When Less Is More – Two Boneheads Video Series
,We are an over-tested and over-diagnosed society. Part of this is our doctor's fault, part is the fault of advertisers promoting various diseases, medications, hospitals and procedures and, I'm sorry to say, a large part is our fault, all of us patients....
Bankart Repair Procedure: Here’s How It’s Done
A Bankart repair procedure is sometimes necessary to treat shoulder instability. Typically, it is indicated when a Bankart lesion exists and the injury is in a young person involved in "at risk" activities (ie. contact sports, gymnastics, etc.), there is recurrent...
Early Single Sport Specialization (Video)
Single Sport Specialization - "intense training in a single sport to the exclusion of others should be delayed until late adolescence to optimize success while minimizing risk for injury and psychological stress.” - N Jayanthi , et al Sports Health 2013 Our children...
Torn Rotator Cuff Recovery – Surgical Approach
Torn Rotator Cuff Recovery: Surgical Approach There are cases where rotator cuff surgery is absolutely required - the acute traumatic tear for instance. But beware...torn rotator cuff recovery after surgery is not easy. It is painful. It is restrictive...and it is...
Two Boneheads Video Series: Hamstring Strains
Hamstring strains are very common injuries. They usually occur while sprinting, jumping or landing from a jump. There typically is acute pain in the back of the thigh. More rarely there may be pain in your butt (Yes, a real pain in the a#@) or on the inner side of...
PRP – The Good, The Bad & The Ugly (Video)
PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) is all the rage. But should it be? PRP is a treatment that has been discussed widely in the news and particularly in our sports media. It is a modification of your own blood that is intended to promote healing in slow to heal tissues....
Two Boneheads Video Series: ACL Graft Options
This is the second installment of this series. Dr. Howard Luks and I discuss the various ACL graft options for ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) reconstruction surgery. ACL Graft Options ACL reconstructions replace the torn ACL (See a video of surgery here). This...
Do Degenerative Meniscal Tears Require Surgery?
Do degenerative meniscal tears need surgery? Like most things in healthcare...It depends. Degenerative meniscal tears differ from other meniscal tears in that they occur more due to "wear and tear" than due to an acute injury. In younger people, the menisci -...
Two Sports Medicine Docs Were Having a Conversation…. (Video)
The Two Boneheads Dr. Howard Luks and I have both been practicing sports medicine and orthopaedics for nearly 20 years. That's 40 years of experience between us. During that time, we have developed a tremendous amount of insight into our area of specialization,...
Torn Rotator Cuff Recovery – Nonsurgical Approach
Torn rotator cuff recovery can be difficult. How difficult and what it requires depends on whether you have or have not had surgery. As you may recall, not all rotator cuff tears require surgery. Some are degenerative. This means that they developed slowly over...
Impingement Syndrome Surgery (Video)
Fortunately, the need for impingement syndrome surgery is rare. I estimate that only about 1 in10 people ultimately requires surgery. However, when nonoperative treatment fails, there really are only two choices: live with the symptoms or have impingement syndrome...
Glenohumeral Arthritis – Anatomy & Causes
Glenohumeral arthritis is arthritis of the main shoulder joint. As you may recall from earlier posts (here and here), arthritis is the deterioration of a joint. A joint is where two opposing ends of your bones meet. When the joint is healthy, cartilage covers the...
Arthritis: Diagnosis and Treatment
As I discussed in a previous post, arthritis is a common problem. As you may recall it is a progressive destruction of a joint. The primary problem is the deterioration of the cartilage that lines the ends of the bones at the joint. In more advanced cases, the bone...
Torn Meniscus Recovery Time
What is the normal torn meniscus recovery time? It depends. Perhaps you recall from an earlier post that some who have a torn meniscus are treated without surgery while some require surgery to get better. Furthermore, there are two main types of torn meniscus...
Doc, Is It A Sprain Or A Strain?
Sprains and strains are two of the most common musculoskeletal problems. I see them all the time. In fact, a good portion of my day is spent diagnosing, treating.....and often explaining the difference between these terms. What Are Sprains? Sprains are ligament...
Sprained Ankle Symptoms: What Are They?
Although ankle sprains are much more common than breaks of the ankle, sprained ankle symptoms are often confused with those of an ankle fracture. As you may recall from an earlier post, ankle sprains are extremely common. In fact, they are perhaps the most common...
Arthritis: What Is It & What Are The Symptoms?
Arthritis is extremely common. If we live long enough, we're all bound to get it sometime somewhere. Even so, very few really know much about it. So let's take a look. Essentially, arthritis is the deterioration of a joint. As the process advances, this deterioration...
SLAP Tear – Definition, Anatomy & Causes
I have previously discussed labral tears of the shoulder. A SLAP tear is a particular type of labral tear. SLAP stands for "Superior Labrum from Anterior to Posterior". When the superior (top) part of the labrum is torn within its substance or from its attachment...
Patellofemoral Syndrome Treatment
Patellofemoral syndrome treatment starts with identifying its cause. The story you tell your doctor can often give this away. Did you start a new activity? Are you playing on two teams rather than one this season? Have you had a recent leg injury? Are you...
Achilles Tendon Rupture Treatment
Achilles Tendon Rupture Treatment As discussed in an earlier post, the Achilles tendon is the largest tendon in the body. Even so, because of it's poor blood supply and the potential forces generated within the tendon during activities, it is susceptible to...