Bone Talks

What is an Ambulatory Care Surgery Center?  Its basically the operating room of a hospital detached from the rest of the hospital.  Its now used in a lot of orthopedic surgery.  See which surgeries are good for a surgery center and why.

PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) has become a very popular treatment for a multitude of orthopedic conditions.
The theory behind PRP is that our blood contains a lot more than red blood cells.  Our blood is red because of these red-blood-cells, However, our blood also contains platelets (which form clots to stop bleeding), growth factors, and other proteins that enhance healing.  By isolating these pro-healing molecules, and injecting them around a site of injury, we may be able to speed up healing.

The majority of hip replacements are for people in their 60s and 70s.  But people in their 40s & 50s, as well as people in their 80s & 90s get hip replacements.  Lets take a look at how well these younger and older patients do.   Can you be too old for a hip replacement? Can you be too young for a knee replacement?  Lets look at the outcomes of surgery based on the age of patients. 

What is a hip resurfacing procedure and how is it different for a total hip replacement.  Both are used for the treatment of severe hip arthritis but the procedures are different in many ways.  While hip replacements are becoming more and more popular in our aging population, hip resurfacing procedure are becoming less and less popular.  A lot of this is the result of research about metal debris caused by gradual wearing out of the implant.  Read more...

What is a performance enhancing drug? Where do we draw the line between nutritional supplement and illegal substance?  There are many substances banned by the Olympics and other sporting organization, and while they all artificially enhance performance they don't all do the same thing.  

There are a number of different types and they work by different mechanisms.  Lets go through the main players.  The scientific name for all of these drugs is Ergogenic Aids (meaning "energy giving" medications).

Not all chronic rotator cuffs require surgery.  Some people do well with physical therapy.  lets look and factors that influence outcome.

What are the benefits of surgery for a broken leg? And what makes the tibial intramedullary nail so popular among orthopedic surgeons.  This an more!...

Does surgical approach affect recovery from total knee replacement?  There are a few different types of "minimally invasive" total knee arthroplasty.  Which of those translate into better outcomes?  Keep reading...

How many nights should a patient remain in the hospital after a total knee replacement?  Some doctors dont think a patient needs to stay in the hospital at all.  The risk of needing to go to the Emergency Room, or even be admitted to the hospital seems to depend on a number of variables, but none of which related to the number of days spent in the hospital.  

What is trunionosis and why are all the hip replacement surgeons talking about it.  It involves the implant wearing out pre-maturely and releasing metal ions into the body.  But what causes it? and How is it treated?  More about this...

Doctors used to make patients wait 8 weeks before driving after having their right knee replacement.  But surgery has come a long way, there are better techniques, better rehab and better pain control.  Recent studies suggest that patients dont have to wait so long.  A recent study even suggests that the average patient is waiting 2-4x longer than necessary! Read more...

IS SURGERY BETTER THAN NO SURGERY?  It depends on a few things.  How bad is the clavicle broken?  What are your expectations for future function?  If I choose surgery, what are the chances I need a second surgery?  Risk of hardware irritation is not insignificant, old reports say up to 1 in 4 people, newer studies suggest 1 in 10 people.  This and more, keep reading.  

Take home message: FFS (forefoot strike) appears to decrease loading forces in biomechanical studies, but has not been shown to decrease injury rates in actual runners.  Also, this running style can be done with standard or minimalist running shoes.  

Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease (transmitted to people via animal or insect) in the United States, with about 300,000 cases reported every year.   Lets learn more about how its diagnosed and treated. 

A finger joint with severe arthritis can get different treatments.  This article examines whether its better to fuse the joint or to replace the joint.