#1: “Total joint replacements are only for the elderly.” There is no age prerequisite to total joint replacements. While the rate of receiving a total joint replacement is great for ages 64-85, younger adults are more frequently receiving total joint replacements every year. In fact, one study analyzed the trend of knee replacements done in adults aged 45-64 over a ten year period ending in 2014 and saw a 188% increase in total knee replacements in that population over ten years. However, it’s best to keep in mind that the younger one is and the longer that person lives, the more likely they are to need a revision or replacement of their prosthetic. Studies show that 85% of total knee replacements last 20 years and that around 10% of patients will need a revision at some point. #2: “Cracking knuckles causes arthritis.” No one can definitively say that cracking knuckles causes arthritis. In fact, studies have shown no difference in the prevalence of arthritis between those who crack and do not crack their knuckles. On the contrary, some anecdotal accounts have stated that cracking their knuckles has resulted in some cartilage damage and one study looking at the side effects of knuckle [...]

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Dr. Scott Slattery Perhaps you know Dr. Slattery. As a small town doctor, you’ve likely run into him at the grocery store, seen him at local high school, sporting events, or maybe even ran into him at school-related activities. Dr. Slattery and his family have lived in Lewis County since 1999 and while he may seem like your average guy when you see him around the community, he’s more than average when it comes to his professional career and achievements. He began by attending Loma Linda School of Medicine in California. After completing his medical education in orthopedic surgery and sports medicine through Loma Linda, he moved on to work as a surgeon at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia. Yet, he did more than work as a surgeon while at the base, he also served as Chief of the Department of Orthopaedics and Podiatry at 1st Medical Group Hospital. His time here provided for him opportunities to treat rare and complicated injuries. He has lived in Lewis County, with his family, since 1999 He quickly used his expertise to assist the local high schools and Centralia Community College during sporting events and volunteered to be an on-site doctor for [...]

General Reviews - Everyone has been great. Every phone call email and visit has made me feel valued as a client. I'm not sure if I can explain it clearly. Each person I have encountered has shown this and has made sure all of my needs were met. Just simply amazing! Customer service must be a priority and a value! - All staff were professional and friendly to both me and my family. - I have received the best care - I'm quite pleased with the progress! - Great staff! - The MA Kelsey Moorecraft did a wonderful job today first time I have had her at an appointment here. Keith R Birchard M.D. Reviews - I was happy with the whole procedure and with the results - Truly a professional! Throughout my care dating back to June Dr. Birchard discussed all options clearly and included me in decisions. I have never felt so involved in my care. He has set the bar very high for all others. - Thank you did excellent - Got us in quickly Michael D Dujela D.P.M. Reviews - Dr. Dujela has performed both of my ankle fusions and I have been very happy with his care [...]

For athletes and “wanna-be” athletes alike, an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear is one of the most feared injuries one can sustain. More common in females than males, and commonly seen in sports requiring quick changes of direction, the ACL is typically torn as an athlete plants their foot on the ground with an extended leg and rotates internally. Accidents involving falling from some height with an extended knee can also results in an ACL tear. The initial injury may be accompanied by a “snap” or “pop,” but often doesn’t keep an athlete from walking off the field under their own weight. In fact, some people may go an extended period of time, months to years, with lingering knee pain only to find out they actually tore their ACL long ago. Unlike other areas of the body that have self-repairing tissue, an ACL tear will not repair itself. Thus, the only corrective treatment for a torn ACL is found through surgery. While the only real fix for an ACL tear lies within surgery, chances are you will get three different answers from three different orthopedic surgeons if you ask each of them how they repair an ACL. From the angles that surgeons [...]

A guide to fixing the base of your big toe: 1st MTP arthrodesis Life can be a pain in the foot, and trust me, you’ll quickly realize how much a painful foot can control your life once it really starts hurting. For some, myself included, it’s flat feet that lead to a host of complications, while for others the pain started when a weight was dropped on their foot. A common issue is found at the base of your big toe, officially called the first metatarsal-phalangeal joint. Whether the pain at the 1st MTP joint is caused by a foot deformity, chronically wearing bad footwear, or from an acute injury, the pain can be significantly detrimental to one’s quality of life due to the natural push off from the big toe during activities like walking and running What causes the pain? No matter the origin of the pain, acute or gradual, the eventual chronic pain is caused by the wearing down of cartilage between the two bones that form the MTP joint. The lack of cartilage leads to inflammation in the joint, osteophytes (small bones fragments) that grind inside the joint, and the development of arthritis in and around the joint, which [...]