Podcast · Health

Down To The Bone

by BC Network · English · Health

Two WA orthopaedic surgeons. One podcast. No fluff. Dr Sam Shales and Dr Piet Rogers take you behind the scenes of orthopaedic surgery.

New episodes: Every two weeks
Typical length: 50 min
Latest: 11 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

11 Oct 2026 · 1 hr 4 min

Steve Gravina: The Art of The Comeback

Steve Gravina joins the team to discuss all things sports physiotherapy, from working with the West Coast Eagles to helping endurance athletes get back to doing what they love. We explore what elite sport teaches you about injury prevention, performance and recovery, why personalised rehabilitation matters, and how to get the most out of your body without breaking it in the process. We also get into the realities of endurance training, common mistakes athletes make, and what it really takes to come back stronger after injury. As always, told with our special blend of the truth, exaggeration…

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Earlier episodes 14 most recent

4 Oct 2026 · 51 min
Dr Nic Frost: Hips After Dark
Dr Nic Frost joins Down to the Bone for a conversation about one of the most important — and least talked about parts of life after hip surgery: Sex. When can you safely have sex after a hip replacement? Are there positions you should avoid? What actually puts your new hip at risk? And why do so many patients feel too embarrassed to ask? We talk openly about the questions patients often want to ask but don’t know how to bring up, the practical realities of getting back to sex after surgery, and how surgeons and patients can have a much more comfortable conversation about it. Because…
27 Sep 2026 · 50 min
Dr Chris Jurkans: The Helpful Jurk
This week we welcome Dr Chris Jurkans to talk about one of the most important — and least appreciated — roles in the operating theatre: the surgical assistant. What actually makes a good assistant? What separates a useful assistant from a completely useless one? And what is it really like standing on the other side of the operating table? Chris takes us behind the drapes to discuss the good, the bad and the occasionally brutal realities of assisting, including the stories and personalities he’s witnessed along the way. As always, As told with our special blend of the truth, exaggeration and…
20 Sep 2026 · 58 min
Dr Simon Smith & Dr Harry Stock: Knee Deep in the Bush
Dr Simon Smith and Dr Harry Stock join us for a chat about life as orthopaedic surgeons in the South West of Western Australia. We get into what it’s really like working in the bush, the challenges and rewards of practising away from the big city, and how they’ve developed an impressive short-stay arthroplasty unit. We also talk unicompartmental knee replacements, why they’ve built such a great following for the procedure, and what makes their approach work. As always, As told with our special blend of the truth, exaggeration and a large smothering of hilarious stories that have got us here..
13 Sep 2026 · 47 min
Dr Ed Baddour: A pain in the neck
Dr Ed Baddour joins us to get stuck into all things cervical spine — from central stenosis and disc protrusions to the difficult decisions that come with treating patients with neck pathology We discuss the difficulties of personal injury including his Dicky Elbow and the pain of helping manage a spinal trauma service that services the largest isolated land mass in the world. As always told with our special blend of truth, exaggeration and a large smothering of hilarious stories that have got us here. With thanks to Hollywood Private Hospital for bringing you this episode.
6 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
Dr Taro Okamoto: Superior Shoulders & Inferior Stress
Dr Taro Okamoto joins us to talk the increasingly interesting world of superior capsular reconstruction and what we're actually trying to achieve when the shoulder has given up on us. This episode isn't just about shoulders. We get into the much harder question of how you survive a career in surgery without letting it take over your entire life. We talk work-life balance, managing stress, switching off, and the highly sophisticated or maybe fun techniques we use to unwind after a day at work. As always, told with our special blend of the truth, exaggeration and a large smothering of…
30 Aug 2026 · 54 min
Dr Daniel Marshall: The Concrete and the Crown
Dr Daniel Marshall joins the boys to get Down to the Bone about one of orthopaedics’ oldest arguments — cement. We dive into PMMA in total hip replacement, why it has stood the test of time, and whether something that has been around for decades might still be one of the best tricks in the orthopaedic toolbox. But things get a little more personal when the surgeon becomes the patient. What happens when you’re the one lying on the operating table, waiting for someone else to do the cutting? We discuss how having surgery changes your perspective on being a surgeon, the realities of recovery,…
E8 · 2 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
Dr Clay Golledge: Cultures, Camera's & Chaos
