Joint replacements are a major dimension of the orthopedics specialty, but they may be replaced in about 15 years by biological products that stimulate tissue and bone growth, according to a leading prognosticator.

"We will be a little in the 'Star Trek' era, potentially," said Paul Olson, director of Viscogliosi Bros. LLC, a New York investment bank that specializes in orthopedics investment. He spoke recently at an orthopedic design and technology conference. (Read more about Biological Materials Seen Ousting Joint Replacements)

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A computer-aided bone-implant technique is coming on line that will increase the accuracy of implant insertions and decrease operating room time for hip, shoulder, knee and ankle replacements - especially for younger patients.

The novel technology relies on software newly developed by the Human Mobility Research Center in Kingston, Ontario. It also depends on computed tomography (CT) scans of a patient's damaged joint. The software creates an exact, patient-specific, 3-D image of the joint and nearby bones, which can then be turned into a plastic model. This, in turn, is used for precise alignment and placement of the metal implants needed to redo the patient's joint with - in the case of hip surgery - so-called hip resurfacing arthroplasty. (Read more about Technique Aids Joint Replacements)

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If you have osteoarthritis of the knees, with all of the pain and loss of flexibility that entails, chances are your doctor has recommended arthroscopic surgery. This is a procedure in which the surgeon inserts a scope into the knee and cleans out bits of loose bone and smoothes rough cartilage.

But there are ways to avoid this invasive, expensive surgery and actually alleviate the arthritis. (Read more about How to Save Your Knees From Arthroscopic Surgery)

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Medicine is ever advancing - and that includes orthopedic medicine, which has now developed gender-specific artificial knees that match the subtle anatomical differences between men and women. Technicians have also produced a computer program to assist orthopedic surgeons in correctly positioning replacement knees.

These two elements - gender-specificity and computer-navigated surgery - are being hotly discussed these days whenever orthopedic surgeons come together in professional gatherings. (Read more about Cutting-Edge Knee-Replacement Gadgets)

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For 25 years Robert Reid kept active by practicing karate, playing football, softball, and basketball. But, his love for sports took a toll on his body. Robert developed arthritis in his knees and would need surgery. (Read more about Alternative to Knee Replacement)

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If you're at all a sports fan, or an athlete yourself, you've probably heard of the anterior cruciate ligament.

It's commonly injured.

Now a new study shows what happens to NFL players who are sidelined by their acl's, and it's not good news for players or fans and the owners.

Now, a ligament is a strong piece of connective tissue that connects bone to bone across a joint. The anterior cruciate ligament crosses with the posterior cruciate ligament in the center of the knee.

They control the backward and forward motion of the knee. The ACL in particular restrains excessive forward motion of the knee as well as the inward twisting or rotation of the knee.

In fact, the ACL is frequently injured in severe twisting injuries of the knee or with a sudden stop.

This new research in the American Journal of Sports Medicine looking specifically at ACL injuries in NFL players found those who suffer one of these injuries will likely never be the same player again.

Essentially, total yards and touchdowns were markedly diminished when they returned after surgery. (Read more about ACL Injuries with NFL Players | Orthopedics)

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Summer is now here, and it’s an opportunity for kids who are involved in one, two, maybe three sports to get a bit of rest. But a lot of kids go year round in their athletics now; it’s one reason for the rise in sports injuries in kids.

More than three and a half million kids under the age of 14 receive medical care for sports injuries each year.

But overuse injuries are responsible for nearly half of all sports injuries in middle and high school students. And experts are saying the problem is getting out of hand.

Jessica Godfrey of the eagles soccer team was forcibly grounded because of an injury earlier this season. “I was trying to get the ball and this really big girl hit my foot and it hurt really bad,” says Jessica. (Read more about Sports Injuries and Children)

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“It is burning and tingling that is how it feels all the time and then there are other pains where it is shooting pains and you feel like someone is stabbing you,” says Diana Baez.

Diana Baez is about to have computer aided knee surgery that she’s hoping will turn her life around. 51 year old Diana has severe osteoarthritis and has lost significant cartilage in her knee. She’s tried everything from pain-killers to physical therapy, nothing gave her relief. “I can’t deal with this pain anymore.”

Dr. Elton Strauss, Chief of Orthopaedic Trauma at Mount Sinai, will be using global positioning system-like technology to help him operate on Diana’s knee. “In our business if you are off by a millimeter or two degrees it can affect the outcome of the patients. When I am actually looking inside somebody’s leg whether it is the hip or the knee I see the bones I see the ligaments but I don’t know how those bones actually work when the person walks on the leg, crouches down, lies down, gets out of bed does athletic events what this computer does it replicates the function of the patient and also tells me whether or not I have recreated that person’s anatomy,” explains Dr. Strauss. (Read more about Computer Aided Surgery)

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There’s new hope for ovarian cancer patients. Doctors are saying that giving chemo through the abdomen rather than through the vein should now be the way many ovarian cancer patients are treated.

This is actually an old method to deliver chemo; it dates back fifty years. It delivers the chemo into what’s called the intra-peritoneal area of the abdomen.

The goal is to get the remaining cancer cells after the tumor is surgically removed, in patients like Eleanor Lewis. Eleanor is looking for a way to lessen the significance of time. (Read more about New Ovarian Cancer Treatment)

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Children’s playground safety is an issue that requires more attention to ensure that children’s broken bones don’t lead to complications that trouble them for the rest of their lives.
10 year old Renee Novelli is a bundle of energy. When she’s not doing gymnastics, she’s playing on her jungle gym set or riding her bike. But, all of this activity has cost her several trips to the emergency room. (Read more about CHILDREN BREAKING BONES)

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