Research Articles and News

Understand Myths in the History of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Have you been diagnosed with CRPS, or Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, and do you have questions about it? This article reviews this "little understood" syndrome, and some of the myths that have been associated with it over the years. If you suffer with CRPS you may benefit from seeing a physiotherapist at ProActive Rehab in Huntsville for assessment and treatment of the symptoms that you are suffering with.

Is Platelet-Rich Plasma Working for Musculoskeletal Problems?

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) (also known as blood injection therapy) is a medical treatment being used for a wide range of musculoskeletal problems. Platelet-rich plasma refers to a sample of serum (blood) plasma that has as much as four times more than the normal amount of platelets.

Orthobiologics for the Foot and Ankle

Orthobiologics -- what in the world is that? Orthobiologics refers to growth factors and proteins used to help bone and soft tissues heal. It's a fairly new area of study and development. These biologic agents are applied during surgery with the goal of boosting the body's natural healing process.

Something New About Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) are faced with some very unpleasant symptoms. The first is unrelenting burning or aching pain followed by skin sensitivity, swelling, discoloration, sweating, and temperature changes.The most commonly affected area of the body is the hand or foot, but the symptoms can spread further up the affected limb and even into the opposite limb. If the condition becomes chronic, dystrophy or deterioration of the bones and muscles in the affected body par...

Athletes with Leg Pain: Whats Wrong and What to Do About It

It's pretty hard to run, twist, jump, and compete as an athlete when you have chronic lower leg (below the knee) pain. And that condition accounts for more leg problems than anything else (other than knee pain) in both competitive and recreational athletes.With all the improvements in diagnostic testing and available evidence out there, the authors of this article (two physicians from Vanderbilt Orthopaedic Institute in Nashville, Tennessee) decided to do a literature search on chronic lower leg...

Early Tendon or Nerve Transfers in Elbow Injuries

Hand Surgeon Presents the Case for Early Tendon or Nerve Transfers in Elbow Injuries In this article, nerve injuries around the elbow affecting hand function are the focus. The authors walk us through injuries for each of the three major nerves in the elbow, forearm, and hand. These three nerves (radial, ulnar, median) can be cut, pinched, crushed, or stretched in ways that leave the hand useless or less than functional.Knowing when to repair the problem versus reconstruct the damaged anatomy i...

Risks and Benefits of Blood Injection Therapy

Any time a new treatment technique is tried approval depends on how well it works, long the effects last, and the balance between risks and benefits. Risks usually include problems during the procedure and complications after the treatment. One of the new treatments for orthopedic conditions currently being studied is called platelet-rich plasma or blood injection therapy.Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a medical treatment being used for a wide range of musculoskeletal problems. Platelet-rich plas...

Choosing the Right Method for Obtaining Platelet-Rich Plasma

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) (also known as blood injection therapy) is a medical treatment being used for a wide range of musculoskeletal problems. Platelet-rich plasma refers to a sample of serum (blood) plasma that has as much as four times more than the normal amount of platelets. This treatment enhances the body’s natural ability to heal itself and is used to improve healing and shorten recovery time from acute and chronic soft tissue injuries.Platelets are part of the blood that circul...

Surgeon Finds Better Way to Treat Nerve Avulsion Injuries

Trauma to the neck and/or arm can be severe enough to pull the brachial plexus right off. This injury is called a brachial plexus avulsion. In this article, a hand surgeon reports the results of 101 patients treated for brachial plexus injuries using a specific technique called the contralateral C7 nerve (CC7) transfer.A nerve plexus is an area where nerves branch and rejoin. The brachial plexus is a group of nerves in the cervical spine (neck) from C5 to C8-T1. This includes the lower half of t...

Treatment of Nerve Injuries Follows the

Nerve injuries around the elbow are the focus of this review article. There are three main nerves that can be affected: the median nerve, the ulnar nerve, and the radial nerve. Whether it's a sharp, high-energy injury (e.g., knife, saw blade, bullet) or a low-velocity injury (e.g., fracture, traction, crush), the rule of 18 guides treatment.The rule of 18 says that motor recovery won't happen past 18 inches from the nerve injury after 18 months have passed. This is because nerves regenerate at a...

Expanding the Use of MRIs

Magnetic resonance imaging so well-known simply as MRI has been around now for 35 years. We have a better sense of when to use them to diagnose and measure results of treatment. In this article, a group of physiotherapists present how MRIs can be useful to the physiotherapist in planning treatment and assessing outcomes. The specific focus is on magnetic resonance imaging of the spine. Reviewed in this context, the pearls and pitfalls of this tool are reviewed.First, let's look at when MRIs are ...

