olympia Archives - Washington Orthopaedic Center

Dr. Chad L. Bender Q & A

When you’re not working, how do you like to spend your time? I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. Hobby-wise, I like to cook, exercise, and read. What are you currently (or most recently) reading? I’m listening to a biography of US Grant, and reading “How to Raise and Adult”. What’s the first concert you attended? I saw Garth Brooks at a small venue in high school. It was just as he was becoming popular. What’s your favorite book? The Lord of the Rings trilogy. What’s the best Halloween costume you’ve ever had? My dad and I made a robot costume out of boxes and dryer vent tubing when I was in kindergarten. What was your first job? I grew up on a farm, so daily chores could be considered my first job, I guess. Otherwise, I worked as a bank teller during the summers in high school. What was your favorite subject in school? Science/Biology If you could win an Olympic medal for any sport, real or fake, what would it be? I would like to be crazy and daring enough to medal in the snowboarding half pipe. Since I’m not, I’ll settle for either the biathlon or 400m. [...]

SilverOrtho2019-05-21T17:46:48-07:00Uncategorized|

Expanding our Community: Lukas Steffan PA-C

Lukas completed his physician assistant program at Bethel University in St Paul, Minnesota. While finishing his undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota Lukas gained experienced by working with individuals with disabilities and participated in research in the field of cancer genetics. After his undergraduate degree, he took a year off to gain even more experience by working at an internal medicine clinic and a mental health clinic. For this article, we aimed to get to know Lukas Steffan PA-C by asking him a few questions about himself: Why did you choose to move to the PNW and what's your favorite aspect of the PNW so far? I chose to move to the PNW for the outdoors and the mountains, also to get away from the cold winters in Minnesota. I would say my favorite aspect of the PNW would be hiking in the forests and exploring all of the new places each weekend. What moved you to pursue a career in healthcare? I wanted to pursue a career in healthcare because I've always been a people person. I enjoy meeting new people and finding out about their stories while trying to help with whatever ails them and ultimately make a difference [...]

SilverOrtho2019-06-18T16:23:44-07:00Uncategorized|

MRI’s Explained – Open vs. Closed Operating Systems

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) didn’t start as the technology we now commonly know. Researchers Felix Bloch and Edward Purcell first discovered the magnetic resonance phenomena in 1946 and later harnessed the abilities of magnetic resonance to analyze chemicals, leading to their Nobel Prize in 1952. Later on, scientists discovered the same technique could be used to visualize different human tissues. By 1973, aided by the rapid technological progression of computers, researchers developed the MRI that we now use today. Then, in 2003, the MRI led to another Nobel Prize, this time awarded to researchers Paul Lauterbur and Peter Mansfield for developing MRI as a diagnostic tool. What is an MRI? An MRI uses a strong magnetic field and directs the field at a specific area of the object or person of interest. As the magnetic field enters different tissues and fluids within the body, hydrogen atoms become excited similarly to how a smaller magnet becomes excited as a larger magnet inches closer. Depending on the tissue or fluid that the hydrogen atoms are in, the atoms return to a resting state at different rates as the magnetic field is turned on and off several times. This allows a computer to analyze the [...]

SilverOrtho2019-06-18T16:27:21-07:00Uncategorized|

An Improved Approach to Tendonitis Treatment: Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections

Platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) injections have been making headway in medicine for the last decade due to their effective treatment of common tendonitis pain. While PRP injections are most often used to heal the chronically inflamed tendons of your ankle, knee, and elbow, they have also been used to treat fractures, tears, and arthritis as well. The procedure is most popular among active individuals and is often utilized by professional athletes, such as Tiger Woods and Rafael Nadal to name a few. We all know the road to recovery from a chronic overuse injury can often be an irritating one, and while this treatment may be a solution to your problem, let’s first go over what this procedure is as well as the pros and cons. The Procedure: Platelet-rich plasma injections are injections of, you guessed it, platelets directly into the injured area. To do this, the nurse first draws your blood. After a quick process to separate the blood into its components, the doctor then takes the platelet portion and injects the platelets directly into the area of interest. Why platelets? While platelets are commonly known for their blood clotting effects, platelets also contain a high concentration of growth factors that help speed [...]

SilverOrtho2020-12-28T19:11:39-08:00Orthopedic News|