Orthopedic conditions
St. Joseph Health provides the latest technology and extensive capabilities to aid our orthopedic specialists. We offer highly specialized care for injuries, diseases, and disorders of bones, joints, and muscles. Our board-certified specialists and expert health professionals are committed to comprehensive diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation.
Orthopedic conditions we treat
Qualities of orthopedic joint disorders
Joint disorders are conditions that affect the joints, where two or more bones meet, allowing for movement and flexibility. These disorders often result in pain, inflammation, and impaired function of the joints. Here are some key qualities and characteristics of joint disorders:
Pain: Joint disorders frequently cause pain, which can range from mild to severe. The pain may be constant or occur only during movement.
Inflammation: Many joint disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, involve inflammation. This can cause the affected joint to become swollen, warm, and tender.
Stiffness: Stiffness, especially after periods of inactivity or in the morning, is a common symptom. This can limit the range of motion and make daily activities challenging.
Swelling: Swelling in the joints is often visible and can be accompanied by a feeling of fullness or tightness. This swelling is due to fluid accumulation and inflammation.
Reduced Range of Motion: Joint disorders can limit the ability to move the joint fully. This reduction in the range of motion can affect mobility and the performance of everyday tasks.
Weakness: Muscles around the affected joint may become weak due to disuse or inflammation, contributing to the overall disability associated with the disorder.
Deformity: Chronic joint disorders, like severe arthritis, can lead to joint deformities. These deformities occur due to the destruction of joint structures over time.
Instability: Some joint disorders cause the joint to become unstable or give way, making it difficult to bear weight or perform certain movements.
Crepitus: This is a grating or crackling sound or sensation within the joint during movement, often due to roughened cartilage surfaces.
Fatigue: Conditions like rheumatoid arthritis can cause systemic symptoms such as fatigue, affecting overall energy levels and quality of life.
Systemic Symptoms: In some joint disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, other body systems can be affected, leading to a range of symptoms beyond the joints themselves.
Progressive Nature: Many joint disorders are chronic and progressive, meaning symptoms can worsen over time if not managed properly.
Joint disorders require a comprehensive approach to diagnosis and treatment, often involving medication, physical therapy, lifestyle changes, and sometimes surgical intervention to manage symptoms and improve joint function.
Diagnosing a bone disorder
Bone disorders encompass a variety of conditions that affect the strength, structure, and function of bones. These disorders can lead to pain, deformity, and an increased risk of fractures. Here are some key qualities and characteristics of bone disorders:
Bone Pain: Bone disorders often cause deep, aching pain that can be persistent or intermittent. The pain may worsen with activity or pressure on the affected area.
Fractures: Bones weakened by disorders such as osteoporosis are more susceptible to fractures. These fractures can occur with minimal trauma or even spontaneously in severe cases.
Deformity: Some bone disorders, like Paget's disease, can lead to bone deformities. These deformities can affect the shape and structure of bones, leading to visible abnormalities.
Weakness: Bone disorders can cause overall skeletal weakness, making it difficult to support body weight and engage in physical activities without discomfort or risk of injury.
Decreased Bone Density: Conditions such as osteoporosis involve a reduction in bone density, making bones porous and fragile. This is typically measured using bone density scans.
Growth Abnormalities: Certain bone disorders, especially those present from childhood, can affect normal bone growth and development, leading to shorter stature or uneven limb lengths.
Joint Pain: Bone disorders can also affect the joints, causing joint pain and stiffness. This is often seen in conditions where bone spurs develop near joints.
Limited Mobility: Pain and deformity associated with bone disorders can limit mobility and the ability to perform daily activities. This can significantly impact the quality of life.
Systemic Symptoms: Some bone disorders, such as multiple myeloma, a type of bone cancer, can cause systemic symptoms like fatigue, weight loss, and anemia.
Inflammation: Inflammatory bone disorders, such as osteomyelitis (bone infection), can cause swelling, redness, and warmth over the affected area, often accompanied by fever.
Height Loss: Progressive bone loss in conditions like osteoporosis can lead to a reduction in height over time, often due to vertebral compression fractures.
Nerve Compression: Bone deformities or growths can compress nearby nerves, leading to pain, numbness, or weakness in the affected areas, such as in cases of spinal stenosis.
Calcium Imbalance: Some bone disorders, like hyperparathyroidism, affect calcium metabolism, leading to high calcium levels in the blood and potential complications such as kidney stones.
Chronic Nature: Many bone disorders are chronic and require long-term management. Treatment often focuses on slowing disease progression, managing symptoms, and preventing complications.
