Surgical Solutions

Q: In the June 2020 issue you recommend that people with rheumatoid arthritis who take immune-suppressing drugs get a shingles shot. I take infliximab (Remicade®) and methotrexate. I have not had the vaccine. Isn’t the vaccine live? Would I be more at risk of getting shingles by taking it? A: There are two vaccines against […]

Bunions are very common. They can be annoying and painful, but they usually can be managed without surgery. Sometimes surgery is needed. A bunion is a bony bump at the side of the big toe joint. It occurs when the big toe bends toward the second toe. Formation of a bunion is a slow process. […]

The COVID-19 pandemic challenged the healthcare system in unprecedented ways. For many doctors and their patients it meant adapting to a new reality in which “the doctor will see you now” does not necessarily mean in the exam room. As large numbers of people became acquainted with conducting their business and social lives over videoconferencing, […]

If you are facing hip replacement surgery, there are two options. The standard operation is a total replacement. Some people have the choice of a different procedure, called hip resurfacing. This preserves more bone and has advantages over the total replacement. But it’s not for everyone. Men under age 65 with debilitating hip arthritis who […]

You may have seen athletes with large strips of brightly colored tape placed on their skin meant to enhance their performance. Did you know the same type of tape, called elastic therapeutic tape or kinesiology tape, may have pain-relieving effects for people with osteoarthritis? This tape is a stretchy cotton strip with adhesive on one […]

Q: I have severe osteoarthritis in my ankle, and I am considering surgery. What should I know about ankle replacement surgery? A: When osteoarthritis becomes severe and nonsurgical measures are no longer adequate to relieve symptoms, surgery is an option for some joints. Hip and knee replacements are common. There’s also a replacement surgery for […]

One of the most common problems in the front of the foot is a condition called hallux rigidus (which means big toe stiffness). Hallux rigidus is caused by mechanical wear in the joint where the big toe bone meets the rest of the foot. “The first thing that usually happens is a little bone spur […]

Several joints in the body, such as the knee, hip, shoulder and ankle, can be replaced with artificial implants. There’s also an implant procedure for the spine, although it’s less commonly performed than knee and hip replacement. The surgery is artificial disk replacement. One of the cushioning disks between two vertebrae (the small bones that […]

When pain from severe hip osteoarthritis can no longer be adequately controlled and you arent able to function normally, it may make sense to opt for hip replacement surgery. When this time comes, you will probably have many questions. For example, what exactly will the new hip be made of, and how long will it last?

If you fall onto your shoulder or your arm gets yanked too hard, you can dislocate a shoulder. Its usually painful, and you may notice that your arm is out of place. How a shoulder dislocation is treated and how urgently you need to seek treatment will depend on what happens when the ball pops out of the socket.

Q: Sometimes my knee locks up and I cant bend or straighten it. Eventually, I can move it, but its sore. Whats wrong with my knee?A: There are several possibilities, but the most likely one is a torn meniscus. The meniscus is a piece of cartilage in the knee joint. There are two types of cartilage in the knee. Articular cartilage covers the ends of the upper leg bone (femur) and the bone at the front of the lower leg (tibia).

While engaged in a woodworking project you plane a board, and then you run your hand over it to make sure its nice and smooth. But your hand wont lay flat against the board. Or, you are washing windows and you find that when you press the cloth against the window pane, your hand doesnt lay flat.