The shoulder is one of the most intricate joints in the body and given that it is subjected to a lot of lifting and movements, there are chances for it to tear or dislocate. The shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint with the socket in the shoulder, and the ball in the upper arm. The joint space between the two bones is surrounded by cartilage, and the space between the two is filled with fluid. Especially in athletes, due to forceful movement, this joint could get dislocated or the cartilage could tear.

The Bankart lesion is when there is a tear of the cartilage in the central anterior shoulder. This causes the cartilage to be damaged, allowing the humeral head to slip down from the socket. When the arm is extended down or to the side, it is commonly dislocated. This can happen posteriorly also, but this movement and so the injury is less likely than an anterior dislocation. If there is also a fracture of the shoulder bone with this dislocation, then it is known as bony or osseous Bankart lesion.

Causes: Bankart lesions can be acute or chronic. Acute is when there is sudden dislocation due to sports activity or accidents. Repetitive use of the shoulder can also lead to chronic Bankart lesions. This is usually seen in sportspersons like swimmers, tennis players, and weightlifters.

Signs and Symptoms:

Pain: The most common symptom with Bankart is shoulder pain that restricts any kind of movement. One may find it difficult pick up things or lifting your hands and in some cases, it is difficult to even sit straight.
Weakness: The shoulder feels weak and one is unable to perform normal activities
Instability: One may lose the grip and strength.
Limited movement: The range of motion of the shoulder may be reduced compared to before the injury.
Crackling: The damage to the fibrous cartilage produces a crackling sound, which can be heard during the movement of the shoulder.
Diagnosis: A combination of symptoms, physical examination, X-ray, and MRI can help in confirming the diagnosis.

The course of treatment depends on the cause and condition of the patient. An exercise regimen is prescribed as the first step in the treatment process. If there is inadequate progress, or if the pain seems to be recurrent, open or closed shoulder surgery may be recommended to include the following:

Arthroscopy (closed surgery) to repair the cartilage damage
Ligament re-attachment
Bone reshaping
Cartilage build up and reshaping
Ligament repair to improve stability
Any of these shoulder surgeries would be followed up with measures to reduce further injury. It is therefore advised to visit a doctor in case of any such discomfort as he/she will be able to find out the severity of the situation and devise a treatment plan accordingly.

Bankart's Lesion - What Exactly Is It?

Spondylolisthesis refers to the condition which affects your spinal bones or lower vertebrae. Due to this condition one of the lower vertebrae overlaps the bone directly beneath it. Although a painful condition, it can certainly be treated with both surgical and therapeutic methods.

People with spondylolisthesis often find it difficult to perform routine activities. They usually encounter symptoms such as- persistent pain in the pelvic region, lower back; stiffness in the legs, hamstrings and hip muscles.

What causes spondylolisthesis?
The causes of spondylolisthesis can vary with lifestyle, heredity and age. Children may develop this condition due to an injury or birth defect. Nevertheless, people belonging to all age groups are susceptible to spondylolisthesis if the condition is genetic.

Over exercise or strenuous physical activities can cause spondylolisthesis because over stretching and carrying heavy weight or strain puts too much stress on the lower back.

Participating in sports like football, gymnastics, weightlifting are likely to trigger spondylolisthesis.

Spondylolisthesis can also be triggered due to sondylolysis. The vertebrae safeguard the spinal cord and work with tendons, ligaments, joints and muscles to provide flexibility, structure and support to the neck. Any sort of damage or wear and tear in the protective cartilage and bones in the neck can lead to cervical spondylosis, which in turn leads to spondylolisthesis.

What is the treatment for spondylolisthesis?
Treatment of spondylolisthesis depends on the severity of the pain. While non-surgical methods help ease the pain, a surgery is recommended when the bone has slipped to such an extent that your spine doesn t respond to medications.

Non-surgical treatment includes the following-

Taking anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen to ease pain.
Practicing a few physiotherapy exercises to reduce lower back pain.
Use of minimally invasive Epidural Steroid Injections (EPIs) to get relief from lower back pain and pelvic pain caused by inflamed spinal nerves. When over-the-counter medications fail to treat tSpondylolysthesishe condition or ease the symptoms, then a surgery is inevitable.
Discectomy- It is a surgical procedure that makes small incisions to remove a part of the damaged disc to relieve pressure from the surrounding spinal cord or nerve root.
Laminotomy- This refers to a minimally invasive procedure that removes a part of the lamina which is the upper surface of the vertebra. This process is used to create more space within the spinal canal.
Foraminotomy- With this method excess bone tissues are removed so that they don t make the foramen narrow and compress the nerve root. Removing these extra tissues reduce back pain and ease symptoms triggered by nerve compression.
Medical attention is crucial for countering symptoms of spondylolisthesis. Although this condition may not seem life-threatening, if left untreated, it can lead to chronic, persistent pain and permanent nerve damage.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Spondylolysthesis - A Condition Which Affects Your Spinal Bones!

