Understanding Bone Fractures: The Basics

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Article featured on WebMD

What Are Fractures?

A fracture is the medical term for a broken bone.
Fractures are common; the average person has two during a lifetime. They occur when the physical force exerted on the bone is stronger than the bone itself.
Your risk of fracture depends, in part, on your age. Broken bones are very common in childhood, although children’s fractures are generally less complicated than fractures in adults. As you age, your bones become more brittle and you are more likely to suffer fractures from falls that would not occur when you were young.
There are many types of fractures, but the main categories are displaced, non-displaced, open, and closed. Displaced and non-displaced fractures refer to the alignment of the fractured bone.
In a displaced fracture, the bone snaps into two or more parts and moves so that the two ends are not lined up straight. If the bone is in many pieces, it is called a comminuted fracture. In a non-displaced fracture, the bone cracks either part or all of the way through, but does move and maintains its proper alignment.

A closed fracture is when the bone breaks but there is no puncture or open wound in the skin. An open fracture is one in which the bone breaks through the skin; it may then recede back into the wound and not be visible through the skin. This is an important difference from a closed fracture because with an open fracture there is a risk of a deep bone infection.
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Because of the unique properties of their bones, there are some defined fracture subtypes that present only in children. For example:

  • A greenstick fracture in which the bone is bent, but not broken all the way through
  • A buckle fracture results from compression of two bones driven into each other.
  • A growth plate fracture at the joint that can result in shorter bone length

These fracture subtypes can present in children and adults:

  • A comminuted fracture is when the bone breaks into several pieces
  • A transverse fracture is when the fracture line is perpendicular to the shaft (long part) of the bone.
  • An oblique fracture is when the break is on an angle through the bone
  • A pathologic fracture is caused by a disease that weakens the bone
  • A stress fracture is a hairline crack

The severity of a fracture depends upon the fracture subtype and location. Serious fractures can have dangerous complications if not treated promptly; possible complications include damage to blood vessels or nerves and infection of the bone (osteomyelitis) or surrounding tissue. Recuperation time varies depending on the age and health of the patient and the type of fracture. A minor fracture in a child may heal within a few weeks; a serious fracture in an older person may take months to heal.

New Mexico Orthopaedics is a multi-disciplinary orthopedic clinic located in Albuquerque New Mexico. We have multiple physical therapy clinics located throughout the Albuquerque metro area.
New Mexico Orthopaedics offers a full spectrum of services related to orthopedic care and our expertise ranges from acute conditions such as sports injuries and fractures to prolonged, chronic care diagnoses, including total joint replacement and spinal disorders.
Because our team of highly-trained physicians specialize in various aspects of the musculoskeletal system, our practice has the capacity to treat any orthopedic condition, and offer related support services, such as physical therapy, WorkLink and much more.
If you need orthopedic care in Albuquerque New Mexico contact New Mexico Orthopaedics at 505-724-4300.

Did You Know That Inactivity is Actually HARD On Your Knees?

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Between working from home and being glued to the television watching the latest election updates, many of us are guilty of increased “couch potato” behavior lately.  And we’ve all heard of the dangers of sedentary lifestyles contributing to obesity, etc.,  but did you know that *not* moving can actually weaken your knees and increase your chances of osteoporosis?

Continue reading for more from Noyes Knee Institute and the Journal of Public Health.

From Noyes Knee Institute

Do you spend a lot of time sitting? Maybe you work at an office where most of your time is at your desk, or maybe when you’re at home, you prefer to rest on the couch instead of being on your feet. Many people live a mostly inactive lifestyle, but they might not realize that inactivity can be the reason why they experience increased joint pain.

Learn the reasons why inactivity can hurt your knees and what you can do to change it.

Weakens Your Knees

If you live a life or limited activity, your body adapts to that lack of motion. Essentially, when you aren’t using your legs muscles, ligaments, and joints for moderate levels of activity, you are losing them. Your knees become weaker as you require less of them.

One runner found that as she took time off running to rehabilitate an injury, she could not run after completing her recovery because of knee pain. She had to complete additional physical therapy because the rest had caused her to develop a condition called chondromalacia of the patella.

Essentially, her kneecap would not follow the proper range of motion because she had developed some weakness in the joint. It’s a common condition for people who are not active. Even something as simple as going up or down the stairs can make your knees ache.

If you spend your day sitting, you also experience pain in other areas that can also aggravate the knee. Your quadriceps become tight, which exert a pulling sensation on your knees.

You can help your knees feel better by focusing on flexibility. Stretch daily, and participate in joint-stabilizing exercises like yoga. Try to be more active during the day. Stand at your desk, or take time to walk around the office a few times. Use the stairs instead of the elevator.

