Thunder Orthopedics

04/15/2026

We have exciting news—Thunder Orthopedics has been nominated for Charlottesville’s Finest 2026, in the Orthopedic Surgeon category… for the fourth year in a row! Your support helped us win Gold previously, and we'd be honored to earn your vote again.

🗳️ Here's How You Can Vote (Easy as 1‑2‑3):
Go to the Charlottesville’s Finest website.
https://charlottesvillesfinest.com/vote/

Navigate to Health & Beauty → Orthopedic Surgeon.

Select Thunder Orthopedics and submit your vote.

You are allowed one vote per person, per category, per 24‑hour period—so swing by daily through April 29, 2026! Please feel free to share this with family and friends.

Why One Vote from You Means So Much:
🏅 Keeps Our Gold Streak Alive: We've already been honored before, and your vote can help us win Gold for the fourth straight year—a true sign of consistency and trust.

💙 Boosts Clinic Visibility: Winning Gold elevates awareness of our quality orthopedic care across Charlottesville.

🎉 Celebrates Our Team: It’s a fun, meaningful way to show appreciation for the doctors, nurses, and staff who serve you with care.

Vote Today & Everyday Through April 29

Quick tip: set a daily reminder—hit “submit” before bed or after breakfast. These small actions add up—and they truly make a difference.

Thank you for being part of our journey. Your trust and support mean everything to us.

04/14/2026

Working full-time with “bad knees?”

04/10/2026

We hope you’re doing well! With warmer weather arriving, many people are getting active again—and taking steps to stay healthy and pain-free.

At Thunder Ortho, we continue to advance robotic technology and innovative treatments for knee and hip pain. Because so many of our patients come from the Harrisonburg, Staunton, Waynesboro, Highland County, and West Virginia areas, Dr. Swanson will be hosting a special lunch and educational talk in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

We would love for you to join us—and feel free to invite your friends and neighbors!

Event Details:
Hotel Madison
710 Main Street
Harrisonburg, VA 22801

Tuesday, April 28, 2026
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Free lunch will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there!

To attend, you MUST register by calling 1-888-787-9537 or by going to: https://patients.stryker.com/seminars/2997-free-arthritis-joint-pain-seminar-harrisonburg-va-2026-04-28

This is a Stryker sponsored event and we will need to register you to make sure we have enough food.

04/03/2026

“Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

This weekend: be renewed, soar, run, and walk.

Thunder Orthopedics will be closed on April 3, 2026 in observance of Good Friday.

03/30/2026

Happy Doctor’s Day to Dr. Megan Swanson, recognized as the best orthopedic surgeon* in Charlottesville, Virginia for the past three years. She is the first female orthopedic surgeon in central Virginia to own her own medical practice and ambulatory surgery center. A graduate of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Dr. Swanson also holds an undergraduate degree in Biomedical Ethics from the University of Virginia. As a pioneer in outpatient knee and hip replacement surgery, Dr. Swanson has been a leader in helping patients return to their activities quickly after surgery.

In central Virginia, Dr. Megan Swanson is:

⚡️ The only orthopedic surgeon with over a decade of experience performing direct anterior hip replacement surgery.

⚡️ The only orthopedic surgeon performing muscle-sparing knee replacement surgery, with over 15 years of experience in that approach.

⚡️ The only orthopedic surgeon performing robotic assisted total and partial knee replacements in an ASC setting.

*Charlottesville Media Group

03/20/2026

Happy Friday from Thunder Orthopedics! It’s been a big week for us! By God’s grace, this past week, we performed eight surgeries, including the first:

⚡️Same Day Discharge revision knee replacement!

⚡️ Outpatient knee replacement in a nonagenarian in an ASC!

⚡️ Robotic Patella Femoral replacement in an ASC!

Why do we continue to advance complex robotic surgery in an outpatient setting? Our first patient on Wednesday summed it up well: “it is so nice to get my joint replaced and wake up without the grogginess or pain or nausea and just be able to go home and rest in my own bed.”

Thankful for the outstanding team at Thunder Ortho that continues to ask: what more is possible?

03/15/2026

Happy Sunday!
Nathan Swanson (our practice manager) is hard at play today - setting the new high score for Galaga on the Ms. Pac-Man machine (which hosts 16 games).

03/09/2026

At Thunder Orthopedics, Traci Mahoney, PA-C, gives her knowledge, voice, mentorship, and time to serve as an advocate for women and to be a role model in our community.

“Imagine a world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that's diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. At work, at home, and in the community, there are many ways to overtly advance women.”

Be a Traci Mahoney in your sphere of influence. The world will be better for it.

Give respect
Give donations
Give visibility
Give knowledge
Give funding
Give justice
Give resources
Give a voice
Give protection
Give truth
Give equal pay
Give celebration
Give sponsorship
Give mentoring
Give credit
Give budget
Give introductions
Give workshops
Give opportunities
Give safety
Give training
Give stretch assignments
Give momentum
Give role models
Give growth
Give access
Give time”

FREE International Women's Day 2026 theme resources -

03/01/2026

Thunder Orthopedics watches Women’s Sports!

🏀 🏀 🏀

UVA vs Va Tech

02/27/2026

Excerpt from article:
“In orthopedic surgery, for example, women accounted for just 6% of active physicians in 2022, up from 3% in 2004. ‘We’re not really diversifying overall across specialties,’ …
Experts say long-standing cultural and environmental barriers within certain specialties may contribute to those patterns. Research has documented high rates of harassment and gender bias across medicine, and some specialties historically have been characterized by rigid hierarchies and demanding schedules.”

02/23/2026

Thankful for modern day technology to help our Olympic Athletes. These competitors have been truly amazing. Praying for complete healing for Ms. Vonn.