Robert J. Snyder, MD Pickleball has gained significant popularity worldwide, combining elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis, using a paddle and a perforated plastic ball.  While it attracts players of all ages and skill levels, it is particularly appealing to older adults, because it is played on a smaller court than tennis (less running), is low-impact, social and fun!  Pickleball has become so popular that many resorts and communities across the United States have turned their once busy tennis courts into pickleball courts.  In fact, it may be difficult to find a re ..read more

Boyd W. Haynes III, MD If you know, you know!  Most anyone who suffers from osteoarthritis of the knees knows what our title is referring to – that icky, Rice Krispies® and milk sound you hear and the grindy, snapping, popping, crackling, or catching feeling you get when you bend or move your arthritic knees a certain way.  The clinical name for this phenomenon is crepitus, and it is a sound or sensation that occurs when bone surfaces move against cartilage or against one another. Tiny bubbles of nitrogen work their way through soft tissue into the joint capsule and when they get pop ..read more

Boyd W. Haynes III, MD  The knee joint plays a vital role in our everyday function and mobility. Limited range of motion in the knee can significantly impact our quality of life and daily activities. Identifying the underlying cause of restricted knee mobility is essential for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. Here, I’ll discuss the potential diagnoses associated with limited range of motion in the knee. Before delving into limited knee range of motion, let’s establish the normal range of motion in a healthy knee joint. The knee joint allows flexion and extension movements, as w ..read more

John D. Burrow, DO In Parts I-III of this series, Dr. Boyd Haynes has worked his way up the leg from the feet to the ankles, shins, and calves to discuss common musculoskeletal problems that can cause limping. I am going to pick up the discussion with the knees and review the most often seen issues that can cause limping. Our knee joint is composed of the large femur bone that runs from our hip to our knee with the two lower leg bones, the tibia and fibula.  The knee also has the patella or the kneecap that articulates with the knee joint which runs along a groove in the bone.  Ther ..read more

Boyd W. Haynes III, MD As we continue this journey up the leg to uncover the many causes for limping, our next stop will be the shins and calf muscles. Shin splint syndrome is probably the first injury that comes to mind when we talk about this part of the body, and it is a very common injury that can cause a lop-sided gait.  Most often associated with running or jogging too far while out of condition or simply with running too much, shin splint syndrome is a group of inflammatory symptoms that occurs in specific bones and muscles of the lower leg when they are over-stressed. Symptoms are ..read more

Boyd W. Haynes III, MD As an Orthopaedic physician, I see folks everyday who come in for a consultation regarding a limp in their gait.  They may have pain associated with this limp in a certain part of their body, and there could be obvious reasons for the limp, such as a recent injury or an onset of illness, with conspicuous swelling, bruising or maybe even a lump or abscess right in front of me on examination.  Occasionally, things aren’t always what they seem, and I must play detective and dig a little deeper for the reason behind the limp.  So, put on your Sherlock Holmes t ..read more

Robert J. Snyder, MD As an Orthopaedic physician, I spend my days looking at, diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal issues, and believe me, I have seen and taken care of more knees than I can count. Let’s discuss the bad habits you should avoid if you want be good to your knees for life! Bad Habit # 1 – Overeating Overeating causes weight gain. Carrying around extra weight is hard on your joints, especially your knees.  Although estimates vary, for every pound you weigh, your knees feel the equivalent of three-four pounds, so basically your knees carry triple-quadruple your body weight ..read more

Boyd W. Haynes III, MD A new study out of The Baylor College of Medicine seems to confirm what I’ve been saying for years – that motion is life!  The study was published in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatology and found that for those persons who were over the age of 50 who walked for exercise AND had arthritis, they were less likely to develop frequent knee pain compared to those who didn’t walk.   This research came from The Osteoarthritis Initiative, which is a multi-year study of 1200 individuals who have osteoarthritis, who self-reported the amount and type of exercise i ..read more

Robert J. Snyder, MD A question came through on our blog recently regarding the composition of the specific materials used in the ConforMIS Knee Prosthesis.  That’s a great question and one that I’m happy to address. Today, most of the knee implants that are on the market are made from chrome cobalt molybdenum. Most of us have heard of chrome, seen, and touched it. Chrome is the shiny metal that makes cars gleam and is used to coat many other metals because of its low friction ratio. Cobalt is probably less familiar but is a heavy metal ore that is relatively rare. In its polished state ..read more

Boyd W. Haynes III, MD In Part I of this series, Dr. Carlson gave you all the reasons why a patient may need a MUA after knee replacement surgery.  In review, they may: Have lots of scar tissue (genetics, prolonged swelling) Be unmotivated (many reasons) Be afraid of pain/are Protective Muscle Guarding (PMG) In Part II of this series, I’m going to talk about the actual procedure itself, how the patient prepares for having it done, and what happens during the procedure in the OR. When we’ve exhausted your tolerance for the intensive knee manipulation program in physical therapy and you ..read more