If you’ve recently been through security at an airport, you were probably reminded of how many people are living with metal implants.

While many permanent metal implants are the result of joint replacement surgeries, medical hardware such as plates, screws, rods and pins are also used to help heal broken bones.

The purpose of these devices is to bring stability to the area and to aid in the healing process.

Originally, external fixation devices such as casts and splints were the best that medicine could offer for broken bones. However, technological advances now allow doctors to use internal fixation devices at the actual injury site.

Orthopedic surgeons are specially trained to recognize when these devices are needed, and which type of device should be used.

“Plates are mainly used to keep alignment, especially near joints,” explains Dr. Bharat Desai with Panorama Orthopedics & Spine Center in metro Denver. “If you have a fracture near the joint, you can’t put a rod down.”

Dr. Desai said that understanding the biological impact of internal fixation devices is important to being able to use them correctly.

A bone with a good blood supply is able to heal itself, but the way that it heals is determined by how much movement is taking place, or how much strain there is on the break. For some injuries, a certain amount of strain is actually good because healing to solid bone may not be the desired result.

“What the body looks at is how much motion is there,” Dr. Desai explains. “What plates and screws do, is the surgeon is convincing the bone to heal straight to bone, do callus, or form fibrous tissue. The surgical procedure is convincing it to do it one way.”

As Dr. Desai describes it, it is science working together with biology. 

As the saying goes, the more you know, the more you can control.

The belief that knowledge is power helps drive Dr. Bharat Desai to ensure that his patients always understand their conditions and the tools they have to feel better, so that they can do more.

Dr. Desai is an orthopedic surgeon with Panorama Orthopedics & Spine Center in metro Denver. He recently discussed with a group of patients how the combination of osteoporosis and total joint replacement surgeries can be a recipe for broken bones. He also gave them tips on how to protect themselves.

As Dr. Desai explained to the group, most patients need total joint replacement surgery because of arthritis, but many also suffer from osteoporosis. Those patients are at a greater risk for breaks after their hip or knee replacement surgery because the bone used to anchor the implants is still weak from the osteoporosis, even after surgery.

“It didn’t address osteoporosis, it addressed arthritis,” Dr. Desai explained. “We haven’t solved the issue of osteoporosis.”

Dr. Desai said that breaks typically occur near the implant, such as right below the knee for patients who have had a total knee replacement.

“The area you’re weakened is right where the implant stops because that’s where the transition is greater, so the stress is much greater,” Dr. Desai said. “We, in theory, made it a little worse because where that total knee stops, you’re going from a very rigid to a very weak bone, it breaks.”

It is important for patients with osteoporosis to continue managing the condition, including by getting enough calcium, regularly exercising, and improving their balance so that falls are less likely. Following a total joint replacement, patients are also taught which positions and movements to avoid in order to prevent potential injury.

From the time we are young, most of us regularly visit our family doctors and have a good understanding of what they do.

Could you just as easily explain what an orthopedist does?

Here at Panorama Orthopedics & Spine Center, we are experts in treating the parts of your body responsible for movement and physical function: bones, joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons and nerves.

Panorama’s Dr. Bharat Desai recently hosted a seminar with patients and explained what it takes for a doctor who has completed medical school to become an orthopedic surgeon.

“If you choose to do orthopedics, then you have another five years to have your orthopedic surgery designation,” he explained. “Then, if you really have a very avid interest, you can then do a subspecialty in orthopedics.”

Dr. Desai’s subspeciality is in the foot and ankle. Dr. Desai also completed a trauma fellowship program, which required even more additional training.

“Trauma has now really become its own specialty,” he told those in attendance at the seminar. “Originally, everyone fixed fractures as part of being an orthopedic surgeon. Now, the trauma technologies have gotten so much more advanced that it’s a special year where you’re just trained on trauma.”

Orthopedics is a competitive medical field that is generally reserved for medical students who finish at the top of their class.

Here are some of the most common conditions that orthopedic surgeons treat, based on a list from The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons:

• Fractures and dislocations
• Torn ligaments, sprains, and strains
• Tendon injuries, pulled muscles, and bursitis
• Ruptured disks, sciatica, low back pain, and scoliosis
• Knock knees, bow legs, bunions, and hammer toes
• Arthritis and osteoporosis
• Bone tumors, muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy
• Abnormalities of the fingers and toes 

What if we could harness the human body’s healing power and magnify it?

That is precisely the goal behind the use of Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) to help treat certain tendon and ligament injuries, even by famous athletes such as Tiger Woods.

In a typical Platelet-Rich Plasma treatment, doctors inject into the injury site a small amount of a patient’s own blood that has been altered to amplify its natural healing abilities.

The growth factors of the blood’s plasma cells are the critical component in the healing process, and are concentrated by doctors to create the PRP. This is done by first isolating additional plasma cells in a separate blood sample using a high-speed rotation process called centrifugation.

