OA Update: Injury Prevention, Athletic Performance and Orthopedic Procedures

Preventing Childhood Obesity

By Adam Tielinen BS, CSCS and Lucien R. Ouellette, MD, FAAP

What is one of the largest growing epidemics our country is facing each and every day, month and year?

If you look around at different schools, playgrounds, malls or any place a child may be, the answer is clear—childhood obesity. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), over the past 20 years, the number of children who are overweight has doubled for those aged 2-5 and tripled for those 12-19 years old. Children who are obese have an 80 percent chance they will remain obese as adults. Most people are aware of the issue, but what is being done about it? What are we doing to fight this ongoing problem with our youth? At the current pace, our children will be the first generation of Americans in nearly a century to die younger than their parents.

Researchers have found many factors associated with childhood obesity:

•Transportation (riding rather than walking)

•Sedentary activity (video games, computers, television)

•Large portion sizes, high-calorie drinks and food

•Genetics. In addition, there are endless consequences involving all facets of life:

•Decreased performance in school

•Increased behavior issues at school and home

•Adult-type illnesses at younger and younger ages

• Increased rate of depression and poor self-esteem.

No part of life can escape the consequences of childhood obesity. So why are our children “growing?” What are parents, teachers and society doing to combat childhood obesity? What examples are they setting in their personal lives? How do we “thin down” our children?

There is no easy answer to any of these questions. The simple explanation of balancing your energy intake (food) with your energy output (activity) is easy to understand, but much harder to apply to each choice we make throughout the day.

For a lasting answer, children need to learn lifelong skills regarding what the healthy choices are in the two major areas of nutrition and activity. Our society has molded itself into a quick service, fast food and a constant entertainment culture. It is very easy to access oversized portions of calorie-dense, nutritionally poor food or drink multiple times a day, without ever leaving your car.

The average daily calorie need for an adult woman is 1,200-1,500, and for an adult man 2,000-2,500. Kids need less, but with the average McDonald’s Cheeseburger Happy Meal having 550 calories, it doesn’t take long to surpass this daily amount.

Did you know that healthy meals can be convenient as well? Planning and preparing meals ahead of time packing healthy snacks in the car and in lunchboxes, and most importantly, setting a good example by eating healthy meals and snacks can go a long way in educating our children about healthy choices. Show the child that healthy food does taste good and can be refreshing. Keep children involved in meal selection and preparation so they understand the choices they have in food selection. Have them help you prepare a healthy meal or pick out fruits and vegetables at the supermarket.

Schools have started implementing the 5-2-1-0 model, which is easily adaptable to the home environment as well. This model promotes five servings of fruits and vegetables each day, no more than two hours of screen time per day (TV, computer, video games), one hour of physical activity each day, and no sugar sweetened beverages. This is an easily adaptable model that incorporates both the nutrition and activity side of the puzzle.

One of the biggest ways to prevent childhood obesity is to get the child moving, and it doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Society again has created an environment where free play has disappeared and organized sports are everywhere. In the case of healthy living and weight control, free play is best! Children need to be outside moving and learning about their bodies through tag, chase, made-up sports, riding bikes, jumping rope, climbing, crawling, etc. Most importantly, do it with them!

Show them how much fun exercising can be, so they develop lifelong skills they can use later in life. Exercise doesn’t have to be painful, but the initial transition to an active lifestyle will be met with some resistance. Start easy with family walks after dinner, short trips to the park to play catch, use stairs instead of the elevator, park farther away from stores to get the extra walk, and drink water to stay hydrated instead of sports drinks that are made for endurance athletes. Any challenge is easier as a family!

At OA Centers for Orthopaedics, our sports medicine specialists are aware of childhood obesity and are taking steps to fight this serious problem. With the addition of the OA Performance Center, home of the Parisi Speed School, we strive to empower America’s youth through sport and exercise. Programs are aimed towards teaching kids how to eat healthy and use proper exercise techniques at an appropriate frequency through mentoring and personal commitment. In addition, kids are taught how to set goals and learn habits they can carry with them into adulthood. With this positive personal environment, they can create healthy lifestyles and strength in character. Now that seems like the right kind of growth for any child!

 Lucien R. Ouellette, MD is a Board Certified Pediatrician and holds a Certificate of Added Qualification in sports medicine. Dr. Ouellette works within the OA Sports Medicine Center. Adam Tielinen BS, CSCS is a Performance Coach at the OA Performance Center. He is a member and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).  