Increases Your Risk of Arthritis Pain

If you start to experience joint pain as a result of arthritis, your first instinct is to rest more, because walking, running, biking, or other activities cause pain. However, resting when you have knee pain is often the worst solution.

Resting will cause the muscles that give the knee support to weaken. As a result, they become less able to bear your weight, which results in greater joint pain. Reduced strength in the knee joint also translates to reduced stability, which can increase your risk for accidents and make exercising even more difficult to do safely.

If you have arthritis or if you have a history of arthritis in your family, staying active is one way you can help to prevent it from getting worse. Ask a knee specialist for exercises that are safe and helpful for strengthening your knees without causing you too much pain during workouts.

Promotes Weight Gain

A sedentary lifestyle is often why people struggle to manage their weight. Gaining weight with age is common, and spending your days seated can make that problem worse. With every extra pound, the pressure on your knees increases by about four pounds. So, just 10 pounds of extra weight means 40 pounds of pressure on your knees.

All that stress naturally means that your knees start to hurt, and they can hurt even more when you try to be active again. Make sure you intentionally choose low impact exercise as first. Try a stationary bike or a brisk walk in supportive shoes to begin. Focus on losing weight through diet control.

After you lose some weight, you can increase your physical workouts if your doctor believes they will be safe. You might try incorporating some resistance training to really give your lower body some increased strength and stability, as long as you also spend time stretching and increasing your flexibility.

Increases Risk for Osteoporosis 

From the Daily Mail

Being a couch potato weakens your bones: Adults in their 60s face greater risk of fractures if they spend hours sitting down each day – but walking 10,000 steps each day helps

  • The study of 214 adults was published today in the Journal of Public Health
  • It is the first to show a link between a sedentary lifestyle and osteoporosis
  • Participants’ hips and spines were scanned to measure their bone density

A couch potato lifestyle leads to weaker bones in later life, particularly for men, researchers have found.

Experts discovered that men spent more time on average sitting still than women and therefore had weaker bones, particularly in their lower back.

But the new findings, conducted by academics from Durham and Newcastle universities, show that even just completing 10,000 steps a day can help to keep bones strong.

The study showed that people in their sixties who spent a lot of time sitting down had weaker bones which increased their risk of developing ‘fragility’ fractures.

It is well known that weight-bearing and muscle strengthening exercises are important for building bone strength and preventing osteoporosis.

The study, published in the Journal of Public Health, is the first to show that a sedentary lifestyle in men is associated with weaker bones and osteoporosis.

More than half a million fragility fractures – where a fracture occurs from a fall at standing height or less – happen each year in the UK. It is estimated that by 2025, that number will have gone up by 27 per cent.

Dr Karen Hind, of the Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences at Durham University, said: ‘We know that excessive sedentary time can lower someone’s metabolism which can lead to being overweight and Type 2 diabetes.

‘What we now know is that being inactive is also associated with lower bone strength and an increased risk of osteoporosis.

‘Osteoporosis is a disease that affects older people but by encouraging this age group to keep active, it will help improve their bone health.’

The research team followed 214 men and women, aged 62, from Newcastle University’s Thousand Families Study.

Each participant wore a monitor for seven consecutive days which measured their physical activity and sedentary time. The number of daily steps was also recorded, and then compared with public health recommendations.

The participants’ hips and spines were scanned to measure their bone density.

Participants involved in 150 minutes of light physical activity a week had better bone strength than the more sedentary participants, according to the findings.

The men who spent more than 84 minutes per day sitting still, compared to the average of 52 minutes, had 22 per cent lower bone density in their spine.

The researchers say the impact on their bone density is similar to that of smoking, which is also a risk factor for osteoporosis.

The economic and personal costs of osteoporosis are substantial – in the UK the direct costs of fragility fractures are estimated to be £4.4billion which includes £1.1billion for social care.

The participants all lived in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and Public Health England statistics indicate that the North East has the greatest proportion of physically inactive adults and the highest incidence of hip fractures compared to the rest of the UK.

The researchers said that the message from their findings is: stay active and reduce sedentary time.

They emphasised that the study shows that hitting the daily target of 10,000 steps and avoiding long periods of sedentary time will increase bone strength.

They say that even making daily lifestyle ‘hacks’ can make a difference – such as parking the car further away from the shopping centre or taking the stairs instead of the lift.

Dr Hind added: ‘Currently there are no specific guidelines for this age group to encourage light physical activity or to reduce sedentary time.

‘Yet, as people retire they are more likely to increase the time they spend watching television and reduce their daily step count.

‘It would be great to see initiatives that specifically target this group to increase their awareness of the importance of staying active and reducing the amount of time spent sitting still.’

