FRANKLIN
DECEMBER 2007
ORTHOPAEDICS & SPORTS MEDICINE
Trusted
Trusted
Expertise...For
Expertise...For
Your
Your
Active
Active
Lifestyle
Lifestyle
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The staff of Franklin
Orthopaedics & Sports
Medicine would like to wish
you and your family a very
Merry Christmas! Thank you
Drs. Jeff & Greg Cook for allowing us to care for your
Board-Certified
orthopaedic needs and we
Orthopaedic Surgeons
hope that you will call on us if
you need us in 2008! We’re
FOR YOUR BONE
here for you.
& JOINT HEALTH:
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Minimally invasive
arthroscopic surgery
Sports medicine
Orthopaedic surgery
Knee & hip
Torn ligaments
Joint reconstruction
Hand & wrist
Foot & ankle
Arthritis
Shoulder & elbow
Broken bones & trauma
Drs. Greg & Jeff Cook
Christmas
Story
Contest!
FOR YOUR
CONVENIENCE:
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
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♦
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State of the art
treatment
Same day
appointments
One on one care
Friendly, helpful staff
Insurance filed
Payment plans
available
Major credit cards
welcome
Expedient service
3310 Aspen Grove Dr.
#102
Franklin, TN 37067
771.1116
Last year Williamson County residents voted
for us as the #1 Orthopaedic practice and
we’re asking for your vote again this year!
Please cast your vote online at:
www.franklinis.com
We are located under the heading of
physical therapy/orthopaedics
Voting ends December 15 at midnight!
Your vote matters! Tell all your friends and
family to vote.
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Share you favorite Christmas memory! Take a walk
down memory lane and let thoughts of Christmas
Past make Christmas 2007 special! Put your story in
writing and submit to our office by December 20th—
The winner will receive a $100 Gift Certificate to the
restaurant of your choice! The winner will be
contacted and also announced on our website at
www.franklinorthomd.com
You may also email your story to
phyllis2@franklinorthomd.com by December 20th.
Join the fun and be a winner! Please make sure to have
your contact information available!
franklinorthomd
franklinorthomd.com
Preventing Hip Fractures—
Stress Fractures
Dr. Greg Cook shares about one of the most
common injuries in sports—a stress fracture.
Overcoming an injury like a stress fracture can be
difficult, but it can be done.
What is a stress fracture?
A stress fracture is an overuse injury. It occurs when muscles become
fatigued and are unable to absorb added shock. Eventually, the
fatigued muscle transfers the overload of stress to the bone causing a
tiny crack called a stress fracture.
What causes a stress fracture?
Stress fractures often are the result of increasing the amount or
intensity of an activity too rapidly. They also can be caused by the
impact of an unfamiliar surface (a tennis player who has switched
surfaces from a soft clay court to a hard court); improper equipment
(a runner using worn or less flexible shoes); and increased physical
stress (a basketball player who has had a substantial increase in playing
time).
Where do stress fractures occur?
Most stress fractures occur in the weight-bearing bones of the lower
leg and the foot. More than 50% of all stress fractures occur in the
lower leg.
WALKING!
Studies have shown that physically active women
are substantially less likely than their sedentary
counterparts to suffer a hip fracture. Evidence
suggests that walking and other types of physical
activity reduce fracture risk by increasing muscle
strength and balance as well as by promoting bone
remodeling.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School examined
the relationship between fracture incidence, leisure time activities and related
factors in 61,200 women. The study was conducted over 12 years and
included participation in 7 categories of activities including walking, jogging,
running, bicycling, racquet sports, swimming and other aerobic activities.
Researchers found that fracture risk was inversely correlated with activity
level; for example, women who walked for at least four hours per week had a
41% reduced risk of hip fracture. Women using hormone replacement therapy
had a fracture risk that was only slightly lower than that of their sedentary peers.
Women who are not using hormones showed striking benefits from exercise.
The risk of hip fracture for highly active women was only 0.3 compared to
sedentary women. Walking is an excellent activity for lowering fracture risk.
What activities make athletes most susceptible to stress
fractures?
Studies have shown that athletes participating in tennis, track and field,
gymnastics, and basketball are very susceptible to stress fractures. In
all of these sports, the repetitive stress of the foot striking the ground
can cause trauma. Without sufficient rest between workouts or
competitions, an athlete is at risk for developing a stress fracture.
Bone Facts
Where would we be without our bones?? Hard and dense connective
tissue filled with minerals, our bones are complex living tissues that are
structural support for the muscles and other soft tissues of the body as
well as the protection for organs. Bones store calcium, which
contributes to making the bones strong and dense. Here’s some
interesting facts about your bones!
Are women more susceptible to stress fractures?
Stress fractures affect people of all ages who participate in repetitive
sporting activities, like running. Medical studies have shown that
female athletes seem to experience more stress fractures than their
male counterparts. We do know that as a female’s bone mass
decreases, her chances of getting a stress fracture increase.
What are the symptoms of a stress fracture?
•
What is the longest bone in the body? The femur or thigh
bone, which comprises roughly 1/4 of the person’s overall height.
How are stress fractures diagnosed?
•
It is very important that during the medical examination, the doctor
evaluates the patient’s risk factors for stress fracture. X-rays are
commonly used to determine stress fracture. Sometimes, the stress
fracture cannot be seen on regular x-rays or will not show up for
several weeks after the pain starts. Occasionally, a computed
topography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) will be
necessary.
What is the smallest bone in the body? The stirrup bone in
the middle ear.
•
How many bones do newborn babies have? 270 bones. By
the time the baby becomes an adult the number shrinks to 206.
•
Why do adults have 206 bones if babies have 270? Many
bones making up the skull and the spine fuse together as the body
grows and becomes older.
•
How many bones are contained in the hands and wrists?
A total of 54 bones are found in both of your wrists, hands and
fingers.
•
How many bones are present in your feet, ankles and
toes? 52 bones are located in both feet, ankles and toes.
Pain with activity is the most common complaint with a stress fracture.
This pain subsides with rest.
How are stress fractures treated?
Most importantly, rest. Individuals need to rest from the activity that
caused the stress fracture and engage in a pain-free activity during the
6 to 8 weeks it takes most stress fractures to heal. If the activity that
caused the stress fracture is resumed too quickly, larger, harder-toheal stress fractures can develop. Re-injury also could lead to chronic
problems where the stress fracture might never heal properly.
In addition to rest, shoe inserts or braces may be used to help these
injuries heal.
franklinorthomd
franklinorthomd.com 615-771-1116