This week we’re joined by Dr Clay Golledge, infectious diseases physician and all-round expert in the world of orthopaedic infections. We dive into everything from preventing infections before the first incision, to diagnosing the difficult cases, to the often long and complicated road of treatment after surgery. Along the way we explore operating theatre sterility, antibiotic myths, infected joint replacements, and the occasional moment where medicine and the media collide. We take a detour into Dr Golledge’s extensive media career, discussing his television appearances, public health…
E7 · 19 Jul 2026 · 38 min
Andy Mattin: Frontline to the Bone
What happens when an army officer swaps boots for a scalpel? In this episode, we sit down with Lieutenant Colonel Andy Mattin, an Australian Army OFFICER and orthopaedic surgeon. We cover his path from army life to medical school, the reality of becoming an orthopaedic surgeon, and the surprising parallels between the two—because in both, damage control is just part of the job. As always told with our special blend of truth, exaggeration and a large smothering of hilarious stories that have got us here. Thanks to i-Med Radiology for sponsoring the podcast. Comprehensive care. Uncompromising…
E6 · 5 Jul 2026 · 52 min
Anthony Cutrupi: The Force of Rehab
In this episode of Down to the Bone, we sit down with Anthony Cutrupi to unpack the world of rehabilitation. From professional athletes to weekend warriors. Anthony takes us through his time working with the Western Force, his move into medical devices, and his return to elite sport with the Redcliffe Dolphins in the NRL. We dig into how rehab principles translate across the spectrum, from top level Rugby players to the recreational athlete trying to get back to five-a-side footy, and what it takes to bridge the gap between elite performance and everyday recovery. As always told with our…
E5 · 21 Jun 2026 · 45 min
Dr Colin Whitewood: I like "The History of" Bones
In this episode of Down to the Bone, we sit down with Dr Colin Whitewood, one of Western Australia’s most respected orthopaedic surgeons, teachers, and storytellers. Dr Whitewood takes us on a journey through the history of orthopaedics in Western Australia, reflecting on the pioneers, personalities, and pivotal moments that helped shape the specialty as we know it today. Along the way, he shares insights from decades of involvement in surgical education and training, discussing the values, traditions, and mentorship that have influenced generations of orthopaedic surgeons. Known for…
E4 · 7 Jun 2026 · 46 min
Dr Douglas Kingwell: Impinged to Unhinged
Dr Douglas Kingwell joins the team to discuss femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), hip preservation surgery, and the long road from country kid to Orthopaedic Surgeon. We dive into his training journey, life in the city, and the experiences that shaped his career. Along the way, we revisit the registrar years, relive some questionable decisions, and uncover the stories that are probably best left out of job interviews. We explore the path to becoming a surgeon, the challenges of training, and why some lessons are learned the hard way. As always told with our special blend of truth,…
E3 · 24 May 2026 · 43 min
Dr Eleanor Houghton: Mindfulness & the burning thumb
This week the team is joined by special guest Dr Eleanor Houghton, hand and sarcoma surgeon, to talk all things mindfulness, meditation and life inside — and outside — the operating theatre. From staying calm under pressure and navigating the chaos of surgery, to finding balance in a high-stress profession and the realities of life as a surgeon. We dive into baby hip replacements made for the thumb, the treatment of base of thumb arthritis, As always told with our special blend of truth, exaggeration and a large smothering of hilarious stories that have got us here. Thanks to i-Med Radiology…
E2 · 10 May 2026 · 34 min
Jesus Reyes: Life Behind the Drapes
This week the team is joined by special guest Jesus Reyes, veteran theatre nurse, to talk all things life behind the drapes. From how theatres really run and the chaos of Orthopaedic Surgery, to surgeon stories and piecing the teamwork together. We dive into the pressures of theatre nursing, the personalities inside the operating room, and the hilarious, bizarre and unforgettable moments that occur. As always told with our special blend of truth, exaggeration and a large smothering of hilarious stories that have got us here. Thanks to i-Med Radiology for sponsoring the podcast. Comprehensive…
E1 · 26 Apr 2026 · 43 min
Dr Antony Liddell: The Anatomy of a career - Orthopaedics unpacked
Dr Antony Liddell joins the team to discuss all things Orthopaedic Surgery. We tackle it all, from its origins, to today's practice and where we think it could be going. We recount our own personal trauma and PTSD in delving into how do you become an Orthopaedic Surgeon. As always told with our special blend of truth, exaggeration and a large smothering of hilarious stories that have got us here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

About Down To The Bone

Two WA orthopaedic surgeons. One podcast. No fluff. Dr Sam Shales and Dr Piet Rogers take you behind the scenes of orthopaedic surgery.

Down To The Bone is a English health podcast from BC Network. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: BC Network
Language: English
Category: Health
New episodes: Every two weeks
Typical length: 50 min
Latest episode: 11 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1893055759
Rights: BC Network

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