How often do ligament tears occur?

April 19th — admin

My 78-year old father took a misstep off a ladder and hurt his hip. It wasn’t broken or dislocated, but he tore a ligament inside the hip socket. How often does this type of injury occur?

More often than we ever thought before! Only a few cases have been reported from time to time over the years. Then Dr. Byrd from the Nashville Sports Medicine Center started looking at every hip he was operating on using an arthroscope.

An arthroscope is a special tool that’s inserted into the joint.There’s a tiny TV camera on the end of the scope. It gives the surgeon a chance to see inside the joint. Unusual damage can be found and repaired this way.

He found 41 cases of ligamentum teres injury in about 15 percent of the 271 patients he examined.

For more information on this subject, call The Zehr Center for Orthopaedics at 239-596-0100 or visit www.zehrcenter.com. 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 a 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.

Posted in Hips. Tags: , , , , , , , . No Comments »

Can osteoarthritis affect your balance?

April 17th — admin

I have hip osteoarthritis on the left side. I notice I can stand on that leg and balance much better than I can on the other side without arthritis. Does this make sense?

Standing balance depends on a variety of factors. Muscle strength of the hip and leg muscles is important, but so is strength and control of your core trunk and abdominal muscles. Standing balance also depends on vision and your inner ear function.

Balance is much easier with the eyes open. Try balancing both ways (eyes open and then eyes closed) and see the difference for yourself. Make sure you stand next to a wall or chair in case you lose your balance while doing this exercise.

The inner ear (vestibular system) has a lot to do with balance. The structures inside the ear signal to the brain the position of the head. The goal is to keep the head upright over the body. It does this while the head is moving, whether fast or slow.

If you find you are losing your balance, it may be a good idea to have your physician or a physical therapist test your balance. Finding a problem early can save you from falls and fractures later on.

For more information on this subject, call The Zehr Center for Orthopaedics at 239-596-0100 or visit www.zehrcenter.com. 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 a 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.

Posted in Hips. Tags: , , , , , , , , , . No Comments »

How young is too young for a hip replacement?

April 13th — admin

I’m 40-years old and in need of a hip replacement. My doctors says I must wait until I’m at least 50 because the implants don’t last more than 15 0r 20 years. Is there really that much difference in the results between patients my age and older patients?

Only a few studies have been done to look at age differences with total hip replacements. Since most patients do wait until age 50 or older, finding out how younger patients fare isn’t easy.

Doctors at the Anderson Orthopaedic Research Institute in Virginia have given us some answers. They looked at 561 hip replacements done over a period of 20 years. All patients were 50 years old or younger. This group included 256 hips in patients who were 40 years old and younger.

The authors were surprised to find no difference in wear rates between the two groups. They followed the patients for five, 10, and 15 years. Wear rates were calculated using repeated X-rays over the years. They found implants lasted five years in 97 percent of patients under 40. This is called the five-year survivorship rate.

The 10-year survivorship rate in the same group was 85 percent. And at 15 years the survivorship rate was 54 percent overall. That last figure means about half the implants had failed by 15 years, but the researchers found only part of the implant failed. The whole implant didn’t need to be replaced. Revision surgery could be done just to replace the worn part.

Studies like this are very encouraging. Your chances of an earlier operation may improve as more information is reported.

For more information on this subject, call The Zehr Center for Orthopaedics at 239-596-0100 or visit www.zehrcenter.com. 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 a 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.

Posted in Hips. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , . No Comments »

What is heterotopic ossification?

April 11th — admin

My doctor tells me I have a mild case of heterotopic ossification, but my pain and limited function tell me it’s severe. What’s the difference between mild and severe from the doctor’s point of view?

Good question! Sometimes the patient’s symptoms don’t match the underlying pathology. So you can end up with pain, stiffness, loss of motion and function, and still only have a “mild case.”

First, let’s review heterotopic ossification. Literally, this is the growth of bone in the wrong place. Most often, islands of bone form in between the fibers of muscle. It’s not a tumor, so it won’t cause death. However, it can be painful enough to make you wish for death!

Grade zero means there’s no heterotopic bone formation present. Grade one is the presence of islands of bone within the soft tissues. If bone spurs occur, but the joint space is still good, then it’s given a grade two. Grade three is with bone spurs and a narrow joint gap.

Fortunately, it can be treated even when it’s a “mild grade.” Ask your doctor what are your treatment options and what he or she recommends.

For more information on this subject, call The Zehr Center for Orthopaedics at 239-596-0100 or visit www.zehrcenter.com. 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 a 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.

Posted in Hips. Tags: , , , , , , , , , . No Comments »

What post hospital plans are needed for an elderly hip replacement patient?

April 9th — admin

Last week, my 83-year-old mother broke her hip. She is still in the hospital, and we are trying to make plans for when she gets out. How can we tell if she should return home or go to a nursing home?

There are a few ways to predict how a patient will do after surgery for hip fracture. Age, mental status, and the ability to get around before the fracture are three factors that predict outcome. In addition, patients who can get out of bed and walk 50 feet by the second day after surgery are more likely to do well at home. Those who can’t get up and walk may need extra help at home, or they may need to stay in a nursing home for a little while.

