With a focus on surgery and rehabilitation, three diverse health professionals have built a collaborative and collegiate environment in Deakin, where patients can utilise their complementary skills under one roof.

Sports orthopaedic surgeon Dr Mark Porter; podiatric surgeon and podiatrist Dr Nicholas Studdert, and physiotherapist Cassandra Hodgkinson share the vision of having their practices focus on physical activity, quality of life and taking care of musculoskeletal problems. 

Whether the patient is an amateur athlete, a professional athlete or an elderly person who just wants to walk comfortably down to the shops, this way they can receive all the treatment needed in one place, says Mark.

“We see Napier Close as a one-stop shop for injury rehabilitation,” says Cassandra.

“That’s really the focus of our treatment, and it’s nice to have a group of like-minded people all in the same building who share a common goal,” Mark says. 

From a podiatric point of view, Nicholas says he works primarily with lower limbs, performing elective corrective surgery and he provides complementary support to his colleagues, particularly in the rehabilitative sense.   

“I think that there’s a real advantage too, particularly for my surgical practice, in having multiple surgeons within the same building,” says Nicholas.

“We all bring different things to it and we all are able to bounce ideas off each other if we need to.”

Mark says: “And from a just purely collaborative point of view, it’s just nice to have a sort of collegiate building.

“Just ease of communication, quite often it’s just on a personal level, once you know people personally, you are more likely to get things done together and you’ll go the extra mile for something, especially with the physios, we’re just across the corridor.

“We see a lot of patients in common and quite often it’s just a simple discussion.”

Cassandra says having the opportunity to work in such close proximity to other specialists has been “fantastic”, and that it ensures a “cohesive pathway for patients to recover from their injuries”.

“Sometimes it’s Mark referring patients to me for their rehabilitation, other times it’s patients coming to me with injuries that do need a surgical opinion,” she says. 

“It’s very much a two-way street and working out what’s the best course of rehab for that patient, and often it’s a combination of both.”

Mark says although his practice is purely sports related, he still needs to lean heavily on the physios and podiatrists for their assistance with management of a patient’s problems. 

“From a surgical point of view, I purely do sports orthopaedics, so a lot of my patients need considerable rehabilitation, both before and after the surgery, and quite often, a lot of the things that I do surgically won’t be as great a success unless there’s close physiotherapy follow up,” he says.

Nicholas says the same applies for his practice, as with the general podiatry services he offers, it is not unusual to unearth sport-related injuries that are actually at the knee-level or higher up within the kinetic chain. 

“My focus is at the lower level, but they’re all connected,” he says.

“If you have, for example, extremely flat feet, it’s highly likely that there’s more stress on your knees, which means it’s much more likely that you’re going to get a knee injury, which means you’re much more likely to need to see Mark, so there’s a real natural connection there.”

Mark and Cassandra say the smaller building also provides a slightly friendlier feel to the practices, building a community of patients and practitioners. 

“They know that I can have that opportunity during the day time to ask more specific questions about their rehabilitation, and same with Nick upstairs, we’ve got that ability to be able to talk within our working day, which, in other situations, you may not get that opportunity for a few days,” says Cassandra.

“It’s just much more time efficient, [it’s] obviously better for the patients as well, because we quite often get on the same page quickly,” says Mark.

Orthopaedic surgeons “speak the same language” as podiatric surgeons, Nicholas says, just focusing on different procedures and areas of the body. 

“In the same way, Cass’s physiotherapy can provide rehabilitation and complementary services to patients of both Mark and I, ensuring complete patient care and the best possible outcomes and recovery,”
he says.

“You can be slowed down because of your hip or your knee as much as you can be slowed down by your feet, and so slotting into an environment where you can provide your services within the broader context of keeping people moving is really important.”

DR MARK PORTER

SPORTS ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEON

Canberra Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine

Orthopaedic surgeons are doctors who specialise in the musculoskeletal system, the bones, joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles, and Dr Porter says he has sub-specialised further within this area.

His expertise is in sports orthopaedic surgery, which largely comprises arthroscopic, reconstructive procedures and sports-related trauma of the knee, shoulder and ankle.

Mark graduated with a medical degree and masters in sports medicine from Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, and later completed a doctorate in science.

He then went on to complete the sports physician specialist training program (FACSP) in Australia before training as an orthopaedic surgeon (FRACS). Mark says he is unaware of any other orthopaedic surgeon who only performs sports orthopaedic surgery and this provides him with the opportunity to concentrate his research in this area. 

The goals of his research are improving patient outcomes following the injuries that he looks after. He has published many articles in the areas of knee ACL reconstruction and ankle stabilisation in particular, in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, amongst other international journals.

Mark says he strives to provide all of his patients with the highest level of evidence-based orthopaedic surgical care when indicated, to return them the previous level of function be that at an international level or merely as a weekend participant.

He says his approach to patient care is led by a commitment to personalised treatment plans, ensuring everything is tailored to each patient’s individual needs and circumstances. Open and honest communication is a priority.

Mark says he always ensures patients understand their condition completely, as well as understanding the proposed surgical interventions, realistic outcomes and the timing of them.

Having competed internationally as an amateur and professional boxer he understands the pressures of returning to training and competition following injuries. 