Learn more about bone health

New Mexico Orthopaedics is a multi-disciplinary orthopaedic clinic located in Albuquerque New Mexico. We have multiple physical therapy clinics located throughout the Albuquerque metro area.

New Mexico Orthopaedics offers a full spectrum of services related to orthopaedic care and our expertise ranges from acute conditions such as sports injuries and fractures to prolonged, chronic care diagnoses, including total joint replacement and spinal disorders.

Because our team of highly-trained physicians specialize in various aspects of the musculoskeletal system, our practice has the capacity to treat any orthopaedic condition, and offer related support services, such as physical therapy, WorkLink and much more.

If you need orthopedic care in Albuquerque New Mexico contact New Mexico Orthopaedics at 505-724-4300.

Bone, Joint, and Muscle Infections in Children

Bone, Joint, and Muscle Infections in Children

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Article Featured on AAOS

Children can develop infections in their bones, joints, or muscles. Often referred to as “deep” infections, the technical names for these conditions are:

  • Osteomyelitis (bone infection)
  • Septic arthritis (joint infection)
  • Pyomyositis (muscle infection)

This article covers the most common types of deep infections in children and includes the ways doctors identify and treat them.

Cause

Infections are usually caused by bacteria that are present in our normal living environment. The most common bacteria causing bone, joint, or muscle infections in children is Staphylococcus aureus (often referred to as “Staph” infections).

Bacteria can get into the body in a variety of ways. They circulate through the bloodstream until they reach a bone, joint, or muscle. Bacteria then leave the bloodstream and multiply in the bone, joint, or muscle tissues.

Description

Deep infections most often occur in the joints and at the ends of long bones where they meet to form joints. These include the hip, knee, and ankle joints of the leg, and the shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints of the arm.

The large muscle groups of the thigh, groin, and pelvis are the most common locations for deep muscle infections.

The reason infections occur in these areas is due to the way blood flows to these locations. There is a strong blood flow to the ends of bone near growth centers (called growth plates), the lining of the joints, and the large muscle groups. This allows bacteria to easily find their way to these areas.

The blood supply to the spine, pelvis, and heel is similar to that of the long bones, and infections often develop in these areas, as well.

Infections pose special risks to young children for a number of reasons:

  • Children under the age of three are easily infected. Their immune systems are not fully developed and they tend to fall down a lot, opening the skin to infection.
  • Infections spread quickly through a young child’s circulation system and bone structure.
  • Damage to bones and joints caused by infection can harm a child’s growth and lead to physical dysfunction. Infection of child’s hip joint is a surgical emergency.

Symptoms and Signs

Children who have infections of their bones, joints, or muscles often have the following:

  • Fever
  • Pain
  • Limited movement of the infected area — your child may limp or refuse to walk if the infection involves the legs or back
  • Infants may be irritable and lethargic, refuse to eat, or vomit

Many children who have bone, joint, or muscle infections have had recent injuries. The symptoms of infection are often masked by those of the injury. Because parents assume the injury will get better over time, it may take them longer to notice the infection.

It is important to bring your child to a doctor immediately if symptoms are not quickly resolving at home.

Doctor Examination

Medical History and Physical Examination

Make sure to tell your child’s doctor the circumstances surrounding the symptoms, such as when the symptoms began, and whether there was a prior infection or injury.

After discussing your child’s symptoms and medical history, your doctor will examine the painful area. He or she may ask your child to move the affected area to see whether movement increases the pain.

Tests

Other tests that may help your doctor confirm a diagnosis and plan your child’s treatment include:

  • Blood tests and tissue cultures. Tests on your child’s blood, as well as fluid and/or tissue from the infected area, can help identify the bacteria or other organism causing the infection. This information about the infection helps your doctor determine the most effective ways to treat it.
  • Imaging tests. Tests, such as x-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, and ultrasound, provide your child’s doctor with pictures of the bones, muscles, and soft tissues in the affected area. Your doctor will look for swelling around bones and muscles, or fluid within the joints that are infected. This information helps your doctor when making the decision whether to treat the infection with antibiotics alone or to perform surgery to help resolve it.

Treatment

Antibiotic Treatment

Prescribing antibiotics is the mainstay of treatment for infections.

  • Intravenous. At first, your child will need to stay at the hospital to receive antibiotics through the veins (intravenous or IV). How long your child will stay in the hospital will depend on how severe the infection is. Most children with bone, joint, or muscle infections are in the hospital for 1 to 2 weeks.
  • Oral. For many children, the antibiotic is eventually changed to a form that can be taken by mouth (oral) and given at home.
  • PICC line. Some children can continue to receive an antibiotic by vein at home through a special intravenous device called a PICC (pronounced “pick”) line. This is a peripherally introduced central catheter (PICC).

