The Stiffness of Stem Cells Turns Out to Be a Big Deal…

Because our cells are smaller than we can see with the naked eye, ideas like cell stiffness seem foreign to us. However, it turns out that if a stem cell is stiff or squishy plays a major role in how it functions in the body. This morning we’ll dive into some new research that shows…
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Is ACL Surgery a Second Hit to the Joint Cartilage?

I’ve blogged before on the idea that we now have high-level evidence that suggests ACL surgery itself is harming the joint. While at the Havemeyer Symposium (think tank) at CSU, one of the physician-scientists presented an interesting slide that supports this idea. Let me explain. The Prior Research As I have reported previously, data from…
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Middle-Aged and Never Exercised? It’s Never Too Late?

If you’ve never been a big exercise person, can you start late in life and still get health benefits? While answers to that question would be all over the map based on opinion, we have some new research that weighs in. So let’s dig in. It’s Never Too Late! Before we dive into this subject,…
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Waiting on ACL Surgery Protects Knee Cartilage

Repairing the ACL within a few weeks or months of injury has become the standard of care. However, is this really best for the patient? A new study demonstrates that we may be harming more patients with this approach than we’re helping. Let’s review. ACL Reconstruction I have seen many surgeons conclude that ACL reconstruction…
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Our Brain Keeps Making New Cells as We Age…Except in Alzheimer’s Disease

Is there a link between the stem cells in your brain and Alzheimer’s disease? Most people likely don’t know that there are stem cells in the brain, so the lack of cells there may come as a shock. So let’s explore. Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease and the Hippocampus It’s well known that the hippocampus is a…
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Can a Broken Orthopedic Surgery Care System Fix Itself with Interventional Orthopedics?

For many reasons of perverse incentives, the American healthcare system is the world’s most expensive way ever devised to deliver healthcare. One of the biggest line items in any health plan is elective orthopedic surgery costs. Hence, reducing that cost saves any employer big bucks. One of the ways to bend that spending curve down…
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Naturopaths and Regenerative Medicine: The Utah Example

One of the more interesting phenomena in the wild west of regenerative medicine is the fact that there are many alternative-health practitioners in this space. Why? There is a razor-thin argument that their practice acts allow the injection of “natural” substances. Utah has one of the more bizarre practice acts out there which when combined…
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Do I Need Neck Surgery? Probably Not…

A common question I hear day in and day out is, “Do I need neck surgery?” As a physician, my answer to that question has steadily changed over the years. A few years ago, when I saw nerves on the patient’s neck MRI that were severely compressed, my answer was always, “Yes.” However, now the…
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