Avoiding Overuse Injuries in Young Athletes

A little prevention can keep kids playing for life   

By D. Scott Marr, MD, FACSM  

An increasing number of children are focusing on one sport and training year round for it. While they and their parents may feel that this concentration is necessary to be competitive, it leaves little time for important rest and recovery. I often remark to young athletes that professional athletes all schedule a “down-time,” so why not young athletes?

A recent Youth Sports Injuries public service campaign used the tagline: “What will they have longer, their trophies or their injuries?” While somewhat sensational, the message should be given careful consideration. With 35 million children (6 to 21 years old) in the United States participating in sports, the risk for overuse injuries is high.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 3.5 million sports-related injuries in children younger than 15 were treated in 2003. Thirty to fifty percent of these injuries were caused by overuse, with the frequency of injury equal among boys and girls.

Sports medicine specialists are now seeing many repetitive strain injuries in young athletes such as tennis elbow and Achilles’ tendonitis that we used to see only in adults. The following is a look at overuse injuries commonly seen in children and their symptoms.

Common Overuse Injuries

Injury                                       Possible symptoms

Tibial stress fracture                  Focal shin pain, worse with activity

Swimmer’s shoulder                   Shoulder pain worse with overhead motion, may feel loose

Little League elbow                   Pain on medial elbow, usually with throwing motion

Runner’s knee                            Pain around kneecap

Shin splints                                Diffuse shin pain, less focal than stress fracture

Sever’s disease                           Heel pain, worse with activity

Osgood-Schlatter disease            Pain, swelling below kneecap at patellar tendon insertion

Apophyseal avulsion fracture      Abrupt onset of pain at tendon insertion on bone

Gymnast’s wrist                          Diffuse wrist pain from repetitive wrist extension loading

(Continued… Preventing Overuse Injuries)

D. Scott Marr, MD, FACSM, graduated from Dartmouth College and the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine. He holds a Certificate of Added Qualification in Sports Medicine. Dr. Marr has a special interest in elite endurance athletics including performance physiology and injury prevention.   

 

 

Training for a Triathlon Swim

By Bernadette Shaw, PA-C

Whether you are an experienced triathlete or a first-time racer, the swimming portion of a triathlon is often the least favorite and the most intimidating. There are several easy steps you can take to make the swim more enjoyable and improve your overall triathlon experience.

Prepare in the pool during the preseason

Sports-specific cardiovascular training is important, especially when it comes to swimming. Some of the most in-shape land athletes feel hopelessly out of shape when they start training in the pool. It is also important to work on stroke technique in order to become more efficient in the water and conserve energy for the rest of the race. Taking a formal swim clinic or incorporating stroke drills into your regular swim routine is a good way to accomplish this. First, concentrate on getting maximum distance per stroke. This means keeping a long bodyline, focusing on hip and shoulder rotation, developing a steady rhythm and minimizing resistance. Try counting the number of strokes it takes you to get to the end of the pool. This is a good task to do regularly during a workout, particularly as you tire and your stroke shortens.

Catch-up

To improve stroke lengthening and body position you can incorporate the catch-up freestyle drill into your workout. Start with your hands in a streamlined position out in front of you. Pull with one arm at a time following the regular freestyle stroke pattern. One arm is always extended forward towards your destination while the other arm performs the stroke. When the arm performing the stroke moves forward and “catches-up” with the stationary arm they change places.

Strength training

Upper body strength is essential to swimming success and injury prevention, just ask our sports medicine specialists. This can be accomplished by several strength training sessions a week, focusing on shoulder stabilization and muscle balance. An easy exercise to perform is the wall push-up.

Wall push-up Keep shoulder blades down and back, and start with your hands at shoulder level. Slowly lower your shoulders towards the wall and return to start position. Avoid shrugging your shoulders. Progress to table-end push-ups and finally to floor push-ups.

Train in your race environment

When the weather allows, it is important to gain some familiarity with your triathlon-swimming venue. If your race is in the ocean or a lake, wearing a wetsuit may be recommended or required. Spend time swimming in your wetsuit so you are comfortable and have a proper fit. It is also essential to test out the cap and goggles you plan to use on race day. Practice sighting buoys or objects when you train in the ocean or lake. In order to make sure you stay on track, try lifting your eyes just high enough off the water every five to six strokes and spot your target.

