Osteoporosis is the thinning of your bone. As you mature, your body builds bone faster than it breaks down. After age 25-35, this slowly reverses and the breakdown becomes faster than the building, especially in women after menopause. This causes the bones to become brittle and increases your risk for a fracture.

Osteoporosis can be diagnosed with a DEXA scan which measures the density of your bone. The test takes 20-30 minutes. Your spine, hip or wrists are examined and the results are usually available that day. There are no special preparations for the test.

Ask your doctor if you have the risk factors for Osteoporosis.

To learn more about Osteoporosis, please visit:
The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and The National Institute of Health.

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Cartilage is a firm, rubbery material that covers the ends of bones in normal joints. Its main function is to reduce friction in the joints and serve as a "shock absorber." The shock-absorbing quality of normal cartilage comes from its ability to change shape when compressed.

Osteoarthritis causes the cartilage in a joint to become stiff and lose its elasticity, making it more susceptible to damage. Over time, the cartilage may wear away in some areas, greatly decreasing its ability to act as a shock-absorber. As the cartilage wears away, tendons and ligaments stretch, causing pain. If the condition worsens, the bones could rub against each other and the need for osteoarthritis treatment including medication or surgery may become necessary. Knee osteoarthritis and hip osteoarthritis symptoms include:

• Knee/Hip aching and soreness, especially with movement
• Knee/Hip Swelling
• Pain after overuse or after long periods of inactivity

Early non-surgical osteoarthritis treatment can slow the progression of the disease. Most treatment programs consist of lifestyle modifications, medications, and physical therapies. If there is no osteoarthritis pain relief after early treatment, the physician may choose to do surgery depending upon age, level of activity, and the condition of the affected joint.

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Common injuries that require an orthopedic sports medicine physician or orthopedic specialist may include:

1 - Runners Knee. According to the Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons approximately 1 in 4 injuries in sports medicine involve the knee. Runners Knee, or patellofemoral stress, can cause irritation of the tendons below the kneecap due to overuse, wear or arthritis .

2 - Ankle Sprains. They account for approximately 1 in 5 injuries in sports medicine. Twisting an ankle is very common for an athlete during a sporting event. Although ankle sprains heal with time, get the injury x-rayed by an orthopedic sports medicine physician to make sure that there are no fractures or chipped bones.

3 - Shin Splints. Refers to pain in the middle part of the shin. Shin splints can be caused by improper shoes for the activity and are often be treated with ice, anti-inflammatory and stretching of the lower legs muscles.

4 - Pulled Muscles - Pulls or tears can occur in any muscle, however, they often occur most often in the hamstring, calf and groin area. Pulled muscles can most often be attributed to improper warm up.

5 - Low Back Pain. Lumbar strain is very common injury for many athletes, especially weight lifters. Often injury occurs with insufficiently warmed up or stretched muscles. Lumbar strain is often treatable with regular targeted exercises. More serious injuries including sciatica and bulging discs require immediate orthopedic medical attention.

To make an appointment with one of our orthopedic sports medicine doctors, contact us.

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If a knee or hip is severely damaged by arthritis or injury, and non-surgical treatments are no longer helpful, arthroplasty would most likely be the next option.

The total knee arthroplasty and the total hip arthroplasty are the two most common procedures. Less common, but just as successful in relieving joint pain, is total shoulder arthroplasty. This procedure may be recommended if arthritis or degenerative joint disease makes your shoulder stiff and painful or if the upper arm bone is fractured so badly that tissue death may result. Knee replacement, hip replacement and shoulder arthroplasty are highly technical procedures that should be performed by an experienced orthopedic surgeon.

Phoenix Orthopedic Group Surgeons evaluate each case individually before making the decision whether or not arthroplasty is for you.

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With the aid of an arthroscope, your orthopedic surgeon can easily examine, diagnose, and treat joint problems which, in earlier years, may have been extremely difficult to even identify.

The arthroscope is a small fiber-optic viewing instrument made up of a tiny lens, light source and video camera. The surgical instruments used in arthroscopic surgery are very small (only 3 or 4 mm in diameter), but appear much larger when viewed through an arthroscope.

The surgeon inserts the arthroscope into the joint through a tiny incision (about 1/4 of an inch) called a portal. Other portals are used for the insertion of surgical instruments. With small incision sites and direct access to most areas of the joint, surgeon can diagnose and correct a wide variety of problems such as arthritis and ligament tears. Arthroscopy can also be used in conjunction with open procedures, such as an ACL Reconstruction, as well as procedures dealing with the hip, wrist, ankle and elbow.

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Before ACL reconstruction process begins, your surgeon will examine your knee arthroscopically, and repair any additional damage to the knee, such as a torn meniscus, or worn articular cartilage. As healing occurs, the bone tunnels fill in to secure the tendon.

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The plantar fascia is a broad ligament-like structure that extends from the heel bone to the base of the toes, acting like a thick rubber band on the bottom arch of the foot. Given the addition of extra weight, or withstanding factors of high impact exercise,   the plantar fascia can develop microtrauma at its insertion into the heel bone, or anywhere along its length. This causes pain which can be quite severe at times.

Plantar Fasciitis may take many months to resolve. Statistics show that it takes approximately 6 months for 75% of people to recover from this problem. 98% of people report nearly complete recovery at one year.

