Archive for the ‘Orthopedics’ Category

Inaccurate Impressions

Monday, November 17th, 2008

I know from experience about misleading information on the internet concerning orthopedics. One problem is that content isn’t always peer reviewed so that marketing may carry more influence than science. Misleading statements may be posted and the potential patient believes that the information is accurate At issue are the disclaimers that ...

Comprehensive Joint Replacement Study

Monday, September 15th, 2008

A comprehensive study using our data on hip and knee replacements is under way. My preliminary data raises some concerns about the new surgical techniques of hip resurfacing and unicondylar knee replacement. Hip and knee replacements are amongst the most frequent surgical operations performed; however there is little evidence to compare ...

How Artificial Joint Registries Work

Monday, September 1st, 2008

A registry for artificial joints is much like any system that can compare performance of competing cars or appliances, but in this case it involves appliances going into the human body. A patient - identified by a number - is entered into a database along with information about the device he ...

Why People Delay Total Knee Replacement Surgery

Monday, August 18th, 2008

Our observations unveil the reasons why people may initially choose to delay but ultimately undergo total knee replacement surgery, underscoring the need for better patient education before and after surgery. Many patients have to work through a four-stage process of accepting the fact that they have knee pain and/or disability ...

Technique or Product

Monday, August 11th, 2008

Recently, the New York Times ran a front-page story about the recall of the Zimmer Durom acetabular component of the metal on metal total hip prosthesis. The issue though not discussed in the article is the matter of product versus surgeon technique. Up until the advent of minimally invasive hip ...

The Evidence Gap: A Call for a Warning System on Artificial Joints

Monday, August 4th, 2008

Three weeks ago, Zimmer announced it was suspending sales of a device, known as the Durom cup, until it trained doctors how best to implant it. The company said a "low" percentage of the 13,000 patients who got the socket would need replacements, but some doctors fear the number could ...

Hip Replacement Boosts Mobility at Any Age

Thursday, July 17th, 2008

Studies find that patients who care for themselves, save money in the long run. Total hip replacements are beneficial and economical for seniors with osteoarthritis, regardless of their age. The published studies of the Geriatrics Society, found those who had the surgery were twice as likely as those who didn't to ...

Beijing Mission - Part 4

Monday, July 14th, 2008

We left Beijing and the fabulous Olympic Village yesterday morning and flew two hours south to a city of seven million lying on the east China Sea , Wenzhou. It is a Jingjang city beyond belief as an industrial power in a state of modernization with a mixture of the ...

Hall of Famer Johnny Bench Touts Hip Replacement to Locals

Monday, July 14th, 2008

Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench came to Pineville not to share the moments that defined his 17-year career with the Cincinnati Reds, but the moment that helped him get on with life. Bench spoke to about 100 people at the Pineville Convention Center Tuesday night about receiving a hip ...

Beijing Mission - Part 3

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008

Yesterday I gave 80 hours of instructional lectures to several hundred orthopedic surgeons at the Jui Shui Tan second annual orthopedic meeting. I would show a powerpoint slide and make my statements while the Chinese interpreter repeated in Chinese. While we call it Chinese it is mandarin. All Chinese are ...