Race Day

On race day, get to the event a little early to check out the water conditions. Spend some time on the beach and take note of tides and currents. Review the course entry and exit, paying special attention to details such as rocks, wave action and beach slope. Get in the water, test out your gear and warm up. Keep in mind that it can be difficult to catch your breath during the first several minutes of the race due to the cold water and chaotic environment of other swimmers and crashing waves. Take comfort in knowing that your swimming heat will spread out. Focus on getting into your own rhythm. Most importantly, have fun!

 

Bernadette Shaw, PA-C, is a physician assistant and clinical research coordinator who works in the OA Sports Medicine Center. She enjoys competing in local triathlons and open water swim races.

Endurance Athlete Lecture Series

The OA Performance Center is offering a series of workshops to assist endurance athletes with their training and preparation for the upcoming race season. Focusing on proper technique and injury prevention, the Endurance Athlete Lecture Series is offered on a bi-weekly basis throughout the winter months. Early this month, endurance athlete and coach Bob Turner presented a workshop on “Race Day Nutrition and Fueling.”

The next workshop in the Endurance Athlete Lecture Series brought you by the leader in Maine orthopedics:

Running Analysis Workshop

Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 7:15p

OA Performance Center

15 Lund Rd, Saco, ME 04074

Join OA Physical Therapist and Ironman Athlete Jared Buzzell for this informative workshop. Free of charge to OA Tri Team members and OA Endurance Athlete Program members, your $10 registration includes spin class at 5:45pm. Please call ahead to register for the workshop and to reserve a trainer at 207-71-5509.

OA Joins Specialty Groups to Form Maine’s Largest Independent Practice Association

OA recently joined three of the Portland Maine area’s most prestigious specialty medical groups to form a new Independent Practice Association (IPA). The largest of its kind in Maine, the IPA represents over 250 physicians and other medical providers caring for patients in Southern Maine and across the entire state.

Popular in other parts of the country, an IPA consists of a network of physicians who agree to participate in an association to contract with health insurance companies and other payer organizations. Members of the Maine Specialty IPA will maintain their independent physician ownership structures and will seek to achieve cost efficiencies by sharing administrative services.

“This association will be a source of improved performance for our practices,” said Dr. Thomas Murray, OA surgeon and sports medicine specialist. “Additionally, the IPA becomes a potential vehicle for other independent medical groups wishing to collaborate and gain the benefits associated with further alignment of clinical and business best practices.”

In forming Maine Specialty IPA, the physician association is countering a trend towards hospital-based employment and away from independent practice. Economic pressures in the form of rising costs and lower payments for procedures have forced many private practice medical groups in Maine to give up their independence and to become employed by ever larger regional health organizations.

In the primary care area alone, approximately 2,000 Maine physicians are now employed in practices that are owned by hospitals or federally qualified health centers (FQHC), according to Gordon Smith, Executive Vice President of the Maine Medical Association. This means that approximately 70% of all medical doctors in Maine are in an employment relationship with a hospital, health center or FQHCs, whereas 10 years ago that number was less than 15%. On the specialty side, about half of the specialists now have such an employment arrangement, whereas only a small number of specialty physicians were employed by hospitals ten years ago.

Members of the newly formed IPA believe that by combining their resources, they can be effective in providing physician-led solutions to the challenges facing Maine and the nation as it relates to the delivery and financing of healthcare services.

“This collaboration will enable our physicians to work more closely together to improve the coordination of patient care, address cost issues in healthcare, and promote strong, independent physician practices,” said Dr. Daniel Landry, President of Spectrum Medical Group.

Other medical practices have approached the association, which is limited initially to the founding members, which include Chest Medicine Associates, Portland Gastroenterology Associates, Spectrum Medical Group and OA Centers for Orthopaedics.

UMaine Female Player, Rachel Burns, Fights Through Multiple ACL Injuries

The January 16, 2011 edition of the Maine Sunday Telegram featured an article by staff writer Jenn Menendez about UMaine player, Rachel Burns. After three surgeries to her right ACL, Burns tore her left ACL after only 5 games back into her season. Dr. Thomas Murray, OA orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist, assisted with the story by providing the reporter with information about the nature of the injury and the growing epidemic among female athletes.