The amount of time on antibiotics that is needed to resolve an infection varies from child to child but, in general, is 4 to 6 weeks for a bone infection and 3 to 4 weeks for joint or muscle infections.

It is very important to have your child take all of the antibiotics he or she is given, in exactly the way they are prescribed.

Surgical Treatment

In mild infections, antibiotics alone may resolve the condition. Many children, however, will need surgery to remove infected material (pus) from the area of infection. This will reduce pressure and inflammation and improve blood flow, which will make it easier for the antibiotics to reach the infected area. For most children, one surgical procedure is enough, but more severe infections may require two or more surgeries to help resolve the infection.

Infected biceps muscle

An infection in the biceps muscle has caused pus to accumulate in this child’s upper arm. During surgery, the pus will be drained so that antibiotics can effectively reach and resolve the infection.
Courtesy of Children’s Medical Center of Dallas

Outcome

Most children will completely recover from deep infections after proper treatment. They are not likely to develop the same infection again. In most cases, children have no further problems and return to all of their activities.

In general, children do better when the infection is recognized early. There is a greater chance for full recovery when the infection is quickly recognized and treated. The later the diagnosis is made, the more likely it is that the infection will cause greater damage to the bones, muscles and other tissues that are involved.

Some problems can occur in children who have serious and prolonged infections. These include blood clots, growth arrests, deformed bones, fractures through bone that is weakened from infection, bone death (called necrosis), and joint stiffness. However, these problems are rare.

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)

In many communities, deep infections are more frequently being caused by a particular type of bacteria known as MRSA. This bacteria is more able to resist antibiotics that previously worked well to treat these infections.

Currently, there are several antibiotics that work very well against MRSA and are tolerated very well by the children who are treated.

New Mexico Orthopaedics is a multi-disciplinary orthopaedic clinic located in Albuquerque New Mexico. We have multiple physical therapy clinics located throughout the Albuquerque metro area.

New Mexico Orthopaedics offers a full spectrum of services related to orthopaedic care and our expertise ranges from acute conditions such as sports injuries and fractures to prolonged, chronic care diagnoses, including total joint replacement and spinal disorders.

Because our team of highly-trained physicians specialize in various aspects of the musculoskeletal system, our practice has the capacity to treat any orthopaedic condition, and offer related support services, such as physical therapy, WorkLink and much more.

If you need orthopedic care in Albuquerque New Mexico contact New Mexico Orthopaedics at 505-724-4300.

25 Foods for Strong Bones

25 Foods for Strong Bones

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Your bones require specific nutrients to stay strong and healthy. Calcium and vitamin D are the two big ones most people recognize, but magnesium, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins A, C, and K are also essential for bone health.

Here are 25 foods that will supply you with those essential nutrients when included in a balanced diet.

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Best Exercises for Bone Health With RA

Best Exercises for Bone Health With RA

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Article Featured on WebMD

If you take corticosteroids for your RA, it’s a good idea to step up your exercise to help keep your bones strong. You will also strengthen the muscles that support your joints, so you’ll move better. You will also improve your heart health, energy level, mood, balance, and coordination.The best exercises for building bone are weight-bearing exercises, such as these:

Walking

It’s simple, free, and you can do it anywhere. A regular walking program strengthens your hip bones, ankles, and knees. To get the most benefits, walk for at least 30 minutes, 5 days a week. You can break that up into three 10-minute strolls, if you like.

Strength Training

You can use exercises with free weights, weight machines, or elastic exercise bands. Do it at a gym or at home with handheld weights, resistance bands, or even soup cans from your cupboard. Aim to do your exercises 2 to 3 days per week. A physical therapist or certified fitness trainer who has experience working with people with RA can get you started.

Yoga

It eases stiffness and tension, and some poses also help your bones. Talk to your physical therapist or find an instructor who has taught people with arthritis. Once you know the postures, you can practice at home.

Stationary Bikes and Elliptical Machines

Does RA affect your back and hips? You may want to try a recumbent bike, in which you sit down with your legs stretched in front of you. It may feel better than an upright bike.

Elliptical trainers give you a good workout and are easy on your knees.

New Mexico Orthopaedics is a multi-disciplinary orthopaedic clinic located in Albuquerque New Mexico. We have multiple physical therapy clinics located throughout the Albuquerque metro area.

New Mexico Orthopaedics offers a full spectrum of services related to orthopaedic care and our expertise ranges from acute conditions such as sports injuries and fractures to prolonged, chronic care diagnoses, including total joint replacement and spinal disorders.

Because our team of highly-trained physicians specialize in various aspects of the musculoskeletal system, our practice has the capacity to treat any orthopaedic condition, and offer related support services, such as physical therapy, WorkLink and much more.

