Dr. Cory A. Collinge This is Me

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 Web References

1. 1. Healing Common Hip and Knee Fractures With Special Orthopaedic Care

   www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/sto - [Cached]

   Published on: 2/24/2005   Last Visited: 2/24/2005

   According to Cory A. Collinge, MD, orthopaedic surgeon at Harris Methodist Hospital, Fort Worth, Tex., this bone-thinning disease makes the treatment of hip fractures more challenging. Patients with osteoporosis are at higher risk of the bone pulling away from the screw and metal implant used to hold the broken bone in place during healing. Although the treatment of hip fractures has advanced tremendously over the years, there is still room for further improvement. Nearly 25 percent of patients who suffer a hip fracture die within one year because of complications post-surgery. These include medical problems such as pneumonia, blood clots and bed sores, and also orthopaedic-related issues such as pain, joint stiffness, leg length inequality, slow fracture healing, hardware failure and loss of functional ability or independence. "Treatment failure means more surgery, greater potential for complications and decreased quality of life," Dr. Collinge said. In patients highly susceptible to bone detaching from the implant, orthopaedic surgeons may use an improved technique, in which a metal rod is inserted within the narrow space of the bone. These high-risk patients may also receive a newer type of bone cement, which resorbs -- or goes away -- over a period of one to two years. "In the short term, the resorbable bone cement augments fixation of the screw," explained Dr. Collinge, "but it's easier to inject into the correct place in the hip than non-resorbable bone cement." Another advancement in the treatment of hip fractures is increased recognition and treatment of the usual underlying cause, osteoporosis. "Five years ago, people were being treated for hip fractures, but not osteoporosis. These days, that is no longer the case," Dr. Collinge said.