One of the most dreaded mishaps in sports, from pickup basketball to the NFL, is the knee injury.

It can start you on the cycle of pain, surgery, rehab and the mental task of healing for three to four weeks for a meniscus tear to six months to a year for a torn anterior cruciate ligament. More>

When Robison Elementary School unveiled its new playground in April, a whole new world of activity opened up for Anthony Planck, a student.

"He thinks they built it for him," his mother, Jamie Planck, said in a telephone interview, "so he can play with the other kids." More>

Kids at a local school are getting a new playground thanks to the help of volunteers. Since Robison Elementary was built back in the 1950's, one thing has been missing from the playground: a place for special needs students. More>

Robison Elementary School has been selected as the 4th Annual Playground Project recipient. 

Orthopaedic surgeon Luis A. Piedrahita, MD, has joined Tucson Orthopaedic Institute, where he specializes in pediatric orthopaedic surgery and general orthopaedics. More>

View a movie of the Dedication by clicking here. (Requires Flash Player 8 to view.)

KGUN News Spot. (Requires Flash Player 8 to view.)

View a movie of the Build Day by clicking here. (Requires Flash Player 8 to view.)

Students at this southside school dream big.  In January the children designed a new playground to replace the school’s aging equipment. Parents and staff got on board and teamed up with surgeons at Tucson Orthopaedic Institute to make their children’s dreams come true. 

In a single day in April over 200 volunteers will build the dream playground.  Planning an event this big is a challenge – tools, trash containers, food, and fun must all be put into place to create a successful build day.  Parents are asking the community for support.  If you would like to help, please contact Chandra Thomas, principal at 225-3700. 

This is the third playground sponsored by Tucson Orthopaedic Institute.  The Institute raises $60,000 for each project, and provides a project manager, Greta Irwin to coordinate the details.  To contribute please call Greta at 784-6200. 

Tucson Orthopaedic Institute selected Van Buskirk Elementary School to receive a "dream playground" that will be designed with students' input.

The playground is expected to be built and installed by more than 150 volunteers at the school on April 21. More>

Hip resurfacing, which is more similar to a tooth cap than a hip implant, is a new option for young, active people who have good bones, but need new hips.

Rather than replacing the entire hip joint, as in a total hip replacement, hip resurfacing simply shaves and caps a few centimeters of bone within the joint. The bone-conserving approach known as Birmingham Hip Resurfacing™ preserves more of the patient's natural bone structures and stability, covering the joint's surfaces with an all-metal implant. More>

The 2006 Wells Fargo Copper Cactus Award for Community Service was awarded to Tucson Orthopaedic Institute. The Copper Cactus is Southern Arizona’s oldest and largest small business recognition program.

Tucson Orthopaedic Institute was recognized for its commitment to community education and outreach efforts promoting lifestyles that create strong, healthy bones, joints and muscles. More>

By Kimberly Matas
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona
Published: 10.12.2006

Wearing a sparkly purple dress and knockoff designer sunglasses, Regina Hernandez skipped and twirled through the Nielsen family's Northeast Tucson home last Thursday.

Regina seemed oblivious to the cast on her right arm, the only visible sign of the orthopedic surgery the 3-year-old Belize girl had a day earlier.

She and her mother, Dominga Hernandez, were brought to Tucson from their small Mayan village of Big Falls — population 1,000 — by the Tucson Orthopaedic Institute to repair a poorly healed broken elbow Regina suffered 18 months ago. Tucson Orthopaedic has three locations in Tucson and on the Northwest Side, including its East office on North Wyatt Drive where Regina had her surgery.

Though the repair was primarily cosmetic, her pediatric orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Brian Nielsen, hopes when Regina returns home in a few weeks with a healed arm, it will be a first step in building trust between the Belize villagers and the Tucson Orthopaedic Institute doctors. More>

A year and a half ago, at age two, little Regina Hernandez fell and broke her right arm above the elbow.  Regina and her family live in a remote location in southern Belize and could not get adequate medical care.  The bones in her arm healed improperly and the arm had limited range of motion. More>

Tucson Orthopedic Institute is pleased to welcome orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeons Eric P. Anctil, M.D. and Geoffrey S. Landis, D.O. and physiatrist Eric M. Feldman, M.D.  to the medical staff. More>

Women aren’t just small men. Their bodies have a unique size and shape, including their knees. Now orthopaedic surgeons in Tucson are among the first in the nation to use a new FDA-approved gender-specific knee replacement contoured to fit a woman’s anatomy. More>

Tucson surgeon Lawrence R. Housman, M.D. has been elected President of the Western Orthopaedic Association (WOA).  This post is a milestone in the career of any orthopaedic surgeon.  It recognizes the achievements, leadership and professionalism built over a lifetime of dedication to the advancement of orthopaedics. More>

They call it their dream playground. And, indeed, the students at Reynolds Elementary have had their fanciful visions incorporated into the new play spot that seemed to magically appear over the weekend. More>

Monday morning was not school as usual at Reynolds Elementary.  The new playground, built by 300 volunteers on Saturday, opened for play. More>

Would you like a climbing wall or a slide?  Red, blue or yellow?  Those are the decisions children from Reynolds Elementary School, near Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, AZ, made in January 2006.  On Playground Design Day, they designed the playground of their dreams – a place where neighborhood children can play together safely. More>

Children at Reynolds Elementary School turned on their imaginations today to design a new playground for their school. 

First they agreed on some rules – don’t run, don’t push, don’t chew gum, HAVE FUN! More>

Would you like a climbing wall or a slide?  Red, blue or yellow?  Those are the decisions children from Reynolds Elementary School, near DMAFB in Tucson will make on Thursday, January 19 when designing the playground of their dreams – a place where all children can play together safely.  Then, in seven hours on a single day, March 18, orthopaedic surgeons from Tucson Orthopaedic Institute, in partnership with teachers and parents and the national non-profit organization KaBOOM!, will lead a team of over 150 volunteers to physically build the playground. More>

Are you one of the many people fascinated by the operating room?  If so, you may want to take advantage of a rare opportunity to view a live minimally invasive knee replacement surgery with orthopaedic surgeon Russell G. Cohen M.D. Viewers were able to email their questions during the surgery and have them answered by Jay A. Katz, M.D. who served as moderator and provided interactive commentary.

"We are glad to provide this view into the operating room, to let our patients, their families and other interested people to see firsthand how the new minimally invasive knee replacement surgery is performed, answering their questions as we progress through the procedure," stated Dr. Cohen.

The procedure uses a sub-vastus approach and requires an incision of only 9 to 14 cm, compared with 20 to 30 cm used in a standard knee replacement arthroplasty. Among the goals of this minimally invasive technique are shorter hospital stays, lower blood loss, faster rehabilitation and a more cosmetically appealing surgical scar. 

Click here to view the satellite broadcast. No password is required to access this program.

Stephen E. Hanks, M.D. and Steven C. Zeiller, M.D., fellowship-trained spine surgeons, have joined the medical team at Tucson Orthopaedic Institute’s northwest Tucson and Oro Valley offices. More>

Arthritis is the number one cause of chronic disability in the United States. The Arthritis Foundation estimates the disease now affects the joints of 70 million people, nearly one in three Americans.

John A. Maltry, M.D., a joint replacement specialist at Tucson Orthopaedic Institute, helps people understand arthritis this way, “A normal joint is like ice cubes on ice cubes. When those joints wear out they act more like sand paper on sand paper. They generate heat, swelling and the pain of osteoarthritis.” More>