If you need orthopedic care in Albuquerque New Mexico contact New Mexico Orthopaedics at 505-724-4300.

Fast food linked to poorer bone development in early years

Fast food linked to poorer bone development in early years

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Article Featured on Medical News Today
Living in a neighborhood where there is greater access to fast food outlets may affect bone development in early childhood, according to the first study to investigate links between neighborhood food environment and bone mass in the first 6 years of life.
The researchers say exposure of mothers and children to more healthy food environments might optimize childhood bone development.

Reporting their findings in the journal Osteoporosis International, researchers from the University of Southampton in the UK also conclude:

“If confirmed in future studies, action to reduce access to fast-food outlets could have benefits for childhood development and long-term bone health.”

The team also found that having more healthy specialty stores in the neighborhood is linked to higher bone mass in young children.

For their study, the researchers used data on 1,107 children that was collected in the Southampton Women’s Survey, a research project that aims to learn about the dietary and lifestyle factors that influence the health of women and their children.

They compared the bone mineral density and bone mineral content of children at birth, and then at age 4 or 6, to the number of supermarkets, healthy specialty stores and fast food outlets in their neighborhood.

‘Improving food environment could benefit bone development’

The analysis showed that a higher number of fast food outlets in the neighborhood was tied to lower bone mineral density and bone mineral content in newborns. However, this link was not significant at age 4 and 6.

In contrast, the researchers note that having more healthy specialty stores in the neighborhood – such as greengrocers selling fresh fruit and vegetables – was tied to higher bone mineral density at age 4 and 6.

Coauthor Cyrus Cooper, professor of rheumatology and director of the Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit at Southampton, where the study took place, says:

“These findings suggest that the exposure of mothers and children to more healthy food environments might optimize childhood bone development through its influence on the quality of the maternal diet and dietary choices during childhood.”

He explains if the findings are confirmed with more extensive research, then they would suggest that improving the food environment could benefit children’s bone development.

Initiatives to improve the food environment have already begun in some parts of the UK, where local planning regulations do not allow fast food outlets within 400 meters of schools.

October 20th is World Osteoporosis Day, whose message this year is “serve up bone strength,” to emphasize the role that a healthy diet plays in bone health.

Research shows that a balanced diet containing adequate amounts of fruits, vegetables, protein, calcium and vitamin D helps develop healthy bones throughout life.

According to a 2014 report from the American Academy of Pediatrics, attaining substantial bone mass in early life is thought to be the “most important modifiable determinant of lifelong skeletal health.”

Earlier this year, Medical News Today also learned of a study published in Nature Communications that found early antibiotic use may affect child development by promoting weight gain, increased bone growth and altered gut bacteria.

What is a hairline fracture?

What are the symptoms of a hairline fracture?

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What is a hairline fracture?

A hairline fracture, also known as a stress fracture, is a small crack or severe bruise within a bone. This injury is most common in athletes, especially athletes of sports that involve running and jumping. People with osteoporosis can also develop hairline fractures.

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16 Ways You May Be Hurting Your Joints

16 Ways You May Be Hurting Your Joints

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Your joints link bones together so you can bend your knees, wiggle your hips, and move your body. Learn how you might be preventing your joints from working their best.

Carry Extra Weight

Your joints, which link your bones together, are sensitive to heavy loads. Every pound on your frame puts 4 pounds of stress on your knees. It also strains your back, hips, and feet. That causes wear and tear that can lead to damage, aches, and pain. Being overweight also triggers inflammation. That can make all your joints, including in your hands, stiff, painful, and swollen.

Text Too Much

‘Texting thumb’ is a real thing. Your tendons can get irritated and lock your thumb in a curled position. All that looking down at your phone is just as bad for your neck and shoulders, too. Every inch your head drops forward raises the load on your muscles. If you bend your neck so far that your chin touches your chest, it’s as if your neck has to support the weight of 5 heads instead of just one.

Steep Price of High Heels

They might look fab, but the higher they rise, the more your weight tips forward. Your thigh muscles have to work harder to keep your knee straight, which can cause pain. When heels go up, so does the twisting force in your knees. If you wear them every day, you boost your odds for osteoarthritis. That’s when the bones and the cushioning between the bones break down.

Wear the Wrong Shoes

Worn-out shoes don’t support your feet and ankles enough. That’ll throw your knees, hips, and back out of whack. Also, make sure your sneakers are right for your sport. High tops for basketball, for example, can protect your ankles from sprains. But don’t go overboard. Too much cushion or arch support means your foot can’t move naturally, which could keep you in a cycle of pain.

