Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals Ranked Best in Philadelphia for Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation in 2008 Survey by U.S.
News & World Report
(Published 7-18-2008) Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals has again been ranked as the top hospital in Philadelphia for
orthopaedics and rehabilitation medicine by U.S. News & World Report in their 2008 Best Hospitals survey. This ranking translates
into the 15th best hospital in the nation for orthopaedic surgery and the 12th best in the U.S. for rehabilitation medicine.
Summer Brings Workout Routines to the Beach Along with Increased Risk of Orthopaedic Injury
(Published 6-5-2008) As the beach season gets underway, many people will bring their workout regiment with them to the shore.
And that means running along the beach, in the sand. It is commonly thought that the soft sand better cushions the lower extremity
joints, making running on the beach more beneficial. However, Michael Ciccotti, M.D., chief of Sports Medicine at the Rothman
Institute at Jefferson, and head team physician for the Philadelphia Phillies, warns beach runners to beware--this may actually
be placing more strain on your muscles and joints.
Summer Brings Thunderstorms and People with Joint Pain Can Forecast Them, Science Backs It Up
(Published 5-30-2008) The summer brings many thunderstorms to the east coast of the United States, and Javad Parvizi, M.D.,
Ph.D., of the Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, says you should believe your grandmother, friend
or co-worker when they tell you it' going to rain--even if it' simply because their aching knees, hips, hands or shoulders
"say so."
Hitting the Slopes this Season? Beware of a Little Known Orthopaedic Health Hazard
(Published: 01-10-2008) Most likely you’ve never heard of the term “skier’s thumb” -- unless you’re one of the unlucky snow
bunnies, weekend warriors or highly trained athletes to have experienced its severe symptoms ‘first hand.’ But orthopaedic
specialists at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital say it's important to be aware of this acute injury before hitting the
slopes so you don't end up with chronic pain and dysfunction.
Jefferson Specialist is Only in Philadelphia Region and One of Few in Country Preserving Hips with New Surgery
(Published: 11-21-20007) Javad Parvizi, M.D., joint specialist at the Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital,
is the sole orthopaedic surgeon in the Philadelphia region and one of only about a dozen in the United States performing two
new innovative procedures that preserve a patient’s native hip joint, rather than replace or resurface it. The surgery is
used to treat the pain and loss of mobility associated with hip dysplasia and impingement (femoral acetabular impingement)
in younger individuals.
Jefferson Researchers Find Elusive Stem Cells in Intervertebral Disc, Giving New Hope to Restore Painful, Degenerate Discs
in the Spine
(Published: 11-01-2007) Orthopedic researchers at Jefferson Medical College have for the first time found stem cells in the
intervertebral discs of the human spine, suggesting that such cells might someday be used to help repair degenerating discs
and remedy lower back and neck pain.
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Spinal Stem Cells Offer Hope Against Back Pain
(Published: 11-01-2007, WashingtonPost.com) As spinal discs degenerate, cells are lost, and there's a decrease is the ability
to produce water-binding molecules called proteoglycans. Water absorbs force on the spine. The loss of proteoglycans can result
in disc damage and pain. For the first time, researchers have found stem cells within the intervertebral discs of the human
spine. They say it may someday be possible to use these stem cells to help repair degenerating discs in order to treat neck
and lower back pain. "Our next step is to activate these disc stem cells and get them to repopulate the disc and make proteoglycans
and restore the water binding," researcher Irving Shapiro, Ph.D., professor of orthopedic surgery at Jefferson Medical College
in Philadelphia.
Media Coverage
WashingtonPost.com
USNews.com
HealthDay.com
Spinal Cord Injuries Among Geriatrics Has Risen Five Times in Last 30 Years, Jefferson Neurosurgeons Found
(Published: 03-16-2007) The number of spinal cord injuries among senior citizens (age 70 and above) has increased five times
in the past 30 years, as compared with younger spinal cord injury patients, researchers at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
and Jefferson’s Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center of the Delaware Valley recently reported.
Jefferson Ranked Second in Nation, First in Pennsylvania for NIH Funding in Orthopaedic Research
(Published: 02-23-2007) Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University has achieved a new position of distinction
in orthopaedics--it has been ranked second in the United States and first in Pennsylvania for orthopaedic research funding
in 2005 by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The rankings are released by the NIH after the end of each fiscal year.
