Avoid Ulnar Shortening Surgery: What’s Causing My Pain if It’s Not My Ulna Bone?

A few years back, I blogged on the barbaric procedure known as ulnar shortening. A patient who was about to pull the trigger on this surgery wrote me and wanted me to blog on what could be causing the pain he experiences. Hence, this morning’s blog. What Is Ulnar Variance or a Long Ulna? The…read more

More Evidence that Knee Meniscus Surgery Causes Arthritis

You gotta love medicine. In no other profession would something that has been shown to be ineffective continue to be done. As an example, we’ve known for years now that knee meniscus surgery doesn’t work. Despite that, it’s still the most common knee procedure in the United States. We also have some research to show…read more

Why Are So Many Patients Willing to Have Surgery Based on MRI Findings Alone?

I love MRI. It’s amazing to me how there’s often more information on these studies that can help my patients than is written about by the reading radiologist. Having said that, MRI is also an abused tool that has been ascribed mythical status by patients and physicians that it often doesn’t deserve. It’s also made…read more

Is Teen Knee Surgery Appropriate? Do Not Operate on a Meniscus Tear in an 8th Grader

One of the more harmful trends in orthopedic surgery of the last decade is treating kids like they are pro athletes. So this morning I’ll share the case of an 8th grader who tore a meniscus and began a destructive surgical rabbit hole orchestrated by the world’s best orthopedic surgeons. There are no two ways…read more

Putting the Shoulder Surgery Fox in Charge of the Henhouse

It’s always interesting to read the medical research studies that come by my daily feed. Some are groundbreaking, most are so-so, and a few are downright silly. This morning we’ll look at a silly study about shoulder imaging that seems to have started with a conclusion and worked backward. My Shoulder Hurts, so I Need…read more

The Side Effects of Hip Labrum Surgery: Brian’s Story

Yesterday was my last day seeing my patients at the licensed, advanced stem-cell-culture site in Grand Cayman. It’s been a great week, capped off with a heartfelt thank you from a young medical student we have been able to help through the years. His thanks are really the quintessential reason every doctor is a doctor—to help…read more

Cut Your Shoulder Dislocation Surgery Recovery Time

One way to cut your shoulder dislocation surgery recovery time is to skip the surgery and opt for advanced interventional orthopedics instead. That’s what Penn State college lacrosse player Matt Florence did. Facing huge surgery with massive loss of playing time, he ditched the 1990s approach to his shoulder problems and opted for new technology from…read more

Meniscus Surgery Failure? The Evidence Mounts…

It seems like meniscus surgery has become a modern rite of passage for active people. A middle-aged person gets knee pain while doing something active, and sometimes a pop or shift is felt. The knee swells and becomes painful, and activity is difficult. An MRI shows a meniscus tear, and surgery ensues. Is the problem…read more