We have 207 bones in the body and breaking of any one of them can be extremely painful. Broken bones are called fractures and are most often a result of accidents. The risk of breaking a bone depends largely on your age and fractures are most commonly suffered by children and elderly people. There are many types of fractures. The most important amongst these are:

Complete or incomplete fractures: This refers to the way a bone breaks. A complete fracture involves the breaking of a bone into two or more separate pieces while in an incomplete fracture, the bone does not break all the way through and may only be cracked.
Compound fractures: Compound fractures are also known as open fractures. This refers to fractures where the bone tears through the skin.
Simple fractures: Fractures where the bone does not tear through the skin are known as simple fractures. This can be further categorized as greenstick fractures, transverse fractures, oblique fractures and impacted fractures.
Severe pain is one of the most common symptoms of a fracture. Other symptoms include swelling or bruising over the bone area, loss of function and deformity. Any form of a fracture needs medical attention. In most cases, using a splint to reset and support the broken bones can help heal them. This process can be surgical or non-surgical depending on the extent of the fracture. In some cases a pin or metal plate may need to be implanted along with the bone to give them support while they heal.

Fractures can be easily prevented. In your home look out for things you could trip over or bang into. Keep all stairways clear of obstructions and do not use them when wet. Advise your children not to run in the house as tiles are slippery and they could fall and hurt themselves this way.

Follow general safety precautions like wearing a seatbelt while driving or wearing a helmet while riding a bike or bicycle. This can significantly reduce your chances of breaking a bone if caught in an automobile accident. 

The weaker your bones, the easier they are to break. Eat food rich in calcium and vitamin D to build stronger bones. Milk and other dairy products are rich in calcium while the best way to get vitamin D is by exposing yourself to the early morning sunlight.

If you suffer from osteoporosis, exercise regularly to improve your balance and increase the strength of your bones and muscles. Your doctor may also prescribe medication for the same.

Fractures - How They Can Be Prevented?

When there is a fracture of the bone, the affected site may be plastered for the fracture to heal. In some cases, this may not be enough to mend the bones and surgery may be required along with bone grafting to rectify the condition. A new form of therapy, involving a less invasive procedure has been developed. It involves culturing the stem cells and using the same to mend and regenerate parts of the bone.

What does the treatment involve?

In this process, one cultures cells from the patient s body. The cells are extracted from the bone marrow. These cells are cultured in the lab and injected back to the affected region of the body. Research has shown that after the injection, the treatment takes anywhere between 7 to 8 weeks to repair the fracture completely.

Since stem cells are being harvested from the patient and not from a third-party, the treatment does not have any ethical constraints. However, more studies are being conducted to prove without a doubt that the same does not cause any damage to the body of the patient in the long run.



It is likely that this procedure will replace rudimentary surgical techniques, such as bone harvesting, in the future. It is far less invasive and does not result in extreme pain or prolonged hospitalization.

The future of the treatment: 

While stem cell culture has been around for a few years now, the use of the same procedure to treat fractures is The Latest Technology. It is in its early stages, which is why such a form of treatment is not offered by all hospitals across the globe and very selective surgeons having experience of the procedure would perform it.

Additional research and studies are being conducted to further confirm the efficacy of the treatment. Research has revealed that stem cell insertion in the bone can be used to regrow defects and heal non-unions of a bone. In some cases, repeated stem cell insertion may be required. The bone that grows as a result is as strong as the other bones in the body.

Stem Cell Culture For Broken Bones - What Is It?

Bones are quite literally the support system of the body, so it's super important to keep them strong and healthy. Strength is not a goal you achieve in a day, week or month. It is a way more rigorous process that has to go on for years. The growing age of your life matters the most; it is at this point that you can make your bones strong. Bone strength should also be maintained in certain ways. Child or adult, you must aim for both mental and physical strength.

Here are some tips to make deposits in your bone bank for a healthier future.

