Research

New Research Shows that a Hip Replacement Won’t Increase Your Activity Level

Many of the patients I talk with are under the impression that they will become more active after hip replacement. They are concerned about undergoing such a big, high-risk surgery that involves getting their hip amputated, but they are hopeful and excited about the prospect of returning to running, mountain climbing, biking, or any other…read more

New Research: An MRI with Stenosis Doesn’t Diagnose Your Pain

We have all been taught that what shows up on an MRI is incredibly important—so much so that countless invasive surgeries are launched based on a picture and a cursory exam. Despite this, study after study continues to show just how bad MRI is at predicting who’s in pain. However, one of the sacred cows…read more

What Percentage is “Useless Orthopedic Surgery” Based on Research?

This is a post that some orthopedic surgeons will hate but that needs to be written. This week, I decided to try and estimate the number of orthopedic surgeries that were still being done despite research showing they didn’t work. When I was done, I realized that a staggering 53% of orthopedic surgeries being performed…read more

NSAIDs Side Effects: Does Taking NSAIDs Injure the GI Tract?

NSAIDs are so commonly prescribed that they might as well be put in the water supply, which would be a good idea if they weren’t so darned dangerous. Due to the severe health risks associated with NSAIDs side effects, even the American Heart Association has pushed to limit NSAID prescriptions. Unfortunately, providers keep prescribing them…read more

Does Cartilage Heal on Its Own?

Whether or not cartilage heals on its own, according to a new study, depends on your age, and, unfortunately, that age may be much lower than we realized. We’ve known for a long time that the healing cells in our cartilage, such as our hip and knee joints, drastically decrease as we age, slowing or…read more

See One, Do One, Teach One: Your Orthopedic Regen Med Doctor Likely Has Little Training

This next weekend we’re teaching an orthopedic stem cell training for physicians course in Colorado through the Interventional Orthopedics Foundation (IOF). Maybe because of this, the past few weeks I’ve noticed the different levels of expertise at which orthopedic stem cells are delivered. The problem is that while this impacts the quality of the treatment…read more

The Research Industrial Complex Wastes Big Money

When President Dwight Eisenhower left office, being a former WWII general, he knew all too well how industry was playing the beltway game of milking the DC cash cow. He warned us of a military-industrial complex. A new editorial now warns of a biomedical-research-industrial complex that, like its partner in the Pentagon, wastes more money…read more

Narcotics Cause Chronic Pain: No Surprises Here…

We are in the middle of an epidemic of deaths due to narcotics fueled by pharma. It’s become vogue again for the media to discuss this issue, since the death of Prince, but the problem has always been there. Now a new study out of my neck of the woods (University of Colorado) shows why…read more