Bone disorders often necessitate a multidisciplinary approach for effective management, involving medications, lifestyle changes, physical therapy, and sometimes surgical interventions to maintain bone health and overall function.
Muscular condition qualities
Muscular disorders encompass a range of conditions that affect the muscles, leading to weakness, pain, and impaired function. These disorders can have a significant impact on mobility and quality of life. Here are some key qualities and characteristics of muscular disorders:
Muscle Weakness: A hallmark of many muscular disorders, muscle weakness can affect specific muscle groups or be generalized, making it difficult to perform everyday activities.
Muscle Pain: Muscle pain, or myalgia, is common in muscular disorders. This pain can be localized to specific areas or widespread, often exacerbated by activity or pressure.
Muscle Atrophy: Prolonged muscle weakness and disuse can lead to muscle atrophy, where muscles shrink and lose mass. This results in reduced strength and endurance.
Fatigue: People with muscular disorders often experience chronic fatigue, which can be debilitating and impact overall energy levels and daily functioning.
Cramps and Spasms: Muscular disorders can cause involuntary muscle cramps and spasms, which are sudden, painful contractions of the muscles.
Stiffness: Muscle stiffness, particularly after periods of inactivity or in the morning, is common in conditions like fibromyalgia and myositis.
Reduced Mobility: Muscle weakness and pain can limit mobility and flexibility, making it difficult to walk, climb stairs, or perform other physical activities.
Coordination Problems: Some muscular disorders affect coordination and balance, leading to difficulty with precise movements and an increased risk of falls.
Muscle Fatigability: Muscles may tire more quickly than normal, even with minimal exertion. This is a common feature in conditions like myasthenia gravis.
Tremors: In some muscular disorders, such as certain forms of muscular dystrophy, tremors or uncontrollable shaking of the muscles can occur.
Respiratory Issues: Severe muscular disorders can affect the muscles involved in breathing, leading to respiratory difficulties and the need for supportive interventions.
Heart Problems: Certain muscular disorders, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy, can affect the heart muscle, leading to cardiomyopathy and other cardiovascular issues.
Progressive Nature: Many muscular disorders are progressive, meaning they worsen over time. This requires ongoing management to slow progression and maintain function.
Genetic Factors: Many muscular disorders, such as muscular dystrophies, are genetic and may be inherited. Genetic testing can often help diagnose these conditions.
Inflammation: Inflammatory muscle disorders, like polymyositis and dermatomyositis, involve chronic muscle inflammation, leading to pain, weakness, and swelling.
Difficulty Swallowing: Some muscular disorders affect the muscles involved in swallowing, leading to dysphagia and an increased risk of aspiration.
Managing muscular disorders typically involves a combination of physical therapy, medications, lifestyle modifications, and sometimes surgical interventions. The goal is to maintain muscle strength and function, alleviate symptoms, and improve the quality of life for those affected.
Qualities of spine conditions
Spine conditions involve disorders and injuries affecting the spinal column, which is crucial for supporting the body and protecting the spinal cord. These conditions can significantly impact mobility and quality of life. Here are some key qualities and characteristics of spine conditions:
Back Pain: One of the most common symptoms, back pain can range from mild to severe and can be chronic or acute. It may occur in the lower, middle, or upper back.
Neck Pain: Conditions affecting the cervical spine (neck region) can cause neck pain, stiffness, and reduced range of motion.
Radiculopathy: This condition involves pain, numbness, or weakness radiating from the spine to other areas, such as the arms or legs, often caused by nerve compression.
Herniated Disc: When a spinal disc's inner gel-like core pushes out through a tear in the outer layer, it can compress nearby nerves, causing pain and neurological symptoms.
Sciatica: A specific type of radiculopathy, sciatica involves pain that radiates along the sciatic nerve from the lower back down the leg, often due to a herniated disc or spinal stenosis.
Spinal Stenosis: This condition involves the narrowing of the spinal canal, which can compress the spinal cord and nerves, leading to pain, numbness, and weakness, particularly in the legs.
Scoliosis: An abnormal lateral curvature of the spine, scoliosis can cause uneven shoulders, waist, and hips, and in severe cases, back pain and respiratory issues.
Kyphosis: An exaggerated forward rounding of the back, often resulting in a hunched posture. It can cause back pain and stiffness.
Lordosis: An excessive inward curve of the lower back, which can lead to pain and posture issues.
Degenerative Disc Disease: Age-related wear and tear on spinal discs can cause them to break down, leading to pain, instability, and reduced height of the disc space.
Spinal Instability: Weakness or injury to the spine’s structures can cause excessive movement between vertebrae, leading to pain and potential nerve damage.