Todd J. Albert, M.D., Appointed Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
(Published: 02-08-2007) Spine specialist Todd J. Albert, M.D., has been appointed as the James Edwards professor and chair
of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Jefferson Medical College and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.
He was previously vice chair of the department and is President of the Rothman Institute.
Jefferson Orthopaedic Surgeons Leading International Study of Timing of Spinal Surgery
(Published: 10-3-2006) Surgeons at the Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital are trying to answer a very
difficult and controversial question: Should surgeons operate immediately, within hours of a severe spinal injury, to try
to limit the damage to the spinal cord and surrounding tissues, as many surgeons believe? Or won't it make a difference in
how a patient ultimately fares, as others, citing their experiences, say?
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Ugandan girl needs help to finish mending
(Published: 09-11-2006, Philadelphia Inquirer) Jennifer Anyayo has one more round to go. Then, if the planets are in alignment
or God is watching - or if bad men just choose to stop fighting - Jennifer will go home to a land at peace.
That would be a first for the 15-year-old victim of war. Jennifer suffered serious burns to her face, chest and arm that received
little medical attention for years. Folks who read her story wanted to help. In December, she arrived in the United States
to live, mainly, in Philadelphia and undergo surgery. Let me first update you on the Jennifer Anyayo Fund to which readers
already have contributed so generously. Your donations have paid for living expenses, including clothing and food. The money
has bought some medications, though James Plumb and medical students at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital raised money
to pay for most prescriptions.
We also need to reserve as much as $15,000 to buy a high-quality prosthetic to cover Jennifer's left hand, now only a bent
stump that ends at her metacarpals. A. Lee Osterman, a top Philadelphia hand surgeon, has generously donated his services,
as has Jefferson Health System's Methodist Hospital, to straighten her hand so it can be fitted with the prosthetic.
Media Coverage:
Philadelphia Inquirer
Minimally Invasive Spine Surgeon John Kevin Ratliff, M.D., Joins Jefferson’s Dept. of Neurological surgery
(Published: 08-23-2006) John Kevin Ratliff, M.D., a specialist in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) of the spine, has been
named assistant professor of neurological surgery and orthopaedic surgery at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson
University in Philadelphia.
Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center of the Delaware Valley Receives $2 Million Federal Grant to Continue Work as Designated
National Center
(Published: 08-17-2006) The Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center of the Delaware Valley (RSCICDV), a partnership between Thomas
Jefferson University Hospital and Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, will receive a $2 million federal grant to allow the center
to continue its work to research and treat spinal cord injuries.
Media Coverage:
Reading Eagle
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital Ranked Best Hospital in Philadelphia for Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation Medicine by
U.S.News & World Report
(Published: 07-10-2006) Thomas Jefferson University Hospital has been ranked as the top hospital in Philadelphia for orthopaedics
and rehabilitation medicine by U.S.News & World Report in their 2006 Best Hospitals survey.
Summer Brings Workout Routines to the Beach Along with Increased Risk of Orthopedic Injury
(Published: 06-21-2006) As the beach season gets underway, many people will bring their workout regiment with them to the
shore. And that means running along the beach, in the sand. It is commonly thought that the soft sand better cushions the
lower extremity joints, making running on the beach even more beneficial. However an orthopedic specialist at Thomas Jefferson
University Hospital warns this may actually put more strain on your muscles and joints.
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital wins Healthcare Advertising Awards
(Published: 05-18-2006) Thomas Jefferson University Hospital took home three awards at the Healthcare Advertising Awards held
recently in Atlanta.
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Building Better Bones With Ice
(Published 03-17-2006) When it comes to manufacturing materials that are both strong and ultra-lightweight, Mother Nature
is in a league all her own. But scientists are catching up.
A team of researchers has managed to imitate the complex structures found in ice and mollusk shells, and the ultra-strong
material could lead to everything from stronger artificial bone to airplane parts.
The scientists used the physics of ice formation to develop ceramic composites four times stronger than current technology.
