Dislocated Shoulder – An Overview of the Latest Research

Posted September 24, 2013 by Orthopaedic Specialists

The shoulder is the most commonly dislocated joint in the body, with approximately 2 percent of Americans suffering from a dislocated shoulder at some time in their life.

An interesting study performed at the Orthopedic Biomechanical Laboratory in Long Beach, California, run by Dr. Patrick McMahon and colleagues, looked at the amount of force that was needed to produce a dislocated shoulder. This study was published in the August 2013 issue of the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery. Follow along to learn more about the research findings.

A dislocated shoulder occurs when the upper arm bone, or the humerus, is dislocated from the glenoid, the cup of the shoulder joint. There are several different ways the shoulder may dislocate:

Out the front of the shoulder (anteriorly)
From the back of the shoulder (posteriorly)
Under the shoulder joint (inferiorly)

There are approximately 5.6 million people between ages 18-70 that have had a shoulder dislocation. The most common cause or etiology of a shoulder dislocation is the result of a traumatic event. The most common direction the dislocation occurs is anteriorly, out the front, of the shoulder. (more…)

Clavicle Fracture

Posted September 18, 2013 by Orthopaedic Specialists

$broken clavicle or clavicle fracture$ What is a Clavicle Fracture?

One of the most common types of fractures is the broken collar bone or clavicle fracture.

Your clavicle is the long narrow bone that is responsible for connecting your arm to your body. It is situated between your shoulder blade and your ribcage. When you experience a clavicle fracture, it often breaks either where it connects to your shoulder blade or your ribcage.

Many broken clavicles happen when you are hit hard in the shoulder. This could happen while participating in sporting activities like mountain biking, when you fall, or during a car accident. Sometimes babies may even experience a broken clavicle during birth.

Sometimes people who are not getting enough calcium and Vitamin D may be more likely to suffer from a clavicle fracture. (more…)

Frozen Shoulder Treatment

Posted September 15, 2013 by Orthopaedic Specialists

Treatment of a Frozen Shoulder: Adhesive Capsulitis

A frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis, happens when a person has a stiff shoulder and it cannot be moved through a full range of motion passively or actively. It is not painful as long as the arm is not being moved around. If the shoulder is forced to move in the range where the stiffness is present, it is very painful.

Non-Surgical Treatment for Frozen Shoulder

The mainstay of treatment for frozen shoulder involves reduction of the inflammation with an oral anti-inflammatory medication or a cortisone injection with concurrent physical therapy or home exercise program. Most frozen shoulders can be treated successfully this way.

Surgical Treatment for Frozen Shoulder

If this nonsurgical treatment fails, surgical treatment is the next option. Surgery for frozen shoulder can range from a simple closed manipulation under anesthesia to surgical resection of the scar tissue and capsule release.

(more…)

Ten Things that Can Cause an Asthma Attack

Posted August 11, 2013 by Orthopaedic Specialists

Asthma is a common condition that, according to the National Center for Environmental Health, strikes upwards of 1 in 11 children and 1 in 12 adults.

Asthma rates in Louisville are even higher than the national average with 13% of adults in Jefferson County reported to have the condition, based on BRFSS data.

Asthma is a challenging disease that makes breathing difficult. When a person experiences an asthma attack, there is inflammation in the airways in their lungs, which causes breathing problems.

An asthma attack can vary in severity from more moderate to very severe. In the most extreme cases, people can even die from the condition.

Common symptoms associated with an asthma attack include wheezing, coughing and difficulty breathing. People experiencing an asthma attack also sometimes feel chest pain. (more…)

Common Running Injuries Plaguing Runners

Posted July 26, 2013 by Orthopaedic Specialists

If you are an experienced runner gearing up for a fall race, or new to the sport and hoping to build up your mileage, learning about common running injuries is an important way to get thinking about injury prevention.

A team of researchers led by Dr. Alexandre Dias Lopes and colleagues published study results about major musculoskeletal injuries runners experience to understand how typical these common running injuries are.

Looking at data covering around 3,500 runners, researchers found that three of the most common running injuries were:

Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome
Achilles Tendinopathy
Plantar Fasciitis

For those running very long distances like ultra-marathoners, Achilles tendinopathy was the most common type of musculoskeletal injury experienced, followed by Patellofemoral syndrome.

Achilles tendinopathy is a painful condition that occurs in your Achilles tendon area where your calf muscles and heel bone are connected. It tends to be quite uncomfortable and may be accompanied by swelling and a stiff feeling. (more…)

Acrobatic Gymnastics Injury, and Sports Injuries from Trampoline and Tumbling

Posted July 25, 2013 by Orthopaedic Specialists

Scientific researchers led by Grapton and Colleagues (2013) looked at sports injuries like gymnastics injury, trampoline injuries and injuries from tumbling over a 5 year period of time.