The hospital staff is available to help you make this decision. In addition to your mother’s doctor, you may want to consult nurses, physical and occupational therapists, and social workers.

For more information on this subject, call The Zehr Center for Orthopaedics at 239-596-0100 or visit www.zehrcenter.com. 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 a 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.

Posted in Hips. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , . No Comments »

A hip replacement patient must “transfer” by himself. What does this mean?

April 5th — admin

My father fell and broke his hip two days ago. The hospital staff says he can go home as soon as he can “transfer” by himself. What does this mean?

Basic transfers include moving from a lying down position to sitting up, and from sitting to standing. These movements are necessary for using the toilet. “Independent transfers” mean the person can do these movements without help of any kind. “Assisted transfers” mean the person can get up with the help of a device or person.

Assistance varies from having someone standing nearby to having one person on each side lifting and holding. Assistance may be in the form of a walker, or a vertical pole attached to the side of the bed.

After hip fracture, patients who can transfer and walk without any assistance are the most successful taking care of themselves at home. Patients who cannot transfer or walk without help may require family assistance or a short stay in a rehab center.

For more information on this subject, call The Zehr Center for Orthopaedics at 239-596-0100 or visit www.zehrcenter.com. 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 a 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.

Posted in Hips. Tags: , , , , , , , , , . No Comments »

How can I avoid dislocating my replaced hip?

April 3rd — admin

I am having hip replacement surgery. How can I decrease my chances of dislocating my new hip?

Be careful about where you have the surgery–and who does it. A recent study looked at the results of 59,000 Medicare patients 90 days after surgery. The number of hip replacements done by hospitals and surgeons made a difference in patients’ results. Patients were less likely to dislocate the new hip when they had surgery in hospitals that did a lot of hip replacements. Patients whose surgeons did a lot of hip replacements also had fewer dislocations.

There is no “magic number” of surgeries per hospital/surgeon that will guarantee your new hip. The number of complications goes up as the number of surgeries goes down. Happily, dislocations are rare (three percent in one study). Talk with your doctor about the measures you need to take after surgery to protect your new hip.

For more information on this subject, call The Zehr Center for Orthopaedics at 239-596-0100 or visit www.zehrcenter.com. 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 a 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.

Posted in Hips. Tags: , , , , , , , , , . No Comments »

Does a surgeon’s volume affect quality of work?

March 30th — admin

I am having a hip replacement. My surgeon has good training but said he doesn’t do a lot of these procedures. Should I be worried?

Research has shown that patients have better outcomes from hip replacement when their surgeons do many of these procedures per year. This may be especially important in smaller hospitals, where there are fewer hip surgeries overall.

A recent study looked at 59,000 Medicare patients who had hip replacements. Researchers examined the results 90 days later. Complications were rare. But patients whose hip replacements were done by surgeons who did more than 50 procedures a year had fewer dislocations than those operated on by surgeons who did fewer than five procedures a year. Patients with “high load” surgeons also had less infection and pulmonary embolism.

It’s important that you’re comfortable with your surgical care. Talk with your doctor about your options.

For more information on this subject, call The Zehr Center for Orthopaedics at 239-596-0100 or visit www.zehrcenter.com. 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 a 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.

Posted in Hips. Tags: , , , , , , , , , . No Comments »

Does a hip replacement affect a pregnancy?

March 28th — admin

I’ve had a hip problem since birth called congenital hip dysplasia. The hip socket was not formed completely, and my hip slips in and out of the joint. This causes a lot of pain and affects my walking. My doctor is advising me to have the hip replaced, but I’m only 26 years old. If I have a hip replacement, should I not get pregnant?

Improved materials and technology have made it possible for younger women to have hip joints replaced. In 1996, 138,000 total hip replacements were done in the United States. Three thousand of them were in women under 45 years of age.

It appears safe to have one or more pregnancies after a hip replacement. In the small group of women studied, no damage to the replaced hip was observed after pregnancy.

For more information on this subject, call The Zehr Center for Orthopaedics at 239-596-0100 or visit www.zehrcenter.com. 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 a 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.

Posted in Hips. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , . No Comments »

What affects the chances of getting hip arthritis?

March 26th — admin

I’ve heard that my chances of getting hip arthritis are less if I live in the South. Is this true?

The number of people with arthritis of the hip (called primary osteoarthritis) is not related to latitude or longitude. Ethnic background and genetics (passed down in families) seem to be much stronger factors. Compared to Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Asians, Whites (Caucasians) are much more likely to have hip osteoarthritis. Specifically, if you are white and have a mother, father, sister, or brother with primary osteoarthritis, your chances of getting hip osteoarthritis are much greater than those of other groups.

For more information on this subject, call The Zehr Center for Orthopaedics at 239-596-0100 or visit www.zehrcenter.com. 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 a 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.

Posted in Hips. Tags: , , , , , . No Comments »
« Older posts «
Newer posts » »