Crack Your Knuckles

That satisfying pop comes from tiny bubbles bursting in the fluid around your joints. Or from ligaments snapping against bone. Despite what annoyed adults might have warned you, it doesn’t cause arthritis. Still, it might be smart to stop. One study showed that this habit may cause your hands to swell and weaken your grip.

Lug a Big Bag

Whether it’s a purse, backpack, or messenger bag, packing too much can cause neck and shoulder pain. Heavy weight on one shoulder throws off your balance and your walk. If you tend to carry things only on one side, the constant pull overstretches your muscles and tires out your joints. If you do that every day, your body’s going to let you know loud and clear.

Use Wrong Muscles for the Job

When you put too much load on little muscles, your joints pay the price. If you need to open a heavy door, push with your shoulder instead of your fingers. When you lift something off the floor, bend at your knees and push up with your strong leg muscles. When you carry something, hold it close to you in the palms of your hands instead of stressing your fingers.

Sleep on Your Stomach

It might help with snoring, but not so much with the rest of your body. Lying on your tummy pushes your head back, which compresses your spine. Your head also will face in one direction for longer stretches than if you sleep on your back. All that puts pressure on other joints and muscles.

Skip Stretching

You don’t need to be a yogi, but regular stretching can help strengthen your muscles and tendons. It also can make them more flexible. That allows your joints to move more easily and helps the muscles around them work better. That’s key to healthy and stable joints.

Skimp on Strength Training

Once you turn 40, your bones start to get a little thinner and more likely to break. If you build muscle with strength training, it slows bone loss and triggers new growth. So you not only get stronger muscles, but denser bones, too. Together, they stabilize your joints so you’re less likely to get hurt.

Smoke and Chew Tobacco

Here’s another reason to quit: Your joints will thank you. Nicotine from cigarettes and chewing tobacco cuts down on blood flow to your bones and to the cushioning discs in your back. It limits how much bone-building calcium your body can take in. It also breaks down estrogen, a hormone you need for bone health. And it slows new growth that thickens bones. All that makes your joints weaker and your hips more likely to break.

Don’t Get Quality ZZZs

You may wonder how poor sleep can affect your joints. One study found that people with arthritis felt more pain after restless nights. That made them take a closer look. One theory is that when you don’t sleep well, it triggers inflammation in your body. That might lead to joint problems over time. More research is needed, but in the meantime, it sure won’t hurt to get good shut-eye.

Slouch and Slump

Your body’s at its best when you work with it, not against it. That’s why posture matters. When you slump in your chair, it puts more stress on your muscles and joints and tires them out. It’s like always jamming on your car brakes when you could just ease down on the pedal instead. So keep your back straight and those shoulders back and down.

Ignore Pain

When you work out, you might think you just need to power through it. After all, no pain, no gain, right? It’s true that some muscle soreness is OK. But not if it lasts for days or if your muscles are swollen or too sore to move or to touch. Joint pain isn’t normal, so pay attention to it. If you think you overdid it, ease up on your exercises. If the pain won’t go away, check with your doctor.

Too Much Computer Time

It can literally be a pain in your neck — and your elbows, wrists, back, and shoulders. The problem isn’t just bad posture, but that you hold it for too long. That overworks your muscles. It also puts pressure on the discs in your back. If you’re in a soft chair, prop up your arms with cushions to take the load off your shoulders and your neck. Be sure to get up and move every hour.

Repeat Poor Form

When you run, bike, or play tennis, you use the same motions over and over. But if your form is bad, you’ll stress your body in all the wrong places. If you overload your muscles, it puts more pressure on your joints, and you can end up with an injury like tennis elbow.

 

New Mexico Orthopaedics is a multi-disciplinary orthopaedic clinic located in Albuquerque New Mexico. We have multiple physical therapy clinics located throughout the Albuquerque metro area.

New Mexico Orthopaedics offers a full spectrum of services related to orthopaedic care and our expertise ranges from acute conditions such as sports injuries and fractures to prolonged, chronic care diagnoses, including total joint replacement and spinal disorders.

Because our team of highly-trained physicians specialize in various aspects of the musculoskeletal system, our practice has the capacity to treat any orthopaedic condition, and offer related support services, such as physical therapy, WorkLink and much more.

If you need orthopedic care in Albuquerque New Mexico contact New Mexico Orthopaedics at 505-724-4300.

Bone health: Tips to keep your bones healthy

Bone health: Tips to keep your bones healthy

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Protecting your bone health is easier than you think. Understand how diet, physical activity and other lifestyle factors can affect your bone mass.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Bones play many roles in the body — providing structure, protecting organs, anchoring muscles and storing calcium. While it’s important to build strong and healthy bones during childhood and adolescence, you can take steps during adulthood to protect bone health, too.

Why is bone health important?