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• Lifestyle modifications. The doctor may recommend that you rest or change activities to avoid provoking pain due to osteoarthritis of the knee or hip. You may need to modify job or sports activities. This could mean switching from high impact activities (such as aerobics, running, jumping, or competitive sports) to low impact exercises (such as stretching, walking, swimming, or cycling). If osteoarthritis affects weight-bearing joints and you are overweight, you may also need to start a weight loss program.
  
• Medications. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications can help reduce inflammatory and degenerative reactions. Sometimes the doctor may recommend strong anti-inflammatory agents called corticosteroids, which are injected directly into the knee, hip, neck, or ankle joint for temporary relief of pain and swelling. A newer type of injection available is Hyaluronic acid. This is an elastoviscous fluid injected once a week for 3 to 5 weeks. It may have a longer duration of effect compared to cortisone. Dietary supplements called glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate may also help relieve osteoarthritis pain. (Glucosamine stimulates formation and repair of articular cartilage. Chondroitin sulfate prevents cartilage from degrading. Caution: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not test or analyze dietary supplements. These compounds may also cause negative interactions with other medications or cause excessive bleeding during surgical procedures. Always consult your doctor before taking dietary supplements.)
  
• Physical therapy. The doctor may prescribe a balanced fitness program, physical therapy, and/or occupational therapy to improve joint flexibility, increase range of motion, strengthen muscle, bone and cartilage tissues, and reduce pain. You may need to use supportive or assistive devices (i.e., brace, splint, elastic bandage, cane, crutches or walker) and/or apply ice or heat to the affected joint for short periods, several times a day.

If early treatments do not stop the pain, our doctor may consider surgery to treat advanced osteoarthritis of the knee or hip. It depends upon your age and activity level, the condition of the affected joint, and the extent to which osteoarthritis symptoms and pain have progressed. Surgical options for osteoarthritis include arthroscopy, joint fusion and joint replacement.

• Arthroscopy. A surgeon uses a pencil-sized instrument (arthroscope) and two or three small incisions to remove bone spurs, cysts, damaged lining, or loose fragments in the joint.
  
• Joint fusion. A surgeon eliminates the joint by binding together the ends of bones (fusion). Pins, plates, screws, or rods may hold bones in place while they heal. This procedure eliminates the joint's flexibility.
  
• Joint replacement. A surgeon removes parts of the bones and creates an artificial joint with metal or plastic components (total joint replacement or arthroplasty).

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If your hip has been damaged by arthritis, a fracture or other conditions, common activities such as walking or getting in and out of a chair may be painful and difficult. Resting and sitting may even feel uncomfortable.

If medications, changes in your everyday activities, and the use of walking aids such as a cane are not helpful, you may want to consider hip surgery. You can have a partial hip replacement, total hip replacement surgery or if only one part of the joint is damaged, a partial hip replacement may be recommended. If the whole joint is damaged, an artificial joint (total hip replacement surgery) can relieve your pain and help you get back to enjoying normal, everyday activities.

Hip replacement surgery by experienced orthopedic surgeons is highly successful in relieving pain and restoring movement. However, the ongoing problems with wear and tear may eventually need additional surgery, including replacing the prosthesis (hip revision surgery). Men and patients who weigh more than 165 pounds have higher rates of failure. The chance of a hip replacement lasting 20 years is about 80 percent.

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The most often treated site by orthopedic surgeons is the knee. The knee is vulnerable to more injuries for different reasons. It may be treated non-surgically, however more severe injuries to the knee could require reconstructive or arthroscopic knee surgery for correction.

If your knee is severely damaged by arthritis or injury, it may be hard for you to perform simple activities such as walking or climbing stairs. You may even begin to feel pain while you’re sitting or lying down.

If medications, changing your activity level, and using walking supports are no longer helpful, you may want to consider partial or total knee replacement surgery. By resurfacing your knee’s damaged and worn surfaces, total knee replacement surgery can relieve your pain, correct your leg deformity and help you resume your normal activities.

One of the most important orthopedic surgery advances of this century, knee joint replacement was first performed in the late 1960s. Surgical materials and techniques have improved since then and have greatly increased its effectiveness. In the United States, about 267,000 total knee replacements are performed each year. There is also the option of partial knee replacement, which depends on the severity of your arthritis or injury. You and your physician would make a joint decision on which procedure, a total knee replacement or a partial knee replacement, would fit your needs best.

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Arthroscopic shoulder surgery could be done to treat rotator cuff tears, depending on the size, depth, and location of the tear. Orthopedic shoulder arthroscopy is where instruments are inserted into small incisions, and can be used to remove bone spurs or inflamed muscle and repair lesser tears.

A total shoulder replacement may be recommended if arthritis or degenerative joint disease makes your shoulder stiff and painful or if the upper arm bone is fractured so badly that tissue death may result. Orthopedic shoulder replacement surgery replaces damaged surfaces with artificial parts (prostheses).

Frozen shoulder surgery is performed when a shoulder has lost all range of motion. It is most probably caused from inflammation in the joint as well as immobilization of the joint due to trauma or surgery. Frozen shoulder surgery is done arthroscopically, but must be maintained with physical therapy to keep a good range of motion and restore function.

If you dislocate your shoulder, your orthopedic surgeon will put it back into place (a closed reduction) and then immobilize your shoulder for several weeks. If your shoulder dislocation becomes a chronic condition, a brace can sometimes help. However, if therapy and bracing fail, then you may need orthopedic dislocated shoulder surgery to repair or tighten torn or stretched ligaments.

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