He remains a passionate runner, and he has completed marathons all over the world, including the 2023 Chicago Marathon with fellow Deakin practitioner, Cassandra Hodgkinson. 

He ran his 70th marathon in April 2023 while participating in his favorite event, the Canberra Running Festival, and he is currently training for the 2024 Berlin Marathon.

Mark says he and his wife decided to relocate their practice to the building in Deakin to establish a multi-disciplinary practice so that they could create an atmosphere of professional collaboration. 

Patients with acute sporting injuries are welcome to call for an appointment and can use their discharge referral from any public A&E department to see Dr Porter. There is also a vascular surgeon, a sports doctor and anaesthetic practice within the building.

Canberra Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, 2/19 Napier Close, Deakin. Call 6253 5404 or visit cosm.net.au

CASSANDRA HODGKINSON

PHYSIOTHERAPIST

Physiosport Deakin

Cassandra Hodgkinson completed her masters of sports physiotherapy at Latrobe University, in 2005.

Before then, she received a sports science degree from the University of Canberra and a degree in physiotherapy from the University of Sydney. 

Cassandra says following her studies, she worked at the 2006 Commonwealth Games before going on to work in the Athlete’s Village Medical Headquarters in 2018. 

She has travelled internationally with various teams including the Australian Skier Cross Team, Australian Softball Team, NZ cycling team and NSW/ACT Rams AFL team over the past few years.

“I don’t do much travel now with sporting teams, but am involved in rehabbing sports injuries to get athletes of all ages back to sport,” says Cassandra.

“We help people heal and progress on their sporting and activity journeys.”

Her dedication to helping Australian athletes stay in their best health comes from experience, with Cassandra having been a national-level downhill skier throughout her teen years, and having completed various ironman and marathon events. 

She says she enjoys running, skiing, golf and cycling, both road and mountain biking, and is halfway through completing the Abbott Six Major Marathons, planning to compete in the Berlin Marathon in September. 

Treatment for a fractured ankle inspired Cassandra to pursue a career as a physiotherapist.

One thing she says many people don’t know about physiotherapy is the range within the career. 

“There can be a wide variety, from pediatrics, cardiorespiratory, orthopaedics to women’s health,” she says.

“We also run Pilates and G:LAD classes for osteoarthritic knees.”

Cassandra says she has worked with Dr Mark Porter for many years, meeting when he was a sports physician at the Australian Institute of Sport.

“We also run together, and did the Chicago Marathon last year and [are] training to do the Berlin Marathon this year,” she says. 

Cassandra also has a practice at the O’Connor shops, which she has operated for more than 20 years.

She splits her time between Deakin and O’Connor, saying that at Deakin they offer Pilates, massage therapy and exercise physiology, so the physiotherapy service itself is also quite internally multidisciplinary.

Physiosport Deakin, 1/19 Napier Close, Deakin. Call 6147 0838 or visit physiosport.com.au

DR NICHOLAS STUDDERT

PODIATRIC SURGEON & PODIATRIST

Canberra Foot Surgery

Podiatrists are experts in the lower limb, says Dr Nicholas Studdert, and they are trained exclusively in diagnosing and treating pathology of the lower limbs.

Podiatry was one of the three original health fields, he says, along with general medicine and dentistry. 

“Your feet are important and deserve the highest level of care,” says Nicholas.

He founded Canberra Foot Surgery as a returning Canberran, after studying for many years in Perth. 

“There are only 40 podiatric surgeons in Australia and before I arrived there was only one in Canberra,” he says. 

“A podiatric surgeon is a specialist podiatrist and can provide conservative as well as surgical interventions.

“I am grateful to have the opportunity to provide this meaningful service to the ACT community and surrounds.”

As an undergraduate, Nicholas studied law and psychology at the University of Canberra, before going on to study a doctorate in podiatric medicine and doctorate of podiatric surgery at the University of Western Australia. 

“I was attracted to the completeness of the clinical skill set,” says Nicholas. 

“I see all types of patients – children to the elderly – people with hammer toe, bunions, plantar fasciitis, flat feet and high arches. 

“I can offer them orthoses, laser therapy, as well as surgery. The scope is very broad. 

“I have always been interested in working in health and this provided a specialised skill set I could use to assist people – podiatric surgery is primarily about mobility, which anyone who has had their mobility restricted will know, is of vital importance to our health and life.”

Nicholas says a podiatric surgeon provides specialist advice and procedures for foot and ankle complaints, often consulting with patients who have not been able to find relief elsewhere, who have complex or advanced conditions or who may be seeking surgical intervention for their ongoing pain or symptoms. 

“I consult with them, provide advice, take them through the surgical journey if needed, and provide comprehensive follow-up after surgery,” he says.

“Often I see people in the long term, providing initial surgical intervention as well as ongoing podiatric care to them and their family into the future.”

Nicholas says he met Mark when Mark did knee surgery on his wife 12 years ago, before he became a podiatric surgeon. 

“We then met again in the hall of our local private hospital when I was touring the facility when I first arrived back in Canberra,” he says. 

“I credit Mark with having the foresight to see from that chance encounter that our services combine easily and well to help patients.”

Canberra Foot Surgery, 4/19 Napier Close, Deakin. Call 6105 9555 or visit canberrafootsurgery.com.au