Your bones are continuously changing — new bone is made and old bone is broken down. When you’re young, your body makes new bone faster than it breaks down old bone, and your bone mass increases. Most people reach their peak bone mass around age 30. After that, bone remodeling continues, but you lose slightly more bone mass than you gain.

How likely you are to develop osteoporosis — a condition that causes bones to become weak and brittle — depends on how much bone mass you attain by the time you reach age 30 and how rapidly you lose it after that. The higher your peak bone mass, the more bone you have “in the bank” and the less likely you are to develop osteoporosis as you age.

What affects bone health?

A number of factors can affect bone health. For example:

  • The amount of calcium in your diet. A diet low in calcium contributes to diminished bone density, early bone loss and an increased risk of fractures.
  • Physical activity. People who are physically inactive have a higher risk of osteoporosis than do their more-active counterparts.
  • Tobacco and alcohol use. Research suggests that tobacco use contributes to weak bones. Similarly, regularly having more than one alcoholic drink a day for women or two alcoholic drinks a day for men may increase the risk of osteoporosis.
  • Gender. You’re at greater risk of osteoporosis if you’re a woman, because women have less bone tissue than do men.
  • Size. You’re at risk if you are extremely thin (with a body mass index of 19 or less) or have a small body frame because you might have less bone mass to draw from as you age.
  • Age. Your bones become thinner and weaker as you age.
  • Race and family history. You’re at greatest risk of osteoporosis if you’re white or of Asian descent. In addition, having a parent or sibling who has osteoporosis puts you at greater risk — especially if you also have a family history of fractures.
  • Hormone levels. Too much thyroid hormone can cause bone loss. In women, bone loss increases dramatically at menopause due to dropping estrogen levels. Prolonged absence of menstruation (amenorrhea) before menopause also increases the risk of osteoporosis. In men, low testosterone levels can cause a loss of bone mass.
  • Eating disorders and other conditions. People who have anorexia or bulimia are at risk of bone loss. In addition, stomach surgery (gastrectomy), weight-loss surgery, and conditions such as Crohn’s disease, celiac disease and Cushing’s disease can affect your body’s ability to absorb calcium.
  • Certain medications. Long-term use of corticosteroid medications, such as prednisone, cortisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone, is damaging to bone. Other drugs that might increase the risk of osteoporosis include aromatase inhibitors to treat breast cancer, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, methotrexate, some anti-seizure medications, such as phenytoin (Dilantin) and phenobarbital, and proton pump inhibitors.

What can I do to keep my bones healthy?

You can take a few simple steps to prevent or slow bone loss. For example:

  • Include plenty of calcium in your diet. For adults ages 19 to 50 and men ages 51 to 70, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is 1,000 milligrams (mg) of calcium a day. The recommendation increases to 1,200 mg a day for women after age 50 and for men after age 70.

    Good sources of calcium include dairy products, almonds, broccoli, kale, canned salmon with bones, sardines and soy products, such as tofu. If you find it difficult to get enough calcium from your diet, ask your doctor about supplements.

  • Pay attention to vitamin D. Your body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium. For adults ages 19 to 70, the RDA of vitamin D is 600 international units (IUs) a day. The recommendation increases to 800 IUs a day for adults age 71 and older.

    Good sources of vitamin D include oily fish, such as salmon, trout, whitefish and tuna. Additionally, mushrooms, eggs and fortified foods, such as milk and cereals, are good sources of vitamin D. Sunlight also contributes to the body’s production of vitamin D. If you’re worried about getting enough vitamin D, ask your doctor about supplements.

  • Include physical activity in your daily routine. Weight-bearing exercises, such as walking, jogging, and climbing stairs, can help you build strong bones and slow bone loss.
  • Avoid substance abuse. Don’t smoke. If you are a woman, avoid drinking more than one alcoholic drink each day. If you are a man, avoid drinking more than two alcoholic drinks a day.

Enlist your doctor’s help

If you’re concerned about your bone health or your risk factors for osteoporosis, including a recent bone fracture, consult your doctor. He or she might recommend a bone density test. The results will help your doctor gauge your bone density and determine your rate of bone loss. By evaluating this information and your risk factors, your doctor can assess whether you might be a candidate for medication to help slow bone loss.

New Mexico Orthopaedics is a multi-disciplinary orthopaedic clinic located in Albuquerque New Mexico. We have multiple physical therapy clinics located throughout the Albuquerque metro area.

New Mexico Orthopaedics offers a full spectrum of services related to orthopaedic care and our expertise ranges from acute conditions such as sports injuries and fractures to prolonged, chronic care diagnoses, including total joint replacement and spinal disorders.