“We are taking your own growth factors that are associated with your platelets, then concentrating them, then reinjecting them,” explains Dr. Karen Knight with Panorama Orthopedics & Spine Center in metro Denver. “We are using people’s own healing power to address the musculoskeletal issues in that area that’s not appropriate for surgery, but doesn’t recover with just physical therapy.”

Knight attended the 3rd Annual PRP & Regenerative Medicine Symposium in Los Angeles, Calif. from July 13–14. The event drew biologics experts from around the world to learn the latest advancements in the cutting-edge field of PRP.

“That is a really important area of practice and being able to use our own healing substances in a focused treatment can be really exciting,” Dr. Knight said.

Research studies support the use of PRP for the treatment of chronic tendon injuries, particularly tennis elbow. It also can be used to help heal other tendon and ligament injuries.

At Panorama, it is a popular treatment that Dr. Knight and her colleagues regularly use to treat patients.

“There are patients who are having overall satisfaction with this treatment, and decreased pain and improved function,” Dr. Knight said.

Golden, CO — Aug. 27, 2012 — Panorama Orthopedics & Spine Center is proud to announce Dr. David Schneider has joined its medical practice and will begin seeing patients in the Golden office Sept. 10.

Dr. Schneider, who has practiced locally for the last 10 years, joins Panorama Orthopedics’ highly regarded sports medicine group. Schneider is board certified in sports medicine and has served as the team physician for USA Rugby for the last six years. He previously served as the team physician for several professional teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Los Angeles Kings, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, the Los Angeles Galaxy and several others.

“Dr. Schneider is a great addition to our group,” said Eric Worthan, CEO of Panorama Orthopedics. “In addition to his other surgical work, he has a special passion for treating patients with shoulder and elbow injuries, and loves working with athletes.”

A graduate of the University of Kansas School of Medicine, Dr. Schneider has practiced locally for the last 10 years and lives in Lafayette with his family. He completed his residency at Penn State University, where he was also a research fellow.  Dr. Schneider has received numerous awards for his research and has been published in several prestigious, peer-reviewed journals.

“I have always regarded Panorama Orthopedics as a preeminent group in Colorado, with highly regarded experts in every field,” said Dr. Schneider. “I’m thrilled to join a group that is leading the way when it comes to delivering high-quality, integrated care.”

About Panorama Orthopedics & Spine Center

Panorama Orthopedics & Spine Center is dedicated to providing the best orthopedic care possible for everything from shoulders to feet to all of the bones and joints in between. Conveniently located in Golden, Littleton and Westminster, its team of highly renowned Colorado orthopedic specialists and surgeons focus on sports medicine; spine; joint replacement; orthopedic trauma; foot and ankle; and hand and elbow. 

    
Golden, CO — Aug. 18, 2012 —Each year Denver’s 5280’s ‘Top Doc’s’ issue surveys all registered physicians in the metro area to identify fellow physicians who they would most trust to treat themselves and their families. 

Every metro-area doctor with a valid Colorado medical license has the opportunity to fill out the online ballot between the months of January and March.  Voting is broken down into categories approved by the American Board of Medical Specialties. 

Congratulations to the following Panorama Orthopedics physicians who made the list.

Dr. Mitch Seemann, orthopedic sports medicine and sports medicine. Dr. Seemann is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who was a former staff physician for the US Women’s Ski Team and is currently a member of the Medical team for the PGA and LPGA.    He is currently a Colorado Delegate to the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine.  Dr. Seemann also stays involved with local athletes through his work as the Medical Director of Jefferson County Athletic Trainers and the Team Physician for Regis University and Columbine High School.

Dr. Thomas Puschak, orthopedic surgery. Dr. Puschak is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in the treatment of adult spinal disorders.  He earned his medical degree from Indiana University and was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society.  Dr. Puschak specializes in degenerative diseases of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine, cervical myelopathy, cervical instability from rheumatoid arthritis, spinal tumors, infections, spinal trauma, sports-related spinal injuries, minimally invasive surgical techniques and disc replacement surgeries.

Dr. Karen Knight, pain medicine. Dr. Knight is a board-certified physician specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation.  She earned her medical degree from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, where she was awarded the Bernard Baruch Medal from the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine.  She is a national speaker on the ethics of pain management and provides service to several national and international organizations as a committee representative.

Dr. Ed Rowland, hand surgery. Dr. Rowland, is board-certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and holds a Certificate of Added Qualifications in Hand Surgery from the American Board of Surgery.  Dr. Rowland completed his orthopedic residency at Temple University.  To further his expertise in managing complex fractures, Dr. Rowland completed a fellowship at the Kleinert Institute in Louisville, Kentucky, a world renowned center for the treatment of the severely injured upper extremity.  He is also a faculty member of AO North America, an organization that is involved in training orthopedic physicians around the country in trauma techniques.

