ACL Surgery Can Do Real Damage to Your Brain: Study

FRIDAY, March 6, 2020 -- Your knee might never be the same after undergoing surgery for a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and the reason is in your head, a small, new study suggests.

It turns out ACL reconstruction causes changes in the structure of your brain, a University of Michigan (U-M) team found. That's why even after ACL reconstruction and physical therapy, your joint function might never get back to normal.

Is Your Smartphone or Tablet an Injury Risk?

TUESDAY, Feb. 25, 2020 -- Here's a good reason to put your electronic devices down whenever you can: Experts say that using them incorrectly or too often can put you at risk for a range of injuries.

"When people position their hand, arm or neck in uncomfortable positions for a prolonged period of time, it can lead to strains and overuse injuries," said Dr. Michael Darowish, an orthopedic surgeon at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

Shovel That Snow, but Spare Your Back

SATURDAY, Feb. 1, 2020 -- Almost everyone gets stuck shoveling snow at some point during the winter. To prevent back pain and strain, one spinal expert has some advice.

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Srinivasu Kusuma, from the University of Chicago Medicine Medical Group, noted it's all in the precautions you take before you tackle your snow-covered driveway.

What's the Best Treatment for a Child's Broken Bone?

TUESDAY, Jan. 28, 2020 -- Fiberglass and plaster casts are widely used to treat broken bones in kids, but they have drawbacks compared with other methods such as braces and splints, experts say.

Doctors and patients should review the available options, considering not only treatment of the fracture, but also patient comfort and compliance as well as the burden on the family, according to a review article in the January issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Spinal Fusion Outcomes Worse for Black Patients, Large Study Finds

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 29, 2020 -- Black Americans who have lower spinal fusion surgery have more complications, spend more time in the hospital and have higher costs than white patients, new research shows.

For the study, the researchers analyzed the discharge records of nearly 268,000 patients in California, Florida, New York, Maryland and Kentucky who had this common surgery from 2007 through 2014.