Because our team of highly-trained physicians specialize in various aspects of the musculoskeletal system, our practice has the capacity to treat any orthopaedic condition, and offer related support services, such as physical therapy, WorkLink and much more.

If you need orthopedic care in Albuquerque New Mexico contact New Mexico Orthopaedics at 505-724-4300.

Coaxing' stem cells to form new bone tissue

‘Coaxing’ stem cells to form new bone tissue

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By Maria Cohut

| Article Featured on Medical News Today

New research has identified a possible way to manipulate certain stem cells to generate new bone tissue. The results of this investigation could vastly improve the outcome for people with skeletal injuries or conditions such as osteoporosis.

A new study looks at how to encourage stem cells to form new bone tissue rather than other types of tissue.

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that have the potential to specialize and undertake any function.

Much recent research has focused on how best to use stem cells for therapeutic purposes. Researchers are particularly interested in how to manipulate them to create new tissue that can successfully replace damaged sets of cells or those that are no longer functional.

In a new study from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD, Dr. Aaron James and his team have looked into the mechanisms that allow certain types of stem cell, which are known as “perivascular stem cells,” to form new bone tissue.

These stem cells tend to turn into either fat tissue or bone tissue. To date, it has been unclear what, exactly, determines their fate.

“Our bones have a limited pool of stem cells to draw from to create new bone. If we could coax these cells toward a bone cell fate and away from fat, it would be a great advancement in our ability to promote bone health and healing.”

Dr. Aaron James

The investigators conducted their research in a rat model as well as in human cell cultures, and they report their findings in the journal Scientific Reports.

The protein that drives cell fate

Previous studies that Dr. James conducted have suggested that a particular signaling protein called WISP-1 is likely to drive the fate of perivascular stem cells by “telling” them whether to form fat or bone tissue.

In the current study, the researchers sought to prove WISP-1’s role in determining stem cell fate by genetically modifying a set of human stem cells to stop them from producing this protein.

When they compared gene activity in the engineered stem cells with gene activity in cells that still produced WISP-1, the researchers confirmed that the protein played an important role. In the cells without WISP-1, four of the genes responsible for fat formation had a 50–200 percent higher level of activity than they did in the cells continuing to produce WISP-1.

This also indicated that the correct dosage of this signaling protein could drive the stem cells to form bone tissue instead of fat tissue.

As expected, when the researchers then modified stem cells to increase WISP-1 production, they noticed that three of the genes that stimulate bone tissue growth became twice as active compared with those in stem cells with normal levels of the signaling protein.

At the same time, the activity of genes that stimulated the growth of fat tissue — such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG) — was 42 percent lower in stem cells with a WISP-1 boost, and this decrease occurred in favor of genes that determine bone tissue growth.

Stem cell intervention shows promise

In the next stage of the study, the scientists used a rat model to determine whether WISP-1 could boost bone healing in spinal fusion, a type of medical intervention that requires joining two or more vertebrae (spine bones) to form a single bone.

The therapeutic use of spinal fusion is to improve back pain or spinal stability in the context of various conditions that affect the spine, such as scoliosis.

Usually, “Such a procedure requires a massive amount of new bone cells,” explains Dr. James. “If we could direct bone cell creation at the site of the fusion, we could help patients recover more quickly and reduce the risk of complications,” he notes.

In the current study, the researchers injected human stem cells that had active WISP-1 into rats. They did this between the vertebrae that were due to become joined as part of the fusion procedure.

After 4 weeks, Dr. James and his team found that the animals still displayed high levels of WISP-1 in their spinal tissue. Moreover, new bone tissue was already forming in the right places, allowing the vertebrae to become “welded.”

Conversely, rats that had received the same surgical intervention but without the WISP-1 boost did not present any vertebral fusion during this same period.

“We hope our findings will advance the development of cellular therapies to promote bone formation after surgeries like this one and for other skeletal injuries and diseases, such as broken bones and osteoporosis,” Dr. James declares.

In the future, the research team also aims to find out whether reducing WISP-1 levels in stem cells could lead them to form fat tissue, which could help promote faster wound healing.

New Mexico Orthopaedics is a multi-disciplinary orthopaedic clinic located in Albuquerque New Mexico. We have multiple physical therapy clinics located throughout the Albuquerque metro area.

New Mexico Orthopaedics offers a full spectrum of services related to orthopaedic care and our expertise ranges from acute conditions such as sports injuries and fractures to prolonged, chronic care diagnoses, including total joint replacement and spinal disorders.

Because our team of highly-trained physicians specialize in various aspects of the musculoskeletal system, our practice has the capacity to treat any orthopaedic condition, and offer related support services, such as physical therapy, WorkLink and much more.

If you need orthopedic care in Albuquerque New Mexico contact New Mexico Orthopaedics at 505-724-4300.