About Panorama Orthopedics & Spine Center
Panorama Orthopedics & Spine Center is dedicated to providing the best orthopedic care possible for everything from shoulders to feet to all of the bones and joints in between. Conveniently located in Golden, Littleton and Westminster, its team of highly renowned Colorado orthopedic specialists and surgeons focus on sports medicine; spine; joint replacement; orthopedic trauma; foot and ankle; and hand and elbow.

Each year Denver’s 5280’s ‘Top Doc’s’ issue surveys all registered physicians in the metro area to identify fellow physicians who they would most trust to treat themselves and their families.

Every metro-area doctor with a valid Colorado medical license has the opportunity to fill out the online ballot between the months of January and March.  Voting is broken down into categories approved by the Amercan Board of Medical Specialties.  However all categories are physician-only (MDs and Dos) which is why categories such as chiropractic and podiatry are not included.

For Dr. Jared Foran, being an orthopedic surgeon is more than a job: It’s a passion. Dr. Foran recently returned from a 10-day trip to Africa, where he was involved in a mission that performed life-changing total knee and total hip replacements for 45 people.

“The people were very welcoming and grateful,” said Dr. Foran of Panorama Orthopedics & Spine Center in metro Denver. “It was sad how little access most people have to basic health care.”

Dr. Foran’s medical assistant, Hayley Campbell, also participated in the mission, which reached out specifically to the people of Arusha, Tanzania. The trip was organized by Operation Walk, a not-for-profit organization that serves underserved populations around the world.

The average life expectancy in Tanzania is 55 years of age, compared to an average life expectancy in the United States of 79, according to the World Health Organization. If the populations of the two countries were the same, there would be more than 240 times as many physicians in the U.S. than in Tanzania.

“Be grateful for what we have, it’s easy to take for granted,” Dr. Foran said. “We are so fortunate to have world-class health care.”

Some of Dr. Foran’s patients in Tanzania were from the Maasai tribe and had never been in a building with electricity or plumbing. Without this mission, they would otherwise have likely never had the opportunity to receive a hip or knee replacement.   

Dr. Foran’s first Operation Walk mission was to Vietnam in 2008. He also participated in a similar mission last year to Nigeria that was organized by the GEANCO Foundation.  “Each trip is very different,” he said. “The hospital conditions in Tanzania were much better than Nigeria, which was extremely challenging for our team.”

Dr. Foran plans to conduct many more missions in the future. He encourages people to consider supporting Operation Walk by volunteering or making a financial contribution. 

The Summer Olympics bring together some of the world’s finest athletes in London this year from July 27- August 12. Olympians show the watching world their talent, determination and greatness in a variety of summer sports.

Athletes have prepared for these contests for years, but training is particularly intense in the months leading up to the games.

During the last Summer Olympics in Beijing in 2008, 1055 injuries were reported to the International Olympic Committee during training and competition. That is about 10 percent of the participating athletes. 

As you participate in your own summer sports activities, it is a good reminder that even the toughest and most skilled of athletes are vulnerable to injury.

Here at Panorama Orthopedics & Spine Center, we believe that good health care delivery starts with preventive practices and wellness education.

On our web site and through our partners, you can find information about preventing sports injuries such as ACL tears, concussions, gymnastics injuries, basketball injuries, football injuries, hockey injuries, swimming injuries, tennis injuries, volleyball injuries, and any number of other injuries.

According to a reporton the 2008 Olympic Games, the most common injuries were sprained ankles and thigh strains. While injuries can occur in any sport, athletes were at the most risk in soccer, taekwondo, hockey, handball, weightlifting and boxing.

Almost half of the injuries in the 2008 Summer Olympics were severe enough to prevent the athlete from training or competing.

It’s easy to think that injury can’t happen to you. However, last year alone Panorama surgeons performed more than 4,350 orthopedic procedures.

As you complete your own feats of strength this summer, we urge you to take the necessary precautions so that you can stay healthy and continue to do the things that you love.

GO USA!

London's Summer Olympics hasn't been the only place to find tremendous athletes and heroes.  Last month, Panorama Orthopedics helped support the 43rd Special Olympics Colorado Summer Games in Greeley. Events included soccer, track and field, power lifting and aquatics.

In addition to the main athletic focus of the games, Dr. Pete Deol from Panorama Orthopedics & Spine Center was on hand to provide free podiatric screenings for Special Olympic participants.

People with disabilities often have health conditions of the lower extremities at much higher rates compared to the general population.  Globally, 55 percent of Special Olympics athletes have gait abnormalities; 23 percent have bone deformations; and 49 percent have skin and nail conditions of the feet.

Dr. Pete Deol is a board-eligibile orthopedic surgeon specializing in injuries and disorders of the foot and ankle.  He specializes on sports injuries, arthroscopy, cartilage disorders/arthritis, total ankle replacement, bunion correction, complex fractures and reconstruction of the foot and the ankle.

"I was thrilled to be involved with this year's Special Olympics Colorado Summer games," Deol said. "Healthy feet and ankles are important for athletes, and these screenings will help ensure participants reach the finish line in top condition."

Congratulations to all of the Special Olympics Colorado Summer Games participants!