The physicians of Greater Dallas Orthopaedics have been supportive of a community outreach program educating the members of their local community. The mission of this program has been to offer free educational seminars and workshops in the community that they serve.

Several topics have been covered during these sessions and have included arthritis management, types of injuries, preventive measures, and treatment options. This year they have focused these seminars on common conditions and treatments of shoulder hip and knee pain, Minimally Invasive Treatments for Hip, Knee, Shoulder and Elbow Pain, Minimally Invasive Muscle Sparing Anterior hip replacement, Partial knee replacement, and non-surgical management of arthritis.

The participation in these sessions has been excellent and the feedback from these seminars has been very supportive, demonstrating an absolute interest as well as a need in the community for continued education. Participants have enjoyed the open question and answer time with the Physicians.

Dr. Hohman, a fellowship trained orthopaedic surgeon, specializes in total joint replacements (minimally invasive muscle sparing anterior total hip replacements/ minimally invasive partial/ total knee replacements) was most recently volunteering his time at the Texas Health Resources University (pictured above).

The physicians of Greater Dallas Orthopaedics are dedicated to serving you and our local community and can be seen caring for their patients at all of the local major health institutions. We also share News and related stories of importance in Orthopedic care with the community through the seminars. Any upcoming community outreach programs undertaken by our staff within the community will be highlighted through our office (214) 252- 7039 and website (www.GDOrtho.com). Please feel free to utilize the patient education and other educational resources that are available. Follow us on facebook or review the youtube channel listing below for educational material and patient tesitmonials.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvQO_7jnsUZkFlEyjaVkG6w

https://www.facebook.com/DrHohman?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

http://www.healthgrades.com/physician/dr-donald-hohman-y9vv6rz

 http://orthodoc.aaos.org/hohman/index.cfm

Surgical interventions, including arthroscopic partial meniscectomy and loose body removal, are only recommended in osteoarthritic patients with mechanical symptoms. For patients with severe pain associated with osteoarthritis, surgical interventions such as high tibial osteotomy, total knee replacement, or partial knee arthroplasty, are often recommended. These procedures are considered end–stage surgical interventions and may be associated with complications.

If you’ve been suffering from chronic achy knees and have not responded to ibuprofen, injections, knee surgery, knee braces or physical therapy he may be a candidate for a minimally invasive solution.  A procedure known as subchondroplasty treats bone defects in chronic bone marrow lesions, which is an abnormal swelling in the soft bone below the joint surface.  Oftentimes patients who have bone marrow lesions suffer from pain, decreased function and cartilage destruction.  The condition typically leads to severe osteoarthritis and for some patients, total knee replacement.  Subchondroplasty is a much simpler and less expensive procedure which may offer the ability to extend the life of the knee by several years by supporting these areas which for whatever reason seem to be weak and causing pain.

During the procedure the surgeon uses a guide and special instrument to access the affected area which has been identified on MRI.  A special bone substitute material is injected into a small incision in the knee which allows new healthy bone to repair the defect.  This is typically done as an outpatient procedure and takes approximately 45 minutes or less and usually requires only a short period of rehabilitation, typically 6 weeks, as compared to 4-6 months for a knee replacement. Subchondroplasty is one of the most recent orthopaedic advancements with the hope of preserving the joint and avoiding further surgery.

Donald Hohman MD is a fellowship trained Orthopaedic Surgeon specializing in joint replacements of the hip and knee. He completed his specialty training at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital of the Harvard Medical School- Boston, MA. If you have any further questions please feel free to utilize the educational material provided on the website www.GDOrtho.com or his office can be reached at 214-252-7039.

http://www.healthgrades.com/physician/dr-donald-hohman-y9vv6rz

http://orthodoc.aaos.org/hohman/index.cfm

There are many different kinds of arthritic conditions that can affect the human body. Osteoarthritis, or degenerative joint disease, is the most common form of arthritis. The bones in a joint are covered with a tough, lubricating tissue called cartilage (the cushion in the joints) to help provide smooth, pain-free motion to the joint. As the layer of cartilage wears away, bone begins to rub against bone (“bone-on-bone”), causing the irritation, swelling, stiffness, and discomfort commonly associated with arthritis.

In some patients, only one part of the knee is damaged, while the remaining parts are completely healthy. In these cases, it is possible to replace only the damaged part of the knee with a metal and plastic implant. With a partial knee, only the damaged cartilage of the knee is replaced. The healthy parts are preserved. In the past decade, there has been a major increase in the use of unicompartmental knee replacement (UKR/ partial knee replacement) as surgical techniques have been refined. UKR has shown to be a reliable operation for isolated unicompartmental arthritis. UKRs now account for 8% to 10% of knee replacement procedures. Recent studies have suggested excellent medium- and long-term results of UKR. Overall, results have shown 85% to 90% survivorship at 10 years, with as many as 90% of patients reporting that they are very satisfied with the procedure and they have reported excellent subjective and objective outcomes. Recent studies suggest that unicompartmental replacement allows a high percentage of patients to return to presurgical sport and activity participation.

