| I was in a car accident and broke my pelvis in two places. After the injury finally healed, I still had deep groin pain and my hip kept giving out on me. I had MRIs, X-rays, and CT scans done for my pelvis, and nothing ever showed up. Finally, I had arthroscopic surgery and the doctor found a tear in the ligamentum teres. Where is this and why doesn’t it show up on all these tests?
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| If you pull a chicken leg out of its socket, you’ll see a fibrous white ligament. That’s the equivalent of the ligamentum teres in the human. It helps hold the head of the femur (thigh bone) in the hip socket.
Traumatic or twisting injuries can cause this ligament to tear. Hip dislocation can stretch it to the tearing point, too. Doctors don’t have a test to help them find this type of tear. In fact, it wasn’t until arthroscopic surgery came along that they even knew it occurs as often as it does. Now that we know it’s a problem, more studies will be done to find easier ways to diagnose it. The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic. For more information on this subject, visit www.zehrcenter.com. |
Naples Orthopedic Surgeon – Dr. Robert J. Zehr The Zehr Center
Tear in ligament often revealed only through arthroscopic surgery
September 30th — adminAdvancements in hip replacement surgery yield improved outcome
September 28th — adminA hip that is painful as a result of osteoarthritis (OA) can severely affect your ability to lead a full, active life. Over the last 25 years, major advancements in hip replacement have improved the outcome of the surgery greatly. Hip replacement surgery (also called hip arthroplasty) is becoming more and more common as the population of the world begins to age.
For a complete overview of hip replacement surgery, download this booklet.
The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic. For more information on this subject, visit www.zehrcenter.com.
How did I get adhesive capsulitis – a frozen shoulder?
September 25th — admin| My doctor diagnosed my tight shoulder as “adhesive capsulitis.” What is this, and how did it happen?
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| Adhesive capsulitis, also called “frozen shoulder,” is a condition in which the shoulder becomes tight and painful, making it difficult to do daily activities.
With frozen shoulder, inflammation in the joint causes the lining surrounding the joint to stick together. This causes the shoulder to “freeze” and seriously limits movement. It’s hard to say how you got a frozen shoulder. Most cases can’t be traced to one event. One theory is that this condition is caused by an auto-immune reaction. An auto-immune reaction happens when the body’s defense system, which normally protects it from infection, mistakenly begins to attack the tissues of the body. A frozen shoulder may arise gradually, with no injury or warning. It sometimes happens to people who’ve had past shoulder problems, such as rotator cuff tendonitis or bursitis. Others are affected after surgeries unrelated to the shoulder–even after heart attacks. The condition likely results when pain or inflammation in the shoulder causes a person to start using the shoulder less, setting the stage for a frozen shoulder.
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| The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic. For more information on this subject, visit www.zehrcenter.com |
Testing for tears in rotator cuff not always accurate
September 24th — admin| The arthrogram for my shoulder showed no tear in the rotator cuff. But when I went for an MRI, it showed a complete tear. Why didn’t the arthrogram show the tear?
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| The arthrogram is an older test. It is based on the idea that a special dye will leak out if the rotator cuff is torn. If a scar forms over the tear or if the dye can’t leak out for some other reason, the test will appear negative. This is known as a “false negative” result, meaning the test appears normal even though the tendon is actually torn.
A “false positive” is when a test shows there’s a problem where there isn’t one. For example, because the MRI scan is so sensitive, it can sometimes show what looks like a tear. Yet when surgery is performed to fix the tear, the surgeon may find that the tendon is not torn. The most accurate test of all is surgical exploration. However, because surgery is costly and has certain risks, doctors prefer to use tests like MRI first to try to confirm the presence of a tear.
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| The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic. For more information on this subject, visit www.zehrcenter.com |
Shoulder, elbow injuries most likely to keep Major League Baseball players from the game
September 23rd — adminIn baseball, what kinds of injuries are the most likely to keep players from the game?
