East Campus news
Medical director of Joint Replacement Center gives seminar on hip and knee arthritis
 |
| Thomas Donaldson, MD |
Thomas Donaldson, MD, board certified orthopaedic surgeon, held an
educational seminar on hip and knee arthritis. Dr. Donaldson, who started
as the medical director for the Center for Joint Replacement January
1, spoke to a group of about 40 people on February 12 in the Jesse Auditorium
at the Wong Kerlee International
Conference Center.
“ We’re in a new era of exciting new therapies,” opened Dr.
Donaldson. He went on to present to the group several options available to those
suffering from osteoporosis and arthritis. His warm and friendly manner made
the experience more enjoyable for those attending. A frequent and healthy injection
of humor
allowed for lively interaction between Dr. Donaldson and his audience.
“ One of my modern tests [for patients] is to ask if they can walk through
CostCo
without limitation,” smiled Dr. Donaldson. He explained that if you can’t
do that comfortably, it’s time to seriously start thinking about joint
replacement. He described and then illustrated the knee replacement surgery,
talking the audience through what the surgeon does. He also introduced a new
technique for minimally invasive surgery for knee replacement. He explained that
due to the nature of the hip bone, the minimally invasive technique is not available
for hip replacements.
Along with his research coordinator Laury Andrusak, Dr. Donaldson and the Center
for Joint Replacement offers a registry for patients. This registry keeps track
of patient information and x-rays that can help orthopaedic surgeons better decipher
the actual wear on the replacement parts.
“ I call you my family,” Dr. Donaldson said. “If I do a knee
surgery
it’s my responsibility to take care of you.” He explained this is
why the Center for Joint Replacement brings all its patients back for annual
check-ups, even if they aren’t complaining of any problems. He wants to
be as thorough as possible and keep a close eye on the replacement parts.
Another bonus the Center offers is the tribology lab, under the direction of
Ian Clark, PhD, which has the advantage of being able to test all kinds of joint
replacement parts for long term use. And the Center has a retrieval laboratory
to study failed parts. This lab shows why parts fail and helps document problems
for future reference.
Dr. Donaldson emphasized his and the Center’s commitment to continually
improving the outcomes of joint replacement surgeries into the future.
After his presentation, Dr. Donaldson opened the floor up for questions. He discussed
with the audience differences between pain medications, types of replacement
parts, and alternative healing options.
Overall the audience came away with a greater understanding of what they can
actively do to control arthritis in the hip and knee.
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