Hand & Wrist Care
Pediatric Care
Shoulder & Elbow Care
Sports Medicine
Trauma Care
Practice Overview
Christopher Honstad, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders affecting the entire upper extremity, including the hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder. Dr. Honstad grew up in Chanhassen and graduated from Chaska High School. He received his medical degree from the University of Minnesota, then completed Orthopedic Surgery residency in Hershey, Pennsylvania followed by an additional year of fellowship training in Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery at Tufts Medical Center and New England Babtist Hospital in Boston Massachusetts.
In his free time, Dr. Honstad enjoys spending time with his wife and young daughters, enjoying the outdoors and events in the local community.
Learn More About Dr. Honstad
Clinical Interest
Elbow care, including tendonitis (tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow), elbow arthritis, elbow arthroscopy, elbow fractures, cubital tunnel syndrome, nerve compression, and distal biceps tendon repair
Hand care, including arthritis of the fingers and thumb, trauma, fractures, tendon and ligament injuries, skier’s/gamekeeper’s thumb, tendonitis, trigger fingers, nerve compression or injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome (endoscopic), scaphoid fractures, metacarpal fractures, Dupuytren’s contracture, and mucous/ganglion cysts
Wrist care, including wrist arthritis, ligament injuries, scapholunate (SL) injuries, wrist arthroscopy, distal radius (wrist) fractures, De Quervain’s tendonitis, TFCC tears, and ganglion cysts
Shoulder care, including rotator cuff injuries, impingement, bursitis, frozen shoulder, arthritis, shoulder arthroscopy, shoulder replacement, and shoulder fractures
Pediatric care, including fractures, elbow injuries, wrist and forearm fractures, fracture pinning, femur fractures, tibia fractures, ankle fractures, nonoperative fracture care, casting, trigger thumb, and tendon or nerve injuries
Sports medicine, including wrist, elbow, shoulder arthroscopy, ligament repairs, and tendonitis
Fracture care, including operative and nonoperative treatment of upper and lower extremity fractures, finger, hand, wrist, forearm, elbow, upper arm, shoulder, clavicle, hip, femur, kneecap, tibia, ankle, and foot fractures
Education
Certification
Board Certified, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery
Fellowship
Combined Hand Surgery Fellowship, Tufts Medical Center and New England Baptist Hospital, Boston, MA
Residency
Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA
Medical Degree
University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN
When I got hurt a couple of weeks before playoffs, it felt like the entire season flashed in front of me. I went down during a game, landed hard, and immediately felt this sharp, sweeping pain through my shoulder. I knew right away something was wrong. I left the game, and the worst thought hit me: this might be it, and it’s my senior year.
What made it harder was that my grandparents had flown in from Arkansas, my aunts were there from out of state too, my brother was home from college, and within the first ten minutes of the game, I was on the sideline. It was disappointing, but honestly, it was scary too.
We went straight to the ER that night for an X-ray to rule out anything broken. Nothing showed up structurally, which was a relief, but the prognosis still didn’t look good. A follow-up the next day at TCO Urgent Care revealed I had a long road ahead of me and still the potential of my season ending. My mom ended up connecting with someone on Monday at TCO who really understood how important the situation felt. She helped us get an appointment with a TCO shoulder specialist, Dr. Christopher Honstad, the very next day.
That appointment was the first time I felt real hope. Dr. Honstad was calm, straightforward, and understood both the emotional weight and the athletic pressure I was under. He said I needed to start physical therapy as soon as possible, and within 45 minutes, I was meeting the PT who would guide my entire comeback.
Physical Therapist Cody Suchla made a huge difference. He listened, understood what I wanted, and trusted my sense of what I could tolerate. One of the first things I told him was that we were going to win state. He laughed, but every week after that he kept asking how the games went, how the team was doing, and how I was feeling. He was relatable, creative, and made the whole process something I actually looked forward to.
The therapy itself wasn’t easy. I had significant pain, and we progressed slowly, but it was steady. Rehab bike work, strength training, stretching, pushing through certain movements and holding back on others. A week before I was supposed to return, Cody had another staff member build a custom shoulder brace for me. It ended up being exactly what allowed me to get back out there.
Four weeks after the injury, I returned for our game against Zimmerman. I wasn’t 100%, but I was back. Then, we went on a run and won Orono’s first-ever football state championship! Those last few weeks of the season are memories I’ll remember forever. After everything that happened, getting to finish my senior year on the field with my teammates meant everything. A bonus was having the honor to accept the Most Valuable Teammate award following the championship win.
Looking back, I’m so grateful for the care I received and for the caring people who made sure I had a chance to finish what I started. TCO helped give me my season back.
November 1, 2025
Stephen M.
This was an injury that occurred while working in the EMS field. I tend to “over educate” myself on any procedures or medications that may be done to/or going into my body. While I initially “spooked” myself listening to others around me, I ended up postponing my surgery. I am very glad that I had another consultation to have my concerns addressed with Dr. Honstad. He sat down with me for 45 minutes and answered all my questions which eased my concerns. I confidently rescheduled my surgery for a week later, and I am very happy with the professionalism, expertise, and the follow-up so far. I feel that we have made the right choice to go about addressing the issues present, and in the proper order. I would not hesitate to have Dr. Honstad be my hand/wrist doctor when I need it in the future. I feel it was a good choice to trust Dr. Honstad for my care.
December 4, 2023
Michelle F.
I rolled my ATV when I was up north and broke my collar bone. The entire thing was so emotional, scary, and not close to home! Dr. Honstad performed the surgery to repair my comminuted fracture within days of the accident. It has healed properly and I am back to my regular hobbies of gardening, and all seasons of outdoor activities! I have no pain and complete movement of my shoulder/arm in any way. Thank you Dr. Honstad!