UKR has seen a revival in popularity because of the fewer and less severe complications in patients when compared to total knee replacement in appropriately selected patients. Improved component designs and advanced surgical techniques have promoted excellent results. Expanded indications to include the very young and the elderly have also shown similar clinical outcomes. Nonetheless, the success of unicompartmental replacement depends on proper surgical technique and patient selection. Long-term studies have shown that unicompartmental knee replacement is an alternative to total knee replacement.

These procedures can usually be done through a smaller incision and patients generally recover more quickly. Recent research has demonstrated that modern unicompartmental implants, evaluated at a an average of twenty years of follow-up in patients with osteoarthritis that was limited to one compartment of the knee, provided durable pain relief and long-term restoration of knee function without compromising future conversion to conventional total knee replacement. While there are some limitations to what can be accomplished with a partial knee replacement, regardless of its limitations, the functional benefits and lower risks of UKR make it an appealing treatment option for unicompartmental disease.

Dr Donald W Hohman MD is a fellowship trained orthopaedic surgeon specializing in total joint replacements of the hip and knee. Dr Hohman sees patients in the greater Dallas area with office visits available in both Dallas and Allen. If you have any further questions, he can be reached at 214-252-7039- feel free to utilize the educational material available through the web site www.GDOrtho.com

http://orthodoc.aaos.org/hohman/index.cfm

http://www.healthgrades.com/physician/dr-donald-hohman-y9vv6rz

http://www.zocdoc.com/doctor/donald-hohman-md-110330

Osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative disease that most commonly affects the hips and knees and is associated with joint pain. This pain may ultimately result in the loss of joint function. This disease is caused by 'wear and tear' on the joints themselves. The knee is the most commonly Involved joint. This disease may progress to become so crippling that patient is unable to even walk independently from their bed to the bathroom. The major causes of osteoarthritis are age, gender, obesity, and medical conditions which may predispose to the development of arthritis. Evidence even exists indicating that a hereditary predisposition exists and may contribute to the development of the disease. In fact, certain gene mutations have been identified which seem to point to the potential location for the development of arthritis, for example the hip or the knee.

 This disorder needs to be differentiated from another common type of arthritis which is referred to as rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder in which the body’s own immune cells decide to attack the cartilage of the joint and if untreated, may result in damage to the joint surfaces. The signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis are pain, joint stiffness, joint swelling, and typically the loss of function. There are no blood tests are helpful in diagnosing osteoarthritis. The management of osteoarthritis includes non-pharmacological, pharmacological and surgical.

A relatively new procedure available for the management of arthritis is referred to as viscosupplementation, in which a preparation of hyaluronic acid is injected into the knee joint. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance found in the synovial (joint) fluid. This substance acts as a lubricant to enable bones to move smoothly over each other. These molecules may act as a shock absorber for joint loads during activities. The goal of these medicines is to counteract the changes that occur in the arthritic joint fluid. Arthritic joints ultimately see a decrease in the elastic and viscous properties of synovial fluid which is normally present to help reduce the forces on the joints. These changes occur in osteoarthritis as a result from both a reduced molecular size and a reduced concentration of hyaluronic acid in the synovial (joint) fluid. Viscosupplementation may be a therapeutic option for individuals with osteoarthritis of the knee. Viscosupplementation has been shown to relieve pain in many patients who cannot get relief from non-medicinal measures or analgesic drugs.

Your doctor can help decide what the appropriate selection criteria for these medications are. Ask your provider about the rationale and efficacy of viscosupplimentation in the management of osteoarthritis of knee.

Donald Hohman MD is a fellowship trained Orthopaedic Surgeon specializing in joint replacements of the hip and knee. He completed his specialty training at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital of the Harvard Medical School- Boston, MA. If you have any further questions please feel free to utilize the educational material provided on the website www.GDOrtho.com or his office can be reached at 214-252-7039.

Facts about Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common types of arthritis and usually begins with pain in the affected joint. Osteoarthritis causes the normally smooth joint surfaces to wear away.

This results in:

Bone-on-bone contact

Pain

Stiffness

Facts about Hip Replacement Surgery

Total hip replacements have been used to treat and repair joint disease caused by conditions such as osteoarthritis since the 1960s, and more than 330,000 people in the United States have a hip replacement each year. Yet many Americans who are potential candidates for hip replacement choose years of conservative care, such as physical therapy, drugs, or injections, to reduce their joint pain. There is no cure for osteoarthritis and it is degenerative, which means that any pain and limited mobility are likely to get worse over time. Many people with osteoarthritis of the hip gradually stop doing the things they love and adapt their lives to cope with reduced movement. Today, advanced designs and materials, along with refinements in surgical techniques, have improved hip replacement surgery. When medication, physical therapy and other conservative methods of treatment no longer relieve pain, it may be time for the patient to consider hip replacement.