Reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is a highly-invasive surgical procedure that can include implanting a hamstring allograft to serve as a replacement ligament for the ruptured or torn ACL. Rehabilitation will begin shortly...
The largest organ in the body is the skin, which is the first line of defense against infection, temperature extremes or contamination with dirt or chemicals. Merck Manuals, an online medical library, reports that severe skin burns cause between...
A torn anterior cruciate ligament can result in an unstable knee. Depending on symptoms and activity, the surgeon may present several options to repair or replace a torn ACL. The replacement options include using the patient's knee tendons or...
Tendon transfers are common in anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL reconstruction. Tendons are taken from other body parts and used to replace the ACL. The ACL functions to keep the tibia in proper position and prevents the knee from giving way...
The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is a structure in the knee that provides stability. When this ligament is torn, an orthopedic surgeon will perform an ACL reconstruction. After surgery, the physician will order physical therapy to restore...
Bone grafting is a surgical procedure performed by your doctor in which she takes new bone or replacement material and places it into spaces between or around your broken bones, or fractures. You doctor also puts the new bone or replacement...
The human spinal column is marvel of anatomical engineering composed of a series of vertebral bones and cartilaginous intervertebral discs. This structure supports the musculoskeletal system and protects a vital component of the central nervous...
Skin grafting is a surgical procedure in which a healthy layer of new skin or a skin substitute is placed over a burn or non-healing wound to permanently replace damaged or missing skin or to provide a temporary wound covering. This procedure...
The ACL, or anterior cruciate ligament, in the knee connects the tibia, the lower leg bone, to the femur, the thigh bone. The ACL incurs injury more frequently than any other knee ligament. The symptoms of an ACL injury include a popping sound,...
Skin grafts are done in cases where a person's own skin can no longer do its usual job of covering the muscles and tendons to help regulate body temperature, prevent infection and avoid excess fluid loss. A skin graft is essentially a...
The radial head is a commonly fractured bone of the elbow joint. Primary treatment of radial head fractures can be non-operative if there is minimal displacement of the fragments. In more complicated fractures with more displacement and more bone...
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) connects the femur (thighbone) to the tibia (shinbone) at the knee. If the ACL is torn in a sport, work or other activity injury, your knee may become unstable. To restore stability, surgery may be needed to...
Cervical fusion is the joining of two or more vertebrae in the neck through bone grafts or hardware. It decreases mobility of damaged joints and stabilizes them, preventing further collapse. Often performed in conjunction with removal of a damaged...
Bone grafting is the process of transplanting bone tissue from one region of the patient's body, or from another person called a donor, to repair diseased bones in the patient. A bone graft--bone tissue being transplanted from one region to...
The spine consists of the spinal cord (which carries nerves from the brain throughout the body) and bones called vertebrae which surround the spinal cord and protect it. In between the vertebrae are structures called discs, which support and...
Anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, surgery is a major operation that will require a great deal of rest and active rehabilitation. ACL surgery will immobilize you for a time, requiring crutches to keep weight off your knee joint. Movement is...
People who suffer damage to the lumbar spine, which runs through the lower back, may need to undergo surgery if more conservative treatments such as pain medications and physical therapy don't do enough to relieve their pain and neurological...
You need a small bowel transplant if you have short bowel syndrome, where your small intestine is not large enough now due to disease or surgery. Some common diseases are Crohn's disease, gastroscheisis and desmoid tumors. If you have short bowel...
Neck injuries can cause damage to the part of the spine that runs through the neck---the cervical spine---by pushing spinal discs out of place. If the discs bulge out far enough to touch the nearby nerve roots, patients can experience pain and...
You may choose cervical spine surgery to help with your back pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, to restore nerve function or prevent abnormal movement in your cervical spine. People with degenerative disorders are good candidates for cervical...
Between 3,000 to 4,000 people die of severe burns each year in the United States, reports The Merck Manual. Heat, electricity, radiation and chemicals can all cause third-degree burns, the most severe type of burn. The very young and elderly are...
The pectoral muscle, or pectoralis major, connects from the collar bone, sternum and six ribs, attaching onto the humerus bone of the arm. It is a powerful muscle that brings the arm back to the body. In the February 2005 "Journal of the American...
The complications and outcomes of spinal fusion surgery can vary according to the level of fusion and the surgical approach. Spinal fusion does not usually result in a complete cure or total symptoms alleviation, but it is generally successful...
Cervical spine surgery focuses on the part of the spine that passes through the neck. It can treat existing damage to the spinal cord and the nerves around it, as well as strengthen the spine to help prevent further damage. Often, the surgery...
ACL, or anterior cruciate ligament, reconstruction surgery is a procedure in which the injured ACL is removed and replaced with another piece of tendon taken from the same patient or from a donor. This procedure can be performed using open...
Cervical spine surgery can effectively treat damage to the part of the spinal cord that runs through the neck. But while cervical spine surgery may relieve nerve pressure and strengthen and align the spinal cord, it may also result in a host of...
Bone tissue is a mighty knitting machine that shapes and grows your skeleton from gestation to the grave. Bones are designed to heal themselves when broken, but occasionally bone fractures fail to heal completely. When this happens, doctors may...
Whether you're avoiding food for political, religious or health reasons, fasting is an excellent exercise in willpower. However, doubts exist about whether fasting is safe for the body. Surprisingly, scientific research shows that fasting for...
Spinal fusion is a type of spinal surgery that works to eliminate the space between two vertebrae in the spinal column. It can be used to treat small fractures, diseases of the spinal cord and other spine problems.
