Tag: pediatric orthopedic surgery

Good News for High School Pitchers

Sports injuries in children have been on the rise since the 70s, when youth and amateur play was not yet the high-stakes pipeline to professional athletics that it often is today.

Parents, coaches and athletic organizations have been slow to react, but lately there has been some encouraging movement as tales of preventable injury are spread through social media and the press.

Repetitive injuries are having a moment right now, as evidenced by recent measures to mandate more rest and recovery time for baseball pitches who have been suffering shoulder and elbow injuries with alarming frequency:

A group that oversees policy for high school sports — the National Federation of State High School Associations — has called on its state affiliates to adopt their own rules for how many pitches a student-athlete can throw in a single game and how much rest pitchers must have between appearances in games. In response, the New York State High School Athletic Association plans to have a proposal by October and new rules in place for next spring.

It’s an encouraging step, but it’s just the beginning. Ideally we will someday see rest and relaxation baked into the very notion of youth sports – not because it is mandated, but because it is simply what’s done.

Until that time, the American Orthopedic and Sports Medicine center is here to help with your pediatric orthopedic needs. Contact us today for an appointment

An Extraordinary Hand Surgery

Hand transplants often warrant headlines because of their sheer ambition: the extraordinary number of nerve and tendon connections, not to mention vascular and musculoskeletal linkages, required to successfully transplant a human hand can take years of planning.

So it is especially astounding that one team recently mounted a comparable effort in less than a day.

The case in question involves a boy whose hand was severed at the wrist following a violent car crash. One team of doctors rushed to treat his head injuries while, in another room, hasty preparations were made to reattach the hand. The effort was monumental:

By the time the pressure monitor was in place, near midnight, Comer’s team had Elijah’s hand ready. They brought it from the other operating room to begin the delicate process of reconnecting it to Elijah’s arm, fitting together first his bones, then the tendons, then — with the help of a few blood vessel grafts — the veins, nerves and arteries. Finally, after nine hours of surgery, the team closed the skin. They also set Elijah’s broken humerus.

Since that day, the patient has actually regained some movement in his hand and continued to recover overall – a testament to the power of modern orthopedic surgery tools. The case remains an inspiration for those of us who specialize in pediatric orthopedic surgery for young people like Elijah, and who place a premium on the absolute cutting edge in modern medical techniques.

Connect With the Best Orthopedic Surgeon in San Diego

It is a fact of orthopedic medicine that not every specialist in this area covers a wide range of ailments. Although there is something to be said for the benefits of specialization, patients often express frustration upon discovering that their orthopedic surgeon only treats, say, a certain subset of back injuries and nothing else.

Here at American Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, or AOSM, we proudly offer a more versatile approach to orthopedic care. Dr. William Holland has earned the highest marks from patients through Southern California for his competency and high success rate, as well as an abiding commitment to a full range of orthopedic specialties, including:

If you’re looking for the best orthopedic surgeon in San Diego for chronic pain or injury, don’t hesitate: contact the offices Dr. William Holland for an expert consultation.

Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon in San Diego

Pediatric orthopedic surgery is a different animal from adult orthopedic surgery. Beyond the fact that adults possess many emotional skills that children do not, there is also the fact that operating on a growing body presents a unique set of challenges.

Bones that are extending and ligaments that are stretching require a level of care and expertise that adult anatomy does not. Pediatric surgery is primarily interested not just in how to heal, but in how to help patients grow without undue pain or inhibited movement. Pediatric orthopedic surgeons must therefore consider not just the clear present, but the hazy future as well.

As a San Diego orthopedic surgeon, I take great care with my younger patients, walking kids and their parents through every step of each procedure. Whether your child has suffered a knee injury, shoulder injury, or elbow/wrist injury, my staff and I take the time to communicate the best options and set every family on a path toward effective recovery.

If your child has suffered an injury that requires expert pediatric surgical care in San Diego, please contact my offices here today.