orthopedicsurgeon

I had an ACL repair about 10 years ago. I was able to return to competitive sports but now I found out I’m starting to get arthritis in that knee. I guess I thought the knee would be better than ever. Does this happen to everyone? Any major trauma or injury to the joints seems to be linked with osteoarthritis later on. Studies show that about 10 percent of the patients who have an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) repair later show signs of arthritis. At first there is a narrowing of the... Read Full Story

If surgery doesn’t work for my hip impingement, what next? The exact problem I have is called femoroacetabular impingement . I don’t exactly know what the surgeon will do — that will be decided when they get a good look inside there to see what’s going on. I forgot to ask this question when I was in the office for my preop. Impingement refers to some portion of the soft tissue around the hip socket getting pinched or compressed. Femoroacetabular tells us the impingement is occurring where... Read Full Story

My mother is thinking about having an operation to rotor rooter her knee. It seems she may have some torn or loose cartilage causing pain, locking, and difficulty walking. We’re thinking at her age (66 years old), maybe she should just have a knee replacement. What do you suggest? The orthopedic surgeon is really the best one to advise your mother and answer your questions. He or she has the benefit of knowing your mother’s history and the results of the physical exam. Looking at the joint... Read Full Story

I’ve pretty much decided to agree to surgery for our 16-year-old son who has a hip impingement problem. We are convinced that this will help prevent arthritis later in life. What are the most likely complications from a surgery of this type? FAI occurs in the hip joint. Hip pain, abnormal joint mechanics, and loss of hip function describe the three most difficult problems with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). Impingement refers to some portion of the soft tissue around the hip socket... Read Full Story

I’m 26-years old and at the peak of my career in athletics. I also have a torn meniscus that can’t be repaired. If I have it removed, can they put a new one in? Artificial cartilage is still in the laboratory and in experimental studies. Some surgeons are using allograft tissue for young patients with severe meniscal damage. Allograft means it comes from a donor. In this case cadaver tissue is used (meniscus harvested after the donor’s death). Careful rehab after the transplant can result... Read Full Story

My family seems to have a history of hip problems. We don’t all have the same condition but quite a few have arthritis. Is there any value in going in and having X-rays taken to see if my hips are okay? I don’t have any pain but I’m getting up there in age. Research shows that about eight per cent of the general population develops arthritis. This is probably an under estimate as it is based on X-rays and many people don’t have routine X-rays that reveal this diagnosis. In an effort to... Read Full Story

I’ve had knee pain since I was 13 (I’m now 18). The doctor calls it patellofemoral pain syndrome . I’ve done a million quad sets and hamstring stretches. It helps but I still have pain when I try to increase my training schedule for track and field events. Is there anything new I can try? Treatment for patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) has traditionally relied on quadriceps strength training. Some patients also benefit from neuromuscular training, which focuses more on motor control than... Read Full Story

Is it always the case that if you have femoroacetabular impingement (which I have) that arthritis will eventually set into that hip? Not necessarily though many individuals with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) do indeed eventually develop degenerative changes that lead to arthritis. This is most likely to happen in cases of untreated FAI.Let’s define femoroacetabular impingement and talk about how it can lead to osteoarthritis of the hip joint. Impingement refers to some portion of the... Read Full Story

I’ve been having knee pain whenever I do running or squatting drills during football training. One of my other teammates says tight hip flexors can cause this problem. How do I check myself for this? There are several tests used to measure hip flexor flexibility. An athletic trainer, physical therapist, or orthopedic surgeon can test you. One test is called the Thomas flexion test . You lie down on your back on a table with a firm surface. The crease of your buttock should be at the edge... Read Full Story

My question for you today is: does surgical treatment for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) work? I’m facing the decision whether or not to have this surgery, and I want to know what my chances are for a successful operation. We may find some helpful information to answer this question from a recent systematic review of studies done regarding surgery for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). The statistical significance of any conclusions from a systematic review is worth noting. That’s... Read Full Story