General Orthopedics

Arthritis is a common condition often associated with aging, but arthritis can also develop after a traumatic injury or if you have an autoimmune and inflammatory disease like rheumatoid arthritis. The classic sign of arthritis is aching joints that swell and become stiff, resulting from cartilage degeneration. Arthritis pain can become debilitating over time if left untreated.

The surgeons at Upstate Orthopedics can tell you how to deal with arthritis pain, including surgical and non-surgical treatment options you may not know about. Medication to reduce inflammation and pain can help, but we can also offer injection therapy as an option. An injection of medication into the joint provides faster and longer-lasting pain relief than oral medication. When conservative treatments no longer provide sufficient pain relief, you and your doctor can consider joint replacement surgery.

Read more about arthritis treatment in our online patient library.

Upstate Orthopedics has several providers on staff that see minor fractures as well as complex, traumatic fractures. Fractures almost always need some sort of medical attention, whether it’s a simple splint or brace or a cast. We’ll start with an X-ray to examine the fracture in detail. If the fracture does not heal properly, surgery may be considered. Fractures are classified based on how the bone is broken or cracked:

• Complete Fracture: Bone is broken into separate pieces (clean break)
• Incomplete or Partial Fracture: Bone is cracked (not completely broken)
• Greenstick Fracture: Bone is bowed and not totally broken (common in kids)
• Compound or Open Fracture: Bone is broken and penetrating the skin, may be more than one fracture
• Simple or Closed Fracture: Bone is broke but is not penetrating the skin

Learn more about fracture care in our patient education library.

A sprain is an injury to the ligaments around a joint, while a strain is an injury to a muscle or tendon. If the muscle, tendon, or ligament is actually torn, this is a more severe injury that will take longer to heal and might require surgery to repair.

Sprains and strains happen all the time. You may hear a popping sound when the injury happens or notice the sudden onset of pain when you move. Muscle spasms or cramping can also occur if you have a strain. It often happens in the ankle, knee, hip, or shoulder joint.

First, the doctor will perform an examination to assess your injury to determine if you have a tear or not. Physical therapy along with hot or cold therapy can be used to reduce swelling and stiffness, along with anti-inflammatory medication. You will need to take it easy for a little while until your tissue heals. Sometimes a splint or brace can be used for support.

Learn more about sprains and strains in our patient education library.