Navigating the Complexity of Pilon Fractures

he term pilon fracture (also known as a hammer) fracture occurs when one bone is driven into another bone with force. The bone may be broken into more than one piece. This is a comminuted pilon fracture. Pilon fractures can affect the spine and either bone in the lower leg (tibia or fibula).The most common pilon fracture affects the lower end of the tibia. The break occurs across the entire bone and into the ankle joint. It results from a high-energy, loading injury from the foot up into the bon...

How To Get the Best Results After Joint Replacement

After going through all the fuss to replace a joint, you want the best results, right? Well, here are a few tips to help you along the way. The focus is on physical activity (how much is too much?) and ways to prevent complications and revision (second) surgeries.The information comes from a systematic review of 30 years' worth of research results (over a period from 1980 to 2010). All English-language studies of total joint replacements were gathered and reviewed. A special search was done to f...

What Do We Know So Far About Platelet Rich Plasma

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) (also known as blood injection therapy) is a medical treatment being used for a wide range of musculoskeletal problems. Platelet-rich plasma refers to a sample of serum (blood) plasma that has as much as four times more than the normal amount of platelets.In some conditions, this treatment has been shown to enhance the body’s natural ability to heal itself. It is used to improve healing and shorten recovery time from acute and chronic soft tissue injuries. Resear...

Effects of Pain, Anxiety, and Depression on Function After Severe Injury

Three-hundred and twenty seven (327) adults with a severe leg injury were studied to see the effects of pain, anxiety, and depression on physical function at home, at work, and at play. Measures for each effect were taken at regular intervals up to two years after the injury.Most of the patients were men between the ages of 26 and 45 who had either broken a leg and/or damaged the soft tissues in a motor vehicle accident. The goal of the study was to gain a better understanding of the psychologic...

Summary of 5,000 Studis on Platelet-Rich Plasma

If you haven't heard of platelet-rich plasma as a treatment for various musculoskeletal problems, let us fill you in! Platelet-rich plasma or PRP is the clear portion of blood (plasma) with the blood clotting platelets.It is taken from the patient so doesn't require blood donors. The growth factors contained within the platelets enhance the body’s natural ability to heal itself. PRP is used to improve healing and shorten recovery time from acute and chronic soft tissue injuries.It has been...

What Do We Know About Compartment Syndrome of the Forearm?

A group of orthopedic and hand surgeons from the University of Louisville in Kentucky took the time to do a systematic review of the literature on the topic of compartment syndrome. They specifically focused on the forearm and included children and adults. They found 12 acceptable studies and pooled the information from 84 patients to offer us a review of this problem.First, what is compartment syndrome and what causes it? Injury such as a bone fracture, snakebite, surgery, or stab wound causes ...

Understanding and Managing Compartment Syndrome of the Arm

Compartment syndrome is a challenging problem to work with. Early diagnosis and proper treatment are required to save the affected limb. Without appropriate care, the patient with compartment syndrome could be at risk for death.In this review article, orthopedic and hand surgeons from Duke University (North Carolina) bring us up-to-date on all aspects of this condition. They provide a brief history of compartment syndrome (first described in 1881). A definition for the condition and review of th...

What Do We Know About Stress Fractures?

Stress fractures were once most common among military personnel who marched and ran day after day. But today, stress fractures are on the rise in athletes, from distance runners and sprinters to skaters, hurdlers, and tennis, volleyball, soccer, and basketball players. Dancers and gymnasts are not immune either. Men and women in these two sports who train more than five hours a day have been shown to be 16 times more likely to develop a stress fracture.A stress fracture is a hairline crack in th...

Concussions in High School Athletes

If you ever watched the Three Stooges on television, at least once per episode, Moe would take Curly and Larry and smack their heads together. It's a wonder they didn't suffer from a concussion. That type of head-to-head collision is what accounts for three-fourths of all sports concussions.Recent attention on sports concussions has resulted in a database called the High School Reporting Information Online (HS RIO) surveillance system. Athletic trainers at 100 pre-selected high schools from arou...

Changing Views about Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Scientists in The Netherlands have added a new piece to the mystery of treating complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). CRPS is a very painful disorder that affects people after a seemingly minor injury sometimes. The problem is not understood very well. Doctors don't know what causes it or why it happens. That makes CRPS a difficult condition to treat effectively.In recent years, anti-inflammatory medications have been used with mixed results. But the fact that this approach works for some patie...
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