Education, Expertise, and Services

Upon graduating magna cum laude from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Science degree, Dr. Merz attended medical school at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Following, he completed an orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Illinois in Chicago where he served as the administrative chief resident during his final year.

After his residency, Dr. Merz completed two fellowships in adult reconstruction and hip preservation. The first fellowship he acquired was the Otto E. Aufranc fellow in adult reconstruction at New England Baptist Hospital in Boston, MA. It was there that Dr. Merz also received extensive training in primary and revision total hip and knee surgeries, as well as partial knee replacement.

Dr. Merz completed his second fellowship in hip-preservation surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital (affiliated with Harvard Medical School). During his time in Boston Children’s Hospital, he experienced hands-on training with patients diagnosed with hip conditions, ranging from birth through middle age. Under the leadership of widely-recognized surgeons, Dr. Merz trained in arthroscopy and osteotomies of the pelvis and femur.

Because of his broad knowledge and prolific training, Dr. Merz is able to diagnose and treat a number of hip conditions and orthopedic problems associated with hip and joint pain, which include:

• Hip dysplasia (DDH)
• Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI)
• Hip impingement
• Hip labral tears
• Perthes disease
• Avascular necrosis (AVN) of the hip
• Femoral anteversion
• Congenital hip dislocation

Dr. Merz’s ability to provide patients with hip preservation treatment aligns with his passion for preventing arthritis of the hip joint, encouraging a safe recovery and return to activity. In addition to his dedication to relieve hip pain and improve patients’ quality of life, his expertise in joint replacement and minimally-invasive surgical approaches enables Dr. Merz to perform the following procedures:

• Hip preservation surgery
• Hip arthroscopy
• Bernese periacetabular osteotomy (PAO)
• Anterior hip replacement
• Total and partial knee replacement
• Revision hip and knee replacement
• Computer or robotically-assisted joint replacement
• Robotic assisted hip and knee surgery (MAKO)
• Proximal femoral osteotomies
• Knee arthroscopy
• Fracture care of the hip, knee, and pelvis

Dr. Merz sees patients of all ages and operates primarily at North Carolina Specialty Hospital, Triangle Orthopaedic Surgery Center, and Duke Regional Hospital.

Education

• Undergraduate: Baylor University
• Medical school: The University of Texas Health Science Center, School of Medicine, San Antonio
• Residency: University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago
• Fellowship:
  • Otto E. Aufranc Fellow in Adult Reconstructive Surgery at the New England Baptist Hospital
  • Hip Preservation Surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School

Request an appointment with Dr. Merz. Or, call us at (919) 220-5255 any time to speak with an EmergeOrtho—Triangle Region team member.