Researchers specifically analyzed data on 357 traumatic injury events to understand a variety of factors including the following:

Type of accident
Level of athletic expertise
Location of the sports / gymnastics injury
Bodily tissue injured
Possible external factors involved in the injury incident.

Injuries from acrobatic sports like gymnastic injury tended to be concentrated on the lower limbs and were predominantly ligament injuries. Injuries to the knees and forearms were more commonly associated with individuals engaged in using the trampoline. Tumblers were more likely, in contrast, to suffer from some type of ankle injury, sprain or fracture.

Those engaged in acrobatic gymnastics or “ACRO” –were more likely than others to experience some type of gymnastics injury to the wrist. Both trampoline and ACRO (more…)

Does a Sports Injury like an ACL Tear Mean the End of Competitive Play for Pro Athletes?

Posted July 23, 2013 by Orthopaedic Specialists

acl tear and acl injury during competitive sports

ACL Tear and Other Sports Injuries Play Key Role in Ending Sports Career for Some Athletes

Researchers in Finland published interesting findings in the European Journal of Sports Science (2012) led by Ristolainen and colleagues that sports injuries like an ACL tear may radically alter the direction of an athlete’s career.

In a study specifically aimed at understanding the link between sports career termination and sports injury, researchers looked at 574 male and female athletes in Finland. These included swimmers, runners, soccer players and skiers. Approximately 5% of the participants reported ending their athletic career because of a sports injury like an ACL tear. (more…)

Baseball Injury and Softball Injuries include Ball-Related Facial Fractures

Posted July 22, 2013 by Orthopaedic Specialists

$baseball injury includes ball-related facial fractures$ Baseballs and Softballs Linked to Facial Fractures – Sometimes kids suffer from a sports injury like a baseball injury or injuries from softball involving a facial fracture.

A study published in the Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery led by Dr. Lorelei Grunwaldt and colleagues in Pittsburgh at the Children’s Hospital looked at around 167 kids treated for a fracture due to a sports injury.

About 11% of the fractures to the face were due to some type of sports injury. About four out of five kids treated for a facial fracture were boys. The majority of patients were between the age of 12 and 15 years. Many of these facial injuries which included:

Broken noses
Fractures to the eye area
Fractures to the skull, happened as a result of a ball-related trauma.

Typically baseballs or softballs caused this type of dramatic trauma. Most commonly the kids experienced a baseball injury or one from softball while fielding some type of line drive. Other sports leading to facial fractures included basketball, football and soccer. (more…)

Labral Hip Injury among Rowers

Posted July 20, 2013 by Orthopaedic Specialists

Dr. Robert Boykin and colleages (2013) published research in Clinical Orthopedics on hip injuries including labral hip injury among rowers.

Recognized as one of the first sports to be included in the Olympics, rowing is a rigorous sport where a team of racers in boats competes against other teams on rivers, lakes and even sometimes the ocean, using oars to propel the boats forward.

Analyzing data from 2003 through 2010, the analysis for this research included 21 hips. The average age of study participants was 18 ½ years old. The majority of the sample (around 85%) was comprised of females. Many of the patients (over 70%) experienced some type of pain in their groin area.

Approximately 18 patients had arthroscopic surgery for this painful hip injury. Following surgery, 10 out of 18 returned to competitive rowing while the rest did not. Rowing requires a lot of repetitive motion in the hip. This repetitive motion can lead to an overuse injury like a labral hip injury.

Other athletes that may be vulnerable to labral tears in the hip area leading to labral hip injury include soccer, golf, ballet dancers and hockey players. (more…)

Youth Sports Injuries: An Examination of Overuse Injuries and Trauma

Posted July 17, 2013 by Orthopaedic Specialists

As published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, E. Jesperson and colleagues (2013) conducted a cohort study to understand youth sports injuries. Researchers specifically looked at the incidence of traumatic and overuse injuries in kids ages 6 to 12 years.

The research on youth sports injuries was conducted over a 2 ½ year period. Traumatic injuries tended to be more common than overuse. Over a one week period, injury incidence in the sample was 1.2% (overuse) and 4.6% (traumatic).

Researchers found some interesting differences between overuse and traumatic youth sports injuries. Overuse injuries were 2.5 times more likely to affect lower extremities than traumatic injuries (for example, this includes legs, ankles, feet, and knees). (more…)