Myelopathy: Compression of the spinal cord itself can lead to myelopathy, causing symptoms like weakness, coordination problems, and changes in bowel or bladder function.
Spondylolisthesis: This condition occurs when one vertebra slips forward over the one below it, potentially causing pain and nerve compression.
Fractures: Spinal fractures can result from trauma or conditions like osteoporosis. They can cause severe pain, instability, and potential nerve damage.
Muscle Spasms: Conditions affecting the spine can lead to muscle spasms in the back, causing sudden and severe pain and stiffness.
Postural Changes: Spine conditions can lead to noticeable changes in posture, such as a hunched back or uneven shoulders.
Mobility Issues: Pain and structural changes in the spine can limit mobility, making it difficult to perform daily activities and maintain an active lifestyle.
Nerve Compression: Conditions like herniated discs, spinal stenosis, and bone spurs can compress spinal nerves, leading to symptoms like pain, tingling, numbness, and weakness in the extremities.
Chronic Nature: Many spine conditions are chronic, requiring long-term management to control symptoms and maintain function.
Surgical Intervention: Severe cases of spine conditions may require surgical intervention to relieve pressure on nerves, stabilize the spine, or correct deformities.
Effective management of spine conditions often involves a combination of physical therapy, medications, lifestyle changes, and sometimes surgical procedures to alleviate symptoms and improve spinal function.
What is a foot and ankle disorder?
Foot and ankle disorders encompass a variety of conditions that affect the lower extremities, impacting mobility, balance, and overall quality of life. These disorders can result from injuries, structural abnormalities, or chronic diseases. Here are some key qualities and characteristics of foot and ankle disorders:
Pain: Pain is a common symptom of foot and ankle disorders. It can be localized to specific areas such as the heel, arch, or toes, and may vary in intensity from mild to severe.
Swelling: Swelling often accompanies injuries and inflammatory conditions. It can cause the affected area to become puffy, tender, and warm to the touch.
Stiffness: Stiffness in the foot or ankle can limit the range of motion, making it difficult to walk, run, or engage in other physical activities.
Deformity: Structural abnormalities such as bunions, hammertoes, and flat feet can cause visible deformities in the foot and ankle, affecting appearance and function.
Instability: Conditions like ankle sprains or chronic instability can cause the ankle to feel weak or prone to giving way, increasing the risk of falls and further injury.
Inflammation: Inflammatory conditions like plantar fasciitis or Achilles tendinitis involve inflammation of the ligaments or tendons, leading to pain and tenderness.
Numbness and Tingling: Nerve-related conditions, such as tarsal tunnel syndrome, can cause numbness, tingling, or burning sensations in the foot and ankle.
Weakness: Muscle weakness in the foot or ankle can result from injuries, nerve damage, or chronic conditions, affecting the ability to perform weight-bearing activities.
Redness and Warmth: Signs of infection or severe inflammation often include redness and warmth over the affected area, sometimes accompanied by fever.
Difficulty Walking: Pain, stiffness, and structural abnormalities can make walking difficult and painful, leading to changes in gait and posture.
Joint Pain: Arthritis and other joint-related disorders can cause pain, swelling, and stiffness in the joints of the foot and ankle, affecting mobility and function.
Calluses and Corns: Repeated pressure and friction can lead to the development of calluses and corns, which are thickened areas of skin that can be painful.
Skin Changes: Conditions such as athlete's foot or fungal infections can cause changes in the skin of the foot, including itching, peeling, and cracking.
Chronic Nature: Many foot and ankle disorders are chronic, requiring ongoing management to control symptoms and prevent progression.
Infection: Open wounds, ulcers, and diabetic foot complications can lead to infections, which require prompt medical attention to prevent serious complications.
Bone Spurs: Bony projections that develop along the edges of bones, often causing pain and limiting movement, are common in conditions like plantar fasciitis.
Balance Issues: Disorders affecting the feet and ankles can impair balance, increasing the risk of falls and injuries, especially in older adults.
Bursitis: Inflammation of the bursae, small fluid-filled sacs that cushion the bones, tendons, and muscles, can cause pain and swelling, particularly in the heel and toes.
Growths: Conditions such as ganglion cysts or plantar warts can cause growths on the feet, which may be painful or interfere with walking.
Treatment Resistance: Some foot and ankle disorders can be resistant to treatment, requiring multiple interventions and long-term management strategies to achieve relief.
Management of foot and ankle disorders often involves a combination of rest, physical therapy, orthotics, medications, and in some cases, surgical intervention to alleviate symptoms, correct deformities, and improve function.
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