Ceramic has been the material of choice in joint-replacement surgeries for years because it lasts longer and produces fewer
immune reactions than metal or plastic. It also contain millions of tiny pores that the patient's own bone cells can bind
to, strengthening the new joint. But the spongelike structure of conventional ceramic is weak, and can fracture.
"The current bone grafts we use are relatively weak in terms of mechanical strength," says Dr. William Hozack, professor of
orthopedic surgery at Thomas Jefferson University. "If it's a stronger material and more like bone, that's a good thing."
Media Coverage:
Wired News
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Discs Ease Pain Without Fusion(Published 02-7-2006, News Journal (DE)) A car accident had left the 50-year-old Newark resident with ruptured discs in his
neck. The pain was so bad that Vento had taken to spending his nights alternating between the floor and his bed.
Epidural shots, anti-inflammatory drugs and over-the-counter painkillers did nothing to ease the discomfort, so last year
Vento started looking into surgery.
"I never missed any work, but it was just stressful," he said. "It was constant headaches. It was one of those things where
you grin and bear it, but it was exhausting."
His first option was spinal fusion surgery, which uses a stiff bone graft to replace a piece of the spine where it presses
against a nerve. Instead, Vento chose to participate in a clinical trial at the Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University
Hospital in Philadelphia. There, doctors implanted a new, artificial cervical disc replacement that allows for more movement.
Media Coverage:
News Journal (DE)
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Jefferson Orthopaedic Surgeons Studying Artifical Disc Replacement(Published 01-23-2006, WDEL-AM(1150AM)) If you suffer from chronic shoulder and arm pain, help could come from a new therapy
now being studied by Todd Albert, M.D., vice chair of orthopedic surgery at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, and
a spine surgeon at the Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
Dr. Albert as we age, water content in the soft, rubbery discs between our vertebrae goes down, which can cause the discs,
including those in the cervical, or neck area, to lose their shock-absorbing properties. "When they herniate or wear out,
they can press on the nerves coming in through the neck and/or the spinal cord, and that can cause a lot of problems for people."
Albert and other researchers are testing an artificial disc, which he says can be inserted without cutting muscle, making
the patient's recovery time much faster than that for treatments like spinal fusions.
Media Coverage:
WDEL-AM(1150AM)
Featured in the Media
People in Constant, Agonizing Pain Have a Tough Time Getting Medication Due to Government Concerns About Drug Abuse.(Published 01-22-2006, Reading Eagle) The National Institutes of Health lists ongoing pain as America's leading cause of disability,
costing employers up to $100 billion a year in lost wages and productivity, Even today, it is unclear how much pain a person
is experiencing, which could be why nearly two-thirds of these people trudge through life undermedicated and living unnecessarily
in constant pain, according to a 2003 survey by Peter D. Hart Research Associates. Yet swirling in the gulf between this growing
group of people in pain and the care they need is a confluence of ideas and arguments about how to treat them. And often conflicting
interests of physicians, law enforcement and federal regulators prevent patients from receiving effective medicine -- usually
powerful opiates such as morphine, codeine and synthetic narcotics such as OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin and Tylox. A law-enforcement
official says the government is only trying to stop drug abuse.
Tough policies also have forced doctors and pharmacists into the unwelcome role of enforcing drug laws, Dr. Mitchell K. Freedman
said. Freedman is medical director of pain management at the Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in
Philadelphia. He said he writes about five to 10 prescriptions for narcotic drugs each week, and he secondguesses his patients
and his decisions more than ever. Is the patient's pain complaint legitimate or is it an addict's ruse to get narcotics? "The
world was made for a physician to be fooled," Freedman said. "I'm not supposed to be a police officer, but it turns us into
that sometimes. "I always hesitate because of it (strict policies)."
Media Coverage:
Reading Eagle
Orthopedic Surgeons at Jefferson to Study Safety of Artificial Disc for Patients with Cervical Disc Degeneration(Published: 01-04-2006) Thousands of patients with chronic pain in their shoulders and arms could benefit from a study being
done at The Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia. Orthopedic and neurosurgeons specializing
in spinal surgery there are participating in a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved clinical study assessing the safety
and effectiveness of an artificial disc for use in the treatment of chronic cervical disc degeneration in the neck.
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital Ranked Best in Philadelphia for Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation in 2007 Survey by U.S.News
& World Report