1. Know your family history: as with many medical conditions, family history is a key indicator of bone health. Those with a parent or sibling who has or had osteoporosis are more likely to develop it. So, how's your bone density, grandma? might seem like an awkward question at thanksgiving dinner, but ask anyway before she passes the gravy.

2. Boost calcium consumption: when most people think bones, they think calcium. This mineral is essential for the proper development of teeth and bones. But calcium isn't the end-all, be-all bone loss cure. The key might be to help the body absorb calcium by pairing calcium-rich foods with those high in vitamin d. Foods that are good sources of calcium include yogurt, cheese, milk, spinach and collard greens.

3. Don't forget the vitamin d: where there's calcium, there must be vitamin d: the two works together to help the body absorb bone-boosting calcium. Boost vitamin d consumption by munching on shrimp, fortified foods like cereal and orange juice, sardines, eggs (in the yolks) and tuna, or opt for a vitamin d supplement. The body also produces vitamin d when exposed to the sun - 10 to 15 minutes of exposure three times per week will do. Vitamin d's importance to bone health has been proven in studies on  seasonal bone loss - elderly people can lose more bone mass during the winter because of lack of sun exposure.

4. Make exercise a priority: seriously regular exercise is to keep a number of health issues at bay, and bone health is no exception. In fact, living a sedentary lifestyle is considered a risk factor for osteoporosis. What type of exercise is most effective? weight-bearing exercises like running, walking, jumping rope, skiing and stair climbing keep bones strongest.

5. Consume less caffeine: caffeine does have some health benefits, but unfortunately not for our bones. Too much of it can interfere with the body's ability to absorb calcium. Drinking more than two cups of coffee per day accelerated bone loss in subjects who also didn't consume enough calcium. Also more than 18 ounces of coffee per day can accelerate bone loss by negatively interacting with vitamin d. So enjoy the java, but keep it in moderation and consume enough calcium, too.

6. Quit smoking: here's yet another reason to lose the cigarettes: multiple studies have shown that smoking can prevent the body from efficiently absorbing calcium, decreasing bone mass.

6 Things to Do for Strong Bones

Clubfoot is a deformity of the foot in infants. The condition is usually present from birth. This happens when the tissues linking the muscles to the tendons are shorter than usual, as a result of which the infant s foot appears twisted and out of shape. The condition can be mild or severe, depending on the symptoms. Often times, babies who are born with clubfoot have it in both the legs.

How to identify if your child has clubfoot?

Since the condition is present from birth, the symptoms are also easily observable. Identifying the following signs can help detect if your child is born with clubfoot-

  A foot that turns downward and inward and toes that point towards the opposite foot
  The affected foot may appear half an inch shorter than the normal foot size
  The heel of the affected foot may be smaller in size than it normally should be
  The calf muscle on the affected leg will be underdeveloped (appear slightly smaller)
  If the condition is severe, the foot may be twisted upside down

Despite its unusual shape, clubfoot does not cause pain or discomfort. The doctor will most likely notice the symptoms after the infant s birth. He/she will recommend appropriate treatment of the condition, or refer to an orthopaedic who specializes in muscle and bone ailments.

What is the treatment of clubfoot?

Clubfoot is curable so parents need not worry about their child living with a lifelong deformity.

Depending on the severity of the condition, the orthopaedic will either use devices, resort to stretching methods, or will recommend surgery.

  Ponseti Method (stretching and casting) - It is the standard treatment worldover. It starts at birth or anytime within two weeks of age and has best results in younger kids. It involves stretching the clubfoot and casting it in correct position several times over the months to restore the foot shape.
  French Functional Method (stretching and taping) - The doctor will stretch the affected foot and tape it in position several times over a couple of months to realign the shape. It, however, has very limites following.
  Surgery - Surgeries may be needed in older neglected kids or adults. The surgeon performs a surgical procedure (Achilles tenotomy) to lengthen the tendon of the clubfoot and realigns the joints and bones. Following the surgery, the child will need to be in a cast for about 2 months. Further, to prevent the recurrence of the condition, the child will be advised to wear braces for a year at least.
  Devices - They are adjunctive maintenance devices which are used by doctors in treatment of clubfoot. They are applied to the body to stabilize and limit or protect the movement of the damaged joint.

Parents should seek medical intervention if their baby is born with clubfoot. If the condition is not treated early, the child may face difficulty walking, or may even develop other disorders affecting the joints, like arthritis.

Clubfoot - Ways To Identify & Treat It Well!

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