Explaining the difference between boys and girls, Murray is quoted as saying, '"What happens for girls in general, it's not how they jump, but how they land," said Murray. "Their knee tends to turn in or buckle. Boys land with a wider base of support."'

"Hurt Girls, Revisited: ACL Injury and Surgery Epidemic" originally published in this blog in 2008 provides much greater detail about the nature and extent of ACL injuries among female athletes.

Proper training, conditioning and learning the proper mechanics of starting, stopping and jumping can help mitigate ACL injuries among female athletes. Referring to the OA Performance Center in Saco, reporter Mendendez notes, '"OA runs a training center in Saco designed to strengthen the joint for athletes looking to return from surgery or prevent the injury."'

The article goes on to say, "Athletes can focus on preseason conditioning for muscles, endurance and agility drills… but returning to the court or field comes with risk."

'"There is always concern for repeat injury. I'm sure her doctors will talk to her about the risks associated, should you keep going back," said Murray. "That conversation will happen. But every patient has their own set of values."'

OA wishes Rachel Burns a speedy recovery and healthy return to the court.

 

Medical Advances Provide Options for Hip Pain - Explaining Hip Arthroscopy

By Benjamin H. Huffard, M.D.

Each year more than 7 million people visit their doctor with concerns related to hip pain. For many, the pain is so severe that simple things like climbing stairs or bending to tie their shoes are difficult. Some may even have back or groin pain and not realize this pain is actually the result of a hip condition.

Many patients find pain relief through anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy or the right kind of exercise. But for others, only surgical intervention will help.

Thanks to recent medical advances, patients with ongoing hip pain who don’t require a hip replacement may now be treated with minimally invasive surgery. The procedure, called hip arthroscopy, allows surgeons to diagnose and repair most injuries through tiny incisions in the hip instead of larger incisions like those needed for replacements. This less invasive approach usually means less pain and a quicker recovery for the patient.

While hip replacement surgery may be needed if there is severe hip trauma or damage from arthritis in the joint, hip arthroscopy is most often used to treat a specific and less severe condition that may be causing pain. This makes it beneficial for younger, more active people.

Historically, active individuals in the 30–50 age range with chronic hip pain were more or less told to live through their pain until they reached an age when a hip replacement was feasible. Physicians used this approach because practical treatment option simply wasn’t available. In some cases, doctors couldn’t even determine the cause of a patient’s pain because the injury wasn’t detectable on an x-ray.

As diagnostic techniques and instruments for the hip have improved, more and more doctors are now using hip arthroscopy to diagnose and treat injuries such as labral tears, the most common problem in the hip joint. The labrum is the ring of cartilage that surrounds the rim of the hip socket, also known as the acetabulum, and acts as a cushion. Labral tears can occur as the result of an accident, through overuse or sometimes through basic wear and tear.

In addition to labral tears, two other injuries commonly treated with arthroscopic procedures are hip impingement, a condition in which a lack of room between the head of the femur, or the ball, and the acetabulum, or socket, causes painful friction when the hip is flexed and the removal of loose bodies in the joint—small pieces of soft tissue or bone that are usually the result of trauma such as a fall, accident or sports injury.

Similar to knee and shoulder arthroscopy, which have been performed for many years, hip arthroscopy includes the use of a narrow scope and specialized instruments. The scope is attached to a camera and is inserted into the joint through a small incision, allowing the surgeon to see the injury and the area surrounding it. The hand instruments are inserted through another incision and are used to remove or repair the damaged tissue. Because the whole procedure is performed through keyhole-size incisions, the patient can usually return home that same day. In many cases, hip arthroscopy allows for a quick return to activity, with the least amount of pain possible, while also diminishing the risk of arthritis and possibly even delaying the need for a hip replacement.

Dr. Huffard spent a year as a sports medicine fellow at the Steadman Hawkins Clinic in Vail, Colo., training with Dr. Marc Philippon on minimally invasive and arthroscopic treatment of soft tissue injuries around the hip. Dr. Huffard specializes in arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder, knee and hip.

Sports-Related Concussion

By Lucien R. Ouellette, MD

No athlete should return to sport or other at-risk participation when symptoms of a concussion are present and recovery is ongoing. The best way to prevent difficulties with a concussion is to manage the injury properly when it does occur. Here are some commonly asked questions and answers regarding concussion injuries:

What is a concussion?