A group of researchers studied injuries in Major League Baseball over five years. They looked specifically at what kinds of injuries kept players from the sport. Twenty-eight percent of these were shoulder injuries. Twenty-two percent were elbow injuries.
Injuries to the knee, wrist, hand, and back were also reported. However, these injuries weren’t as common. And they were less likely to keep players from the game.
Elbow injuries seemed to be on the rise. But injuries to other areas stayed about the same over the five-year period.
The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic. For more information on this subject, visit www.zehrcenter.com
Too busy for physical therapy? Rethink surgery!
September 22nd — admin| I recently dislocated my shoulder. I’ve heard about a new surgery available to fix it. Does that mean I won’t need to go through physical therapy? Frankly, I don’t have the time.
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| The surgery you are talking about is arthroscopy surgery, and it’s not all that new. However, it is being looked at more closely as an improvement over the traditional approach of simply placing the shoulder in a sling. Physical therapy is an integral part of the recovery process, regardless of the treatment approach. Since it’s your body, you need to have a say in how it is cared for. That said, many surgeons prefer not to operate if the plan for rehabilitation afterward can’t be agreed upon. Discuss your concerns with your surgeon.
The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic. For more information on this subject, visit www.zehrcenter.com. |
What is snapping scapula syndrome?
September 21st — admin| What is snapping scapula syndrome?
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| Snapping scapula syndrome is a fairly rare condition where the shoulder blade thumps, grates, or snaps as it moves along the chest wall. It can happen when the bursa between the shoulder blade and chest wall becomes inflamed. (A bursa is a lubricated sac that cuts down on friction between muscles, tendons, and bones during movement.) People who have had a fractured rib or shoulder blade sometimes feel grating because the bones may have healed out of alignment. Weak muscles under the shoulder blade can increase the chances of having snapping scapula syndrome because there is less muscle padding between the shoulder blade and chest wall. |
The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic. For more information on this subject, visit www.zehrcenter.com.
Could exercising in a pool help me deal with the osteoarthritis in my knees?
September 18th — admin| Could exercising in a pool help me deal with the osteoarthritis in my knees?
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| It’s easier to move and exercise in a pool. The buoyancy of the water lends resistance, and helps you walk and move with less stress on your knees. The warmth of the water can help muscles relax, improve circulation, and ease soreness. Exercising in a pool is a great way to keep your muscles and joints strong and limber, without flaring up problems with knee osteoarthritis.
The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic. For more information on this subject, visit www.zehrcenter.com |
Can repetitive knee movements lead to knee osteoarthritis?
September 17th — admin| Can repetitive knee movements lead to knee osteoarthritis?
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| The smooth surfaces of cartilage in synovial joints like the knee allow for repeated movements with minimal wear and friction. If the joint is healthy to begin with, kept in good alignment, and free of injury, it is not likely that repeated movements would cause problems.
A recent study compared the thickness in knee cartilage between a group of triathletes and a group of people who had been inactive all their lives. There were hardly any differences at all. The knee cartilage of the triathletes did not appear to be negatively affected, despite the intense impact and repeated joint-loading commonly associated with this activity. The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic. For more information on this subject, visit www.zehrcenter.com |
Can a partial meniscectomy be successful for seniors?
September 16th — admin| Can patients over 70 have good results from surgery to take out part of the knee meniscus?
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| They certainly can. A recent study evaluated the results of this procedure (“partial meniscectomy”) in 91 patients with an average age of 74. More than two-thirds of the patients had less pain after the procedure. Roughly four years later, these patients hadn’t had more surgery. They said they were satisfied with their results and would choose the procedure again.
Of course, these results aren’t as good as those commonly seen in younger patients. In general, researchers think that patients over 70 should proceed with caution when it comes to knee surgery. This is especially true for patients who have more knee arthritis or cartilage damage. The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic. For more information on this subject, visit www.zehrcenter.com |
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