Month: October 2012

Dr. Christian Balldin on Knee Dislocation

Marcus Lattimore sustains a knee dislocation in this past weekend’s game.
Video courtesy of ESPN.

 
The term knee dislocation is not to be taken lightly.  The clinical definition of a knee dislocation is injury to three of the four major ligaments surrounding the knee.  The four major ligaments are the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and the fibular collateral ligament (FCL) occasionally called the lateral collateral ligament.  Of course there are many more stabilizing structures of the knee including the separate bundles of the individual ligaments and the structures in the postero-medial and postero-lateral corners (PLC/PMC).

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Dr. Christian Balldin Becomes Team Physician for OLLU Athletics

Saints Shield

TSAOG is pleased to announce that our own Dr. Christian Balldin is the new team physician for Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) Athletics.  This new relationship means that Dr. Balldin will be in direct contact with OLLU Athletic Trainer Christine Ramirez, on call to treat OLLU student athletes, and holding weekly meetings with the OLLU Athletic Department to evaluate any injuries.  You may also see him on the sidelines at home games.

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Dr. Frank Garcia on Training for a Marathon

starting line for a race
Marathon runners taking the position for the start of race. [url=http://www.istockphoto.com/search/lightbox/9786738][img]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/40117171/group.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.istockphoto.com/search/lightbox/9786766][img]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/40117171/sport.jpg[/img][/url]

If you look into the origin of a marathon, you would likely think twice about participating.  The modern marathon commemorates the run of the soldier Pheidippides from a battlefield at the site of the town of Marathon, Greece, to Athens in 490 B.C., bringing news of a Greek victory over the Persians. Legend has it that Pheidippides delivered the momentous message “Niki!” (“victory”), then collapsed and died, setting a precedent for dramatic conclusions to the marathon.  However, considering in the modern day that there are over 500 marathons held throughout the world each year, a marathon (26.2 miles, approximately 25,000 steps) is an achievable goal.  Unfortunately, a significant number of runners sustain some form of injury.

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Dr. Christian Balldin on How to Tell if Your Shoulder Pain is a Snapping Scapula

girl with shoulder pain

Most people have aches and pains that come and go.  Pain behind the shoulder blade (the bone known as the scapula) is quite common, but can be debilitating.  There are a number of possible causes, so a careful physical examination and detailed information from each individual patient is vital for me to be able to make the correct diagnosis.  A crunching sensation and sometimes an audible noise (aka crepitus) is often present in a diagnosis of snapping scapula, also known as scapulothoracic bursitis with crepitus.

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Dr. Christian Balldin on Causes and Treatments of Hamstring Injuries

pt knee stretch

Hamstring injuries are very common in sports and can involve any part along the entire length of the muscles and tendons from the hip to the knee.  The hamstring origin is found on the part of the pelvis called the ischial tuberosity, which is easily felt as it is the hard bone that we all sit on in our buttocks.  The majority of the muscles form a common tendon that attaches in this area.  The muscle bellies considered the hamstring muscles are found on the back of the thigh.  The hamstrings attach below the knee on the upper tibia and fibula – the two bones that make up the lower leg.

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