A concussion is any temporary change in how the brain works caused by injury to the head that may or may not involve a loss of consciousness. This can be a direct blow to the head or a hit to the body causing shaking of the head. Another term for concussion is mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). A sports-related concussion is specific to an injury while playing sports and will temporarily limit involvement with sports.

Is sports-related concussion common?

Yes, sports-related concussion is common especially in collision sports like ice hockey, boxing and football, but a sports-related concussion can occur in any sport. Estimates are that 5 percent of injuries in high school sports are concussions, with a higher rate in certain sports (60 percent in football).

Unfortunately, many more concussions go unrecognized and untreated.

How do I know if I have a concussion?

Symptoms of a concussion can be very subtle (irritability, ringing in the ears, nausea, difficulty concentrating, difficulty sleeping, personality changes, sensitivity to lights or sounds or just not feeling right). Symptoms can also be more obvious (headache, confusion, loss of memory, clumsiness, change in vision, appearing dazed). ANY change to normal brain function is a concussion no matter how minor the symptom may be or how long the symptoms last. Even a “ding” or getting your “bell rung” is a concussion.

What do I do if I have a concussion?

Tell your athletic trainer, team physician or sports medicine specialist. The only treatment for sports-related concussion is rest. This will involve stopping all sport participation until all symptoms have resolved and to return with a slow increase in activity without symptoms recurring. Sometimes rest needs to include limiting school or work activity. If the symptoms are prolonged (more than seven days), your doctor may be able to help the symptoms with some medications; typically, no medications are needed.

Will my brain return to normal?

With a single concussion and appropriate rest, typically you will regain all your normal brain function within 7–10 days. Sometimes a neuropsychological test (ImPACT) will be used to help determine when normal brain function has returned. We cannot determine how severe a concussion is until all the symptoms have gone away, and we have no way to predict when they will resolve. We do not know how many concussions one person can have in a lifetime before permanent brain injury occurs. This number is different for each person. We only know if the damage is permanent when the symptoms don’t go away.

Can I prevent a concussion?

The only way to prevent a concussion is to avoid injury to your head. No equipment (helmet, mouth guard) has been proven to decrease the rate or severity of concussion, but they do prevent other injuries (cuts, tooth damage, eye injury, etc) and should be worn.

Dr. Ouellette is a sports medicine physician who serves as team physician for Bowdoin College and Old Orchard Beach High School. He assists with coverage for the Portland Pirates (AHL) and the U.S. National Soccer Teams. He utilizes the ImPact test on his athletes to ensure a safe return to sports.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - Symptoms and Treatment Options

By Sacha D. Matthews, MD

The carpal tunnel is a narrow, rigid passageway composed of the transverse carpal ligament and the carpal bones in the wrist through which nine flexor tendons and the median nerve pass. Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) develops when the median nerve is pinched within this tunnel. The median nerve provides sensation to the thumb, index, middle, and ring fingers and also supplies small muscles in the thumb that coordinate its movement.

Some of the most common symptoms of CTS include:

• Burning, tingling, or numbness in the palm or fingers

• Nighttime awakening due to numbness or pain

• Desire to “shake out” the hand or wrist

• Difficulty grasping small objects

It is not just repeated use that causes carpal tunnel syndrome. An injury to the wrist or mechanical problems can also be to blame. Even fluid retention from pregnancy or with certain medical conditions can cause CTS. Carpal tunnel syndrome is often the result of a combination of factors that increase the pressure in the carpal tunnel. Contributing factors may include: hypothyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis, work-related repetitive use, use of vibratory tools, or the development of a cyst or tumor in the carpal tunnel. In many cases, no specific cause can be identified.

 

Treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

The goal of treating carpal tunnel syndrome is to return to normal function and activities and to prevent ongoing nerve damage, which can result in a loss of sensation and muscle strength. Treatment is based on the severity of the condition, whether there is any nerve damage, and whether other treatments have helped. Treatment options include nonsurgical and surgical methods.

