Archive for orthopedics
What running mistakes lead to injury?
Running outside is a great opportunity to get some fresh air and, because it requires so little equipment, may be accessible when other forms of exercise are not. At a lecture in February, specialists from the Division of Sports Medicine and The Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention described how running form – the way ... Read More about What running mistakes lead to injury?
Avulsion fracture taps the brakes on a runner’s races
By the time Will Benoit and his parents met Dr. Kristin Whitney, they all had a bad feeling about his left hip. “When she told us Will had a pelvic avulsion fracture, we knew his running season was over,” says his father, Russ. The question was, when would Will run again? From third grade on, ... Read More about Avulsion fracture taps the brakes on a runner’s races
Relationship talks: Staying together through a child’s illness
Among the many stresses of having an ill or injured child, parents often feel a strain on their marriage. Whenever she can, clinical social worker Katherine Preston, LICSW, reassures families that a child’s illness does not automatically spell the end of the parents’ relationship. Based on studies of families facing childhood cancer and diabetes, Preston ... Read More about Relationship talks: Staying together through a child’s illness
Diving deep: Understanding skeletal conditions with fish models
From fragile ice fish deep in the Antarctic Ocean to flying fish gliding above the Caribbean sea, fish have evolved a fascinating variety of skeletal traits. These traits not only help them adapt to their environments, they are also providing genetic insights into rare human skeletal disorders. Fish are not as genetically different from us ... Read More about Diving deep: Understanding skeletal conditions with fish models
After hip dysplasia, Emma smashes her cast
When she could walk again, Emma Wilkinson and her parents threw a big party. Diagnosed with hip dysplasia at the age of 4, Emma had spent 10 weeks in a spica cast that made almost all physical activity impossible. Now, baseball bat in hand, she took aim at a piñata replica of her cast while ... Read More about After hip dysplasia, Emma smashes her cast
Foot deformity and amputation: Maria’s tough choice
Whenever she could, Maria Dupuis found a way to walk. She walked when she had to wear a cast from her chest to her ankles. She walked when the curve in her spine reached 94 degrees. When her right foot pointed up to the sky rather than straight ahead, she walked on her heel. Maria ... Read More about Foot deformity and amputation: Maria’s tough choice
Congenital scoliosis: Maria’s story
Growing up in a big family helped. When Maria Dupuis came home from the hospital after surgery to correct her scoliosis, her sisters played Subway Surfer with her and her brothers braided her hair. Having so many siblings around to play with probably motivated her to get up and start walking sooner. And when other ... Read More about Congenital scoliosis: Maria’s story
When athletes push too hard: How to screen and when to refer
With the rise in the number and competitiveness of female athletes, overtraining has become a serious health risk for many young women. Whether it comes from a coach, parent, teammate, or the athlete herself, the pressure to perform drives many young athletes to practice unsafe behaviors in an effort to boost performance. Instead of building ... Read More about When athletes push too hard: How to screen and when to refer
Ski and snowboard safety: Helmet guide
They’re large and they mess up your hair. Nonetheless, more than 80 percent of skiers and snowboarders wore helmets during the 2017-2018 season. The rise in helmet use is welcome news for specialists in sports medicine and traumatic brain injury prevention, says Jessie Oldham, a postdoctoral researcher who focuses on sport-related concussion. Oldham recently shared ... Read More about Ski and snowboard safety: Helmet guide
Everli: Living her best life after atlantoaxial instability
When they travelled to the orphanage in China in early 2018, Shannon and Matt Gottschalk knew the toddler they hoped to adopt had Down syndrome. They knew she had been abandoned by the side of a highway and delivered to an orphanage by the farmer who’d found her. The couple was surprised, however, that at ... Read More about Everli: Living her best life after atlantoaxial instability