Arthroscopic Techniques Developed At Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center Are Now Used Worldwide In Orthopaedic Surgery

Innovative Techniques Are Becoming Standards of Care Over Conventional Open Procedures

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Jul 07, 2020, 15:13 ET

FAIRLAWN, Ohio, July 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Orthopaedic surgeons at Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center are at the forefront of developing advanced, minimally invasive techniques for patients and providing training to other surgeons around the globe in their use. Among the latest arthroscopic techniques developed at Crystal Clinic are innovative treatments for common orthopaedic problems, including rotator cuff tears of the shoulder and hip, and hamstring tears.

"Rotator cuff tears are increasing in frequency among our aging population and are a common issue seen by orthopaedic surgeons," said Jovan Laskovski, M.D., a Crystal Clinic orthopaedic surgeon who developed these arthroscopic techniques. "In patients with large or numerous tears, rotator cuff repair can be challenging. In large, multi-tendon tears, failure rates up to 90 percent have been reported."

To address this, a new rotator cuff technique was designed to be a simple and easily reproducible method for reinforcing the repaired tendon with donor tissue, so it may be readily adopted by other arthroscopic shoulder surgeons. By using donor tissue in rotator cuff repair, Crystal Clinic surgeons have demonstrated improvements in healing, pain relief and shoulder function, while reducing the risk of re-tearing.

"Using donor tissue to augment the patient's own tissue should be considered when repairs are at risk for tearing or incomplete healing," said Dr. Laskovski, who has used donor tissue in the arthroscopic repair of massive rotator cuff tears previously considered irreparable.

"By sharing our innovations with other surgeons, we are helping to advance orthopaedic care and improve patient outcomes around the world," said Dr. Laskovski, whose teachings have taken him to nearly every continent with the exception of Africa and Antarctica.

Crystal Clinic surgeons have also pioneered the use of donor tissue in the arthroscopic repair of tears in the abductor tendons that commonly cause lateral hip pain.

"Lateral hip pain can be a frustrating problem for patients and their physicians because MRI scans are often unreliable in identifying a tear or partial thickness tear of the gluteus medius and minimus, so the cause of the patient's pain is difficult to diagnose," said Dr. Laskovski.

Arthroscopic Innovations-Add 1

Open surgical repair of hip abductor tendons has a relatively high failure rate of 35 percent, likely due to poor tissue quality in older patients. Crystal Clinic's arthroscopic technique repairs the tendon, but also uses donor tissue to reinforce the repair, which has yielded a 95 percent success rate as published in Arthroscopy Techniques. This technique also promotes improved healing and pain relief.

Along with publishing the technique, Dr. Laskovski has presented its success rate at meetings of the International Society for Hip Arthroscopy, which has contributed to its adoption by other surgeons worldwide.

The advent of hip arthroscopy has also allowed Crystal Clinic orthopaedic surgeons to explore the use of arthroscopy in relatively new areas, such as hamstring repair.

Hamstring injuries are common in athletes competing at all levels, ranging from mild strains to more serious tears that require surgery. However, previous endoscopic techniques for hamstring repair are complex and increase the risk of damage to the sciatic nerve, which has limited their widespread use. To overcome these problems, Crystal Clinic orthopaedic surgeons developed a minimally invasive technique that decreases the complexity of endoscopic hamstring repair and uses innovative patient positioning to protect the sciatic nerve.

"As this technique for endoscopic hamstring repair continues to be refined and becomes readily available to more surgeons, it will eventually become as conventional as an open repair," said Dr. Laskovski, who continues to train other orthopaedic surgeons in incorporating this method into their practice.

As a physician-owned hospital system dedicated exclusively to orthopaedic and reconstructive care, Crystal Clinic is a leader in orthopaedic innovations, including the development of new surgical techniques and surgical implants, and the integration of leading-edge technologies into surgical practice, such as robotic-assisted surgery. One of the first of its kind, Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center's new state-of-the-art, orthopaedic and plastic/reconstructive surgery specialty hospital is under construction and will open in 2021. The new hospital will feature the most advanced technology and facilities available, while delivering on Crystal Clinic's mission of providing the highest quality orthopaedic, musculoskeletal and reconstructive care.

About Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center
Nationally renowned for orthopaedic care, Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center is a physician-owned, orthopaedic specialty hospital system with board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeons who perform more than 17,000 surgeries each year. With locations throughout Northeast Ohio, Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center is the only hospital in Ohio, and one of just 13 out of the 6,146 hospitals in the nation, to earn prestigious Joint Commission Certifications in total hip, total knee, total shoulder, and spinal fusion procedures. The hospital is among the Top 10% in the United States for Major Orthopaedic Surgery, Joint Replacement, Spinal Surgery, Overall Surgical Care and Overall Hospital Care in ratings of America's Top Quality Hospitals by CareChex/Quantros Analytics. Crystal Clinic Plastic Surgeons, a division of Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center, are experts in treating soft tissue defects related to orthopaedic injuries and provide the entire spectrum of plastic surgery – from reconstruction to cosmetic procedures.

SOURCE Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center