesis osseointegration in people with lower-limb amputation. Disabil Rehabil. 2023 Apr 19;:1-6. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 37073780
• Archer KR, Davidson CA, Alkhoury D, Vanston SW, Moore TL, Deluca A, Betz JF, Thompson RE, Obremskey WT, Slobogean GP, Melton DH, Wilken JM, Karunakar MA, Rivera JC, Mir HR, McKinley TO, Frey KP, Castillo RC, Wegener ST. Cognitive-Behavioral-Based Physical Therapy for Improving Recovery After Traumatic Orthopaedic Lower Extremity Injury (CBPT-Trauma). J Orthop Trauma. 2022 Jan 1;36(Suppl 1):S1-S7. PubMed PMID: 34924512
• Archer KR, Davidson CA, Alkhoury D, Vanston SW, Moore TL, Deluca A, Betz JF, Thompson RE, Obremskey WT, Slobogean GP, Melton DH, Wilken JM, Karunakar MA, Rivera JC, Mir HR, McKinley TO, Frey KP, Castillo RC, Wegener ST. Cognitive-Behavioral-Based Physical Therapy for Improving Recovery After Traumatic Orthopaedic Lower Extremity Injury (CBPT-Trauma). J Orthop Trauma. 2022 Jan 1;36(Suppl 1):S1-S7. PubMed PMID: 34924512
• Freysteinson W, Thomas L, Sebastian-Deutsch A, Douglas D, Melton D, Celia T, Reeves K, Bowyer P. A Study of the Amputee Experience of Viewing Self in the Mirror. Rehabil Nurs. 2017 Jan Feb;42(1):22-32. PubMed PMID: 26879100
• Melton, Danielle H. MD. Physiatrist Perspective on Upper-Limb Prosthetic Options: Using Practice Guidelines to Promote Patient Education in the Selection and the Prescription Process. Journal of Prosthetics and Orthotics 29(4S):p P40-P44, October 2017. | DOI: 10.1097/JPO.0000000000000157
• Bosse, Michael J. MD; Morshed, Saam MD, PhD; Reider, Lisa PhD; Ertl, William MD; Toledano, James MD; Firoozabadi, Reeza MD; Seymour, Rachel B. PhD; Carroll, Eben MD; Scharfstein, Daniel O. ScD; Steverson, Barbara RN, MHA; MacKenzie, Ellen J. PhD; METRC. Collaborator: Melton, Danielle H. MD. “Transtibial Amputation Outcomes Study (TAOS): Comparing Transtibial Amputation With and Without a Tibiofibular Synostosis (Ertl) Procedure." Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma: April 2017 - Volume 31 - Issue - p S63-S69. doi: 10.1097/BOT.0000000000000791
• Li S, Melton D. “Tactile, thermal, and electrical thresholds in patients with and without phantom limb pain after traumatic lower limb amputation.” J Pain Res. 2015;8:169-174 https://doi.org/10.2147/JPR.S77412
• Cannada LK, Melton DH, Deren ME, Hayda RA, Harvey EJ. Dealing With Catastrophic Outcomes and Amputations in the Mangled Limb. J Orthop Trauma. 2015 Dec;29 Suppl 12:S39-42. PubMed PMID: 26584265
• Meier RH 3rd, Melton D. Ideal functional outcomes for amputation levels. Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 2014 Feb;25(1):199-212. PubMed PMID: 24287248
• Robert Meier, MD and Danielle H Melton, MD. Ideal Functional Outcomes for Amputation Levels. In: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America. Elsevier. 2014. Pg. 199-212.
• Li S, Berliner JC, Melton DH, Li S. Modification of electrical pain threshold by voluntary breathing-controlled electrical stimulation (BreEStim) in healthy subjects. PLoS One. 2013;8(7):e70282. PubMed PMID: 23894632
• Li S, Melton DH, Berliner JC. Breathing-controlled electrical stimulation could modify the affective component of neuropathic pain after amputation: a case report. J Pain Res. 2012;5:71-5. PubMed PMID: 22536094
• O&P Business News. Article (October 2012). Joseph M. Czerniecki, MD et al. “The Effect of Rehabilitation in a Comprehensive Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit on Mobility Outcome After Dysvascular Lower Extremity Amputation.”

Professional Memberships

• American Orthotics and Prosthetics, Member
• American Academy of Orthotics and Prosthetics, Member
• Association of Academic Physiatrists, Member
• American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Member

Practice Locations

UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital (UCH)
12605 E. 16th Ave
Aurora, CO 80045
720-848-0000

UCHealth Orthopedics Clinic - Anschutz Medical Campus
1635 Aurora Ct
4th Floor
Aurora, CO 80045
720-848-1900

Hospital Affiliation

• University of Colorado Hospital

Specialty Information

Specialties

• Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Board Certification (2008, 2018)
• Certified Engineer-in-Training, Certificate (1993)
• Introduction to Hyperbaric Medicine and Problem Wound Care Management Certification (Diversified Clinical Services), Specialized Training (2012)
• Certification in the Evaluation of Disability and Impairment Rating (American Academy of Disability Evaluating Physicians), Certificate (2011)

Conditions & Treatments

• Rehabilitation Therapy
• Bones, Joints and Muscles
• Bones, Joints and Muscles - Foot and Ankle Injuries and Disorders
• Bones, Joints and Muscles - Hip Injuries and Disorders
• Bones, Joints and Muscles - Knee Injuries and Disorders
• Bones, Joints and Muscles - Leg Injuries and Disorders
• Bones, Joints and Muscles - Shoulder Injuries and Disorders