Innovative surgeries offered by Dr. Chris Dougherty

Innovative surgeries offered by Dr. Chris Dougherty:

ACL Reconstruction on Children

Not many surgeons offer ACL reconstruction on very young kids, but Dr. Dougherty does. It’s an all epiphyseal ACL reconstruction and he is one of very few doctors to offer this treatment option in Arkansas. He also just returned lecturing on ligament reconstruction with internal bracing and cartilage grafting and is now performing anterior lateral ligament reconstructions.

Twenty years ago, very few children or adolescents presented at doctors’ offices with ACL injuries. Today, these injuries are common because children and young adolescents are participating in sports earlier in life and at a higher level of competition. Young athletes are also increasingly specializing in one sport, putting them at risk for overuse injuries once only seen in professional athletes. In addition, since the Title IX ban on sex discrimination in school sports, the number of female athletes has increased and females are more prone to ACL injury.

Performing ACL reconstruction in patients who are still growing is difficult. The ACL can be thought of as a rope that connects the thighbone to the shinbone. The rounded ends of the thighbone and shinbone are called epiphyses and the ACL dangles between them. Open growth plates are located directly behind the epiphyses in children and adolescents, but not in adults.

ACL reconstruction is difficult in children because if an adult-type reconstruction were performed, the graft would cross the growth plates, potentially causing damage that can result in uneven limb lengths or angular deformities. Thus, for many years, ACL injuries in children were managed with bracing, or surgical procedures that were not anatomic and required large incisions to avoid injuring the growth plate. In recent years, however, clinicians realized that non-operative treatment resulted in damage to menisci and articular cartilage thereby leading to early arthritis. Advances in technology, instrumentation and techniques are now available which allow surgeons to perform the reconstruction without risk of injury to the growth plate. These procedures are more technically demanding and are available only by a few surgeons across the U.S., including our very own Dr. Dougherty.

Dr. Dougherty uses a special technique in pre-pubescent patients that allows the ACL to be reconstructed without damaging the growth plate. This is called an all-epiphyseal ACL reconstruction. As opposed to treatment by prolonged bracing or surgery with potential uneven leg length, the all-epiphyseal ACL reconstruction allows the child to participate in sports and activities sooner and with significantly less complications. This technique really is a medical breakthrough for the orthopedic community and Dougherty Orthopedics is proud to be on the forefront of this movement into modern medicine.

http://www.youtube.com/user/sportsmeddr?feature=watch 

Dr. Dougherty's early 2013 travels

2013 has been a very busy year so far. The start of the baseball season began in January with baseball physicals in the Dominican Republic, followed by spring training for the Royals and Naturals in Surprise, Arizona in February.

April started with travel out Breg headquarters in San Diego where he helped launch the t scope brace that Dr. Dougherty helped design for patients after hip surgery.  The brace is designed to help protect the patient by providing them with supportive brace that will keep the operated hip in a position of safety while allowing them to carry out their daily activities as well as protect the hip while sleeping. The brace also serves to reduce the risk of hip dislocation following surgery.  It represents a significant step ahead of prior options for the hip after surgery both in terms of comfort and safety for the patient.

 He then traveled out to Newport Beach California to lecture on hip arthroscopy, including delivering a new procedure for cartilage replacement in the hip that he has pioneered. This step represents a first in the world procedure that will allow for grafting of cartilage defects of both the ball and socket through the minimally invasive procedure of arthroscopy.  He also spoke on pubic symphysis arthroscopy and continued his work on repairing hamstring tears through the arthroscope instead of a large open incision. In May he travels to Miami to teach shoulder and knee arthroscopy.

Concussion Education Seminar

Dr. Dougherty will be speaking at the Concussion Education Seminar on July 10 at the Schmelding Center Auditorium in Springdale from 1-5 p.m. Admission is FREE and will also feature James D. Nesmith, M.D. as a speaker. To register, please contact Alison Moore at 501.472.5400. We hope to see you there!

Avoiding Heat Illness

The temperature is rising faster than normal here in Northwest Arkansas and with football practice starting soon it is very important to know your facts related to heat illness.

The heat from hot temps and the heat produced by your body during physical activity can be a potentially dangerous combination. In order to stay on top of heat illnesses, hydration is key. Drink tons of water -- more than you think you should be drinking. Take frequent breaks from physical activity and stay tuned to the signs and symptoms your body is showing. Also try to wear lightweight and light colored clothing.

Heat illnesses come in various levels of concern:

1. Heat syncope - you might feel dizzy or lightheaded and have pale, wet skin

2. Heat cramps - involuntary spasms of your muscles due to excessive sodium loss through sweat

3. Heat exhaustion - this is the most common form of heat illness seen in athletes. Signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion may include: elevated body temperature, elevated heart rate, nausea or vomiting, headache, thirst

4. Heat stroke - this is a potentially fatal condition. Two things that separate heat stroke from heat exhaustion include: a high core body temperate (higher the 104) and altered consciousness, irrational behavior or disorientation. 

Treatment for these conditions can vary, but they typically always include rest from the physical activity, removing excess clothing or gear, resting in a cool, shaded area and re-hydrating. If heat exhaustion or heat stroke are expected, additional measures for safety will be taken, such as immersion in an ice tub.

Be careful in this hot weather and take the extra measures necessary to stay safe while spending time in the heat.

Osteoporosis: "The Silent Thief"

The facts of osteoporosis are startling:

• 1 in 2 women and 1 in 4 men will have an osteoporosis-related fracture
• 24% of hip fracture patients over the age of 50 DIE IN THE FIRST YEAR after fracture
• 20% of hip fracture patients require long term care for the remainder of their lives
• Only 15% can walk across a room unaided six months after a hip fracture

Experts call osteoporosis "the silent thief" because it robs a person's bone with no outward signs. Commonly, the first symptom is a fracture sustained from little or no trauma. For this reason, screening is critical to detecting and treating osteoporosis before a fracture occurs.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) recommends screening all women 65 and older, men 70 and older, or any adult over the age of 50 with a fracture. Screening includes a few blood tests and a bone density scan that typically takes 10-15 minutes. You can read more about the screening process by clicking this link: NOF-Diagnosing Osteoporosis.

New Year "Fitness Resolutions"

Happy new year everyone!

We know that it's that time of year when everyone makes that resolution to get fit, lose some weight and start running more. As part of your "fitness resolutions" for 2012, make sure that you include stretching properly before any physical activity. Spend enough time on your body and your body will respond better and with less injury.

Make sure you visit our website for some great injury prevention and stretching tips.

Football Season Is Here!

Some call it the most wonderful time of year, but football season has officially arrived, and that means it's time to take a look at some of the most common injuries you will see with football and how they can be prevented.

Football is an incredibly intensive sport on the human body. It requires constant, strenuous activity and ample recovery time. On our website, we have some great resources that can help you take care of any injuries that may occur.

Click here to visit the football page on our website!