Orthopedics/Sports

This recent TIME magazine article, Kids Who Exercise Are Less Likely to Have Fractures in Old Age, highlights research suggesting that exercise can improve bone health ...

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic doctors recently developed a new approach to treat tennis elbow that may eliminate the need for surgery in some patients ...

In this Medical Edge Radio episode, Mayo Clinic Dr. John Atkinson outlines treatment options for spinal synovial cysts. To listen, click the link below. Treating Spinal Synovial ...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Thirty years ago, when Mayo Clinic's Mary O'Connor, M.D., was deciding on a specialty after medical school, she heard that orthopedic surgeons ...

Whether you're a black-diamond skier or a novice on the bunny slope, your day can be spoiled by an injury that happens on the last run of the day.  End-of-the-day tweaks and spills are more common than you’d think, says Mayo Clinic physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist Ed Laskowski, M.D.  Muscle fatigue at the end of the day can lead to sloppy technique and injuries such as a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the knee, which can require surgery and intensive rehabilitation. Dr. Laskowski, a former elite skier who turned his career to medicine, says that recreational skiers can take steps to optimize their protection from injury. (Read more below) Skiing b-roll and sound bites with Dr. Laskowski are in the downloads above Expert title for broadcast cg: Dr. Edward Laskowski, Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine MANDATORY CREDIT FOR B-ROLL: Courtesy: Squaw Valley, USA/Tahoe-TV To schedule an interview with Dr. Laskowski contact: Bryan Anderson (507) 284-5005  newsbureau@mayo.edu

ROCHESTER, Minn. — As youth hockey players careen toward the boards, it is almost instinctive for them to duck their heads. But that is exactly the wrong thing to do. Experts say that this fast, powerful and physical sport can be safer if players follow some simple advice. USA Hockey, the national governing body for the sport, worked with Mayo Clinic to release a video with animation demonstrating the dangers of players ducking their heads as they crash into the boards during play. A training program called "Heads Up, Don't Duck" teaches players to automatically choose the safest posture for impact. MULTIMEDIA ALERT: "Heads Up" animation and video of Dr. Stuart is available on the Mayo Clinic News Network. With more than a half-million U.S. children playing the sport, there is a renewed push to keep them from getting hurt. In collaboration with USA Hockey, the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center has been collecting catastrophic hockey injury data since 2008. Cervical spine fractures are the most prominent injury in the database, and the spine and head are the two most injured body parts. "If you are going to collide with the boards, try to take the impact with any part of your body other than your head," says Michael Stuart, M.D., orthopedic surgeon, co-director of Mayo Clinic's Sports Medicine Center and chief medical officer for USA Hockey. "If you can't avoid head contact, always keep your head up and don't duck. When the head is up, the normal curvature of the spine has more shock-absorbing ability. When the head is down, the spine is straight, which makes it more susceptible to fracture that can damage the spinal cord."

With more than a half million U.S. children playing hockey, there's a renewed effort to keep them from getting hurt. As the young players careen toward ...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Florida Blue and Mayo Clinic jointly announce a new collaboration aimed at providing the utmost in quality care for knee replacement patients ...

WASHINGTON — Patients who make $35,000 a year or less report better outcomes after knee replacement surgery than people who earn more, research by Mayo Clinic and the University of Alabama at Birmingham shows. The lower-income patients studied reported less pain and better knee function at their two-year checkups than wealthier people did. The study was being presented at the American College of Rheumatology annual meeting in Washington. VIDEO ALERT: For an interview with Dr. Lewallen and Mayo Clinic News Network membership, visit the Mayo Clinic News Network. The finding is important as physicians try to figure out why some patients do better than others after knee replacement, says David Lewallen, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., who conducted the study with Jasvinder Singh, M.D., of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. "It runs counter to what many might have expected to see," Dr. Lewallen says. "We need to work to understand it further." One possible explanation: Many lower-income patients delay knee replacement as long as possible, so their knees tend to be in worse shape and their feeling of improvement after the procedure more dramatic, he says. Drs. Lewallen and Singh used the Mayo Clinic Total Joint Registry to assess the association of income with knee function and moderate to severe pain as reported by patients at follow-up appointments after knee replacement. The registry has data on nearly all of the 100,000 joint replacements at Mayo Clinic since it performed the first FDA-approved total hip replacement roughly 43 years ago. The researchers adjusted for other factors previously found to be linked to patient-reported outcomes after knee replacement, such as age, gender, body mass index and underlying diagnosis. They found that those making $35,000 or less rated their overall improvement in knee function "better" more often at their two-year follow-ups than those who earned more, and also were less likely to report moderate to severe pain. The finding means that all other things being equal, a low income doesn't necessarily mean a patient will see poorer results from knee replacement, Dr. Lewallen says.

Fall is a great time to run a marathon ... temperatures are cooler and the foliage is a bonus. But even if you've been preparing ...

ROCHESTER, Minn. — October 1, 2012.  No matter how long or diligently runners train before a marathon, they invariably cross the finish line with some mark of the endurance test they've just experienced. To help alleviate injuries and stay healthy on race day, Ed Laskowski, M.D., co-director of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center, offers runners prerace tips for a rewarding marathon experience. Dehydration, sprains and "hitting the wall" are among some of the most common race-day problems However, some pain prior to race day doesn't mean runners need to stay at home. "Soreness of muscles and tissues as you progress through higher levels of training and increasing mileage is normal. If the soreness resolves as you continue to run and doesn't interfere with your running mechanics, you likely can continue," says Dr. Laskowski. But sometimes runners should have an injury professionally evaluated before continuing. "Pain associated with joint swelling or that causes the joint to feel unstable should be checked. You should also seek an evaluation for pain that persists or intensifies after rest from running or pain that causes you to compensate, change your running, or change your gait." Hydration and energy-boosting carbohydrates during the race also contribute to a healthy race with low risk of injury, Dr. Laskowski says. He advises that if you eat and drink sufficiently in the 8–12 hours prior to a long run, then you should be close to being well hydrated. On race day, water and milk, fruit juice and sports drinks can be consumed up to an hour prior to your run. During the run, sports drinks are a good source of energy, and the sodium they contain may help stimulate thirst and replace electrolytes lost through sweat. After the run, when you are in recovery mode, veggie juice, chocolate milk, smoothies and fruit juice are good choices for hydration. Dr. Laskowski offers the following tips for marathon runners just prior to the big race: The day before the marathon, consume extra calories, especially high-carbohydrate foods such as bread, cereal, rice, pasta, and/or potatoes. To enable fluid absorption, start drinking fluids at least four hours before exercise. Most marathoners find they perform better if they consume carbohydrates during the race. Sports drinks, bars and gels are good options. To avoid runners' diarrhea, at least one day before running, limit or avoid sweeteners called sugar alcohols — most often found in sugar-free candies, gum and ice cream. For three to six hours before running, limit or avoid caffeine and high-fat foods. After-marathon food should include protein, preferably peanut butter or string cheese, which you should eat within two hours after stepping off the course.

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Norm Turner joined us to discuss the foot.  We discussed all sorts of conditions that can go wrong with the foot and talked about ...