Blog List - Penn Medicine

Penn Medicine: Caring for Philly’s Hometown Team

March 03, 2014

Athletics has been in the news lately, with the recent Olympic Games. For a fortnight, we watched as triumphant athletes celebrate the highest highs and ascended the medals podium to claim their reward. But as skiers tumbled down mountains, snowboarders navigated the half pipe, sometimes within inches of their life,...

Family Medicine and Community Health Orthopaedics

Knee-Deep in the 2014 Winter Olympics

February 20, 2014

Image courtesy of Alessando Trovati/AP For six days, the world has watched, waited, and celebrated as their countries’ preeminent athletes have competed for medals, records, and ultimately a place in history among Olympic greats. The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi have unfolded with every bit of excitement and glory that...

Orthopaedics Surgery

Could an Ounce of Prevention Actually Cause Harm?

July 26, 2013

David Stanton, MD, DMD, and Samir Mehta, MD, principal investigators on Penn Medicine's Bisphosphonate Biomarkers Trial We’ve all seen the TV commercials in which a fabulous Hollywood-mom actress talks to us about the dangers of weakening bones, and the small pills or chewable capsules we can take to avoid common...

Orthopaedics

A Look Back, in Photos: The Past Two Months or So Around Penn Medicine

July 16, 2013

Though my Penn Medicine ID card says 'Digital Communications Editor,' I've worn a few hats here — including in-house photographer. Because it's an aspect of the job that I love, I'd like to share some of the photos I've taken over the past month or so, giving readers a glimpse...

Emergency Medicine Nursing Orthopaedics Surgery

Osteo…huh?

June 12, 2013

Doctors search for new ways to solve the puzzle of a rare bone cancer Zach Sobiech (Image courtesy of YouTube) Recently, the world watched as 18-year-old Zach Sobiech transformed from a high school student living with cancer, to a rock star, living his dream of recording music and embracing his...

Cancer Orthopaedics

Giving New Life to Dead Bones

December 14, 2012

While most artificial hip joints in use today will last 10-20 years, like all devices, the artificial hip joint – which replaces the natural hip bone with a metal ball and resurfaces the hip socket with a metal shell and plastic liner – wears out over time. For younger patients, this means a second surgery (and maybe even a third) will be required to replace the artificial joint. Fortunately, a rare procedure now being offered by specialists at Penn Medicine provides a long-term alternative for younger patients with chronic hip pain.

Orthopaedics Patient Stories Surgery

Collaboration Does a Body Good

October 05, 2012

During the first Presidential debate of the 2012 election season earlier this week, President Barack Obama and his challenger Mitt Romney went to the mat to discuss – among other topics – the future of health care in the United States. Though the two have opposing views on how to...

Orthopaedics Patient Care

On Bodies and Minds: Effects of the Civil War

September 28, 2012

It’s hard to fathom, but to this day one startling Civil War statistic stands: approximately 625,000 American men – the equivalent of 6 million men today – were killed in action or died of disease between April 12, 1861 and April 9, 1865. That’s more than in World War I,...

Brain and Behavior Orthopaedics Trauma

Baby Boomers Feel the “Kneed” for Speed

March 02, 2012

New research indicates that in recent years orthopaedic surgeons have seen a dramatic surge in the number of Baby Boomers suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, or injury to the joint – often resulting from increased activities such as marathon running, swimming, or even power walking. According to the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, knee replacements nearly tripled in people ages 45 to 64 between 1997 and 2009. Though still less common in younger patients, current estimates suggest that more than half a million Americans in their 50s have had the procedure. Based on current trends, operations in that age group are expected to increase.