Ankle The ankle supports all of the body weight with a very narrow surface area. A minor injury or a small amount of laxity can be very symptomatic. The ankle joint consists of the tibia and fibula (leg bones) and the talus, a small bone that sits between the leg bones and the calcaneus (heel bone). A twisting injury can result in an ankle sprain or if more severe, a fracture of the ankle bones. Common ankle conditions: Ankle sprain describes an injury where the ligaments that stabilize the ankle joint are stretched or even torn in more severe cases. Mild… read more
Concussion A concussion is just not a bump on the head, nor is it just a ding. Sport related concussion is a common injury that likely goes under reported by pediatric, adolescent, and adult athletes for various reasons that needs proper treatmentread more
Hand, Wrist & Elbow Conditions affecting the hand, fingers, and wrist are very common. Some of the more common orthopedic hand and wrist diseases include: Carpal tunnel syndrome – A nerve entrapment syndrome where the thumb-side of the hand becomes painful, weak, clumsy, even developing a ‘pins-and-needles’ sensation or numbness. Symptoms are typically occur at nighttime and are caused by various factors including repetitive use of the hands. Treatment starts with activity modification, splinting/bracing, injections, and if symptoms persist, can be treated with a simple outpatient surgery. Umpqua orthopedics offers both open carpal tunnel release surgery as well as a new technology of… read more
Hip The hip joint is a ball and socket joint. The femur, or thigh bone, has a spherical ball at the top that contacts the hip socket in the pelvis. Several muscles and tendons connect the spine and pelvis to the femur. Various conditions can occur with sports injury, traumatic injuries, or wear and tear degenerative conditions. Common hip conditions: Greater trochanteric bursitis: Bursitis is inflammation of the bursa, the layer between the hip muscles and the bone on the side of the hip. It can be associated with low back pain, hip arthritis, or an occur spontaneously. Treatment such as… read more
Knee & Leg Because of the geometry of the knee and its relation to the center of mass of your body, the contact pressure within the knee joint can be 4-5x body weight in normal daily activity. (So, if you are over-weight, even a relatively small weight loss can unload and protect the knee significantly). Bony contact occurs between the thigh bone (femur) and shin bone (tibia) primarily and also between the knee cap (patella) and femur. There are 5 main ligaments (the bone to bone connections) which stabilize the knee. They are: the Medial… read more
Shoulder & Arm The shoulder is the most mobile and therefore one of the most complex joints of the human body. Three bones connect to form the shoulder and include the clavicle (collar bone), scapula (shoulder blade), and Humerus (upper arm bone). Four rotator cuff muscle/tendons as well as various other ligaments and tendons stabilize and control motion of the shoulder. The ball-and-socket (glenohumeral) joint, acromioclavicular (collar bone), and scapulothoracic (shoulder blade to chest wall) joints are the three primary connections of the shoulder girdle. Shoulder injuries can occur either from a traumatic event, such as a shoulder dislocation, or from overuse, which… read more