Hand surgeons agree that the earlier CTS is identified and treated, the better the results. Carpal tunnel syndrome is diagnosed by history and physical examination. An EMG (nerve test) is often ordered to confirm the diagnosis and evaluate its severity. In mild carpal tunnel syndrome, splinting to avoid bending the wrist in combination with anti-inflammatory medicines, occupational therapy, and corticosteroid injections can alleviate the pain and numbness from CTS and can even be curative. More advanced carpal tunnel syndrome may require a carpal tunnel release — a surgical procedure, during which more space is created for the median nerve by cutting the ligament covering the tunnel. A carpal tunnel release is typically done as an outpatient procedure by a qualified surgeon.

Sacha D. Matthews, MD, is an orthopedic hand specialist and hand surgeon at OA Centers for Orthopaedics Hand Center.  

Hip Replacement Options for Active Adults – The Birmingham Hip Resurfacing System

By Brian McGrory, MD

Fifty years ago the miracle of total hip replacement was that it allowed patients with severe arthritis to walk, sometimes for a decade or more before needing another surgery. Today, hip replacement surgery is one of the most successful operations performed, and most experts feel that 20 or more years is the lifespan of the artificial joint. Newer biomaterials (the substances that artificial joints are made from) have allowed surgeons to return to an older design of hip — the resurfacing hip replacement. This may have led to a breakthrough in what patients can expect after their total joint surgery.

“A week doesn’t go by that I have to tell a patient that he or she has to give up running because of hip arthritis,” says Dr. Brian McGrory, a hip replacement specialist at OA Centers for Orthopaedics. “When I found out that Dr. Derek McMinn, the developer of the Birmingham Resurfacing Hip, had patients that were not only running, but running competitively in long-distance events, I was very intrigued.”

Dr. McGrory visited Birmingham, England, and learned the resurfacing technique that Dr. McMinn had perfected. As one of the only surgeons trained to perform this procedure in Maine, Dr. McGrory sees many patients who have an interest in the Birmingham Resurfacing Hip.

“I’m very selective for whom I offer the hip resurfacing system because the outcome depends on picking the right patients for this surgery,” Dr. McGrory says. The patient’s degree of arthritis, age, sex, bone strength, and bone shape all must be right for the surgery to work. Even following these criteria, 1 to 2 percent of patients have early failure of the replacement. This compares to less than 1 percent of patients with a more traditional hip replacement. The fact that some surgeons allow patients to run after resurfacing hip replacement and that patients feel like they can run does not make it the right thing to do. Unlike a normal joint, the metal-on-metal implant does wear and can’t repair or regenerate itself. Whether the amount of wear is insignificant, and if the body can dispose of the metal breakdown products, remains to be seen.

“For my patients who believe that they must run, I’ll allow them to do so if everything looks good and a year has passed since their surgery (research has shown that the femur strength is increasing up to one year after surgery),” Dr. McGrory says. “Time will tell if their new hip can take it. Patients in this category are, in my view, taking a calculated risk.”

When failure occurs with resurfacing hip replacement, revision to a conventional replacement remains an option because more bone remains and may be better than a standard revision. A recent study showed that a revision of a resurfacing hip replacement is tolerated like a first-time hip replacement for most patients. Because the current style of resurfacing is a relatively new procedure, with a small number of patients being appropriate candidates, only the largest centers have had extensive reoperation experience for failed resurfacing hip replacements.

“Patients often ask what is the best hip,” Dr. McGrory says, “and are astounded that there is no straight-forward answer. The newest technologies and techniques do not have enough follow-ups to know which, if any, will be better than the current gold standard. At OA, we have an approach that is both conservative and cutting-edge.”

Clinical follow-up studies in ceramics, metals, and cross-linked polyethylene are ongoing, as are studies assessing newer approaches to surgery and speedy recovery. “OA surgeons strive to bring safe, proven techniques to Maine. At the same time, we want to take advantage of potentially better innovations for our patients. Our focus on subspecialty care and follow-up of our patients allows us to achieve these seemingly disparate objectives,” Dr. McGrory says. Not all patients are candidates for resurfacing hip replacement surgery, but all have common goals for having surgery: reduced discomfort and restored function. The physicians at OA’s Joint Replacement Center are committed to achieving those goals.

Brian McGrory, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in hip replacement surgery and hip resurfacing using the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing System. The Birmingham Hip Resurfacing System is the only FDA-approved hip resurfacing system available for use in the United States. Hip resurfacing is an alternative to traditional total hip replacement for some arthritis patients.