Northwestern Center for Orthopedics, a leading orthopedic private practice located in downtown Chicago, represents the melding of two long-standing Chicago-based orthopedic practices, Medical Associates of Chicago and University Orthopaedic Surgeons. Established in 1911 by Paul Magnuson, M.D., Northwestern Center for Orthopedics is the continuation of one of the oldest orthopedic specialty groups in the country. Paul Magnuson was instrumental in founding the orthopedic training program at Northwestern, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and the current Veterans Administration Hospital s system after World War II. Other members of the group have been James Stack, M.D., Dave Bachman, M.D., and Bates Noble, M.D. Proctor Anderson, John Hefferon, Scott Cordes and Charles Carroll carried on the tradition of this original group.

While the Magnuson and Stack group was based primarily at Passavant Hospital, the other main orthopedic group at Northwestern was based at the old Wesley Hospital with Edward Compere, M.D., William Schnute, M.D. and Clinton Compere, M.D. For much of its history, the Northwestern Orthopedic Department was chaired by Edward Compere and subsequently his brother, Clinton Compere, M.D. Robert Thompson and Paul R. Meyer are other well known surgeons associated with this group. Richard Wixson and Clare Giegerich continued this practice after the retirement of the other physicians under the name University Orthopaedic Surgeons, S.C.

In 1995, with the addition of two other surgeons, Steven Stern and Srdjan Mirkovic, the two groups merged and formed Northwestern Center for Orthopedics. In 1997, NCO was joined by another specialist, David Kalainov, M.D., followed by Brian Hartigan, M.D. in 2000, and Mark Nolden M.D. in 2003. The addition of Richard Makowiec, M.D. in 2005 rounds out the group as we know it today, twelve physicians with specialties in total joint replacement, spine, hand, sports injuries, and pediatric and general orthopedics. Located in the Streeterville neighborhood of downtown Chicago, the practice is affiliated with Children's Memorial, Evanston, Columbus Hospital and St. Joseph's Hospital.