2007 Public Service Announcements

Over the river and through the woods to the trauma center we go.

All-terrain vehicles can go 60 mph and weight 600 pounds. Yet, many owners think of them as just big toys. Consider the facts: 136,000 ATV-related injuries were treated in hospitals and doctors’ offices in 2004.

Accidents happen when ATVs are operated in the wrong place, under the wrong conditions, by people too young or too inexperienced in ATV safety measures. If you must ride an ATV, use your head – the right way.

For recommendations on ATV safety, visit www.orthoinfo.org and www.ota.org.

For All-Terrain Vehicle Safety and Tips

Since you only get two knees, learn how they can last a lifetime.

Today, we know more than ever about keeping knees healthy. Regular exercise and activity are essential not only for protecting and strengthening the knee joint itself—but for preventing weight gain and muscle loss that can contribute to knee degeneration.

While any knee pain should be medically evaluated before an exercise program is udnertaken, it’s enlightening to discover that the best way to save your kenes is to use them.

For more information, visit www.orthoinfo.org and http://kneesociety.org/.

About the knee

Total knee replacement

Talk much with your doctor?

Communication between doctors and patients can be powerful medicine. But too often, both parties come up short. Patients should come to appointments prepared. With questions written down in advance, a list of all current medications and allergies, and a truly candid assessment of how they’ve been getting along.

Doctors can do more, too, starting with listening better and using language patients don’t need a medical dictionary to understand. Communication keeps doctors and patients better informed. So both parties can assess treatment options more clearly, and make shared decisions as partners. A public service message from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, where Patient-Centered Care means getting better together.

For more information on Patient-Centered Care, visit www.orthoinfo.org.

About Patient-Centered Care

Getting the most out of a visit with your doctor

Don’t let gravity be your downfall.

One in three. That’s how many adults over 65 fall each year in the United States. Because older bones break more easily, falling injuries for seniors can be traumatic. And too often, life-threatening.

Staying active and strong with daily exercise is key — along with making home environments as safe as possible. Take steps now to learn how to keep yourself — or your loved one — from falling.

For more information on senior fitness and home safety, visit www.orthoinfo.org and www.nata.org.

Falls and hip fractures

Prevention facts and tips

Almost past her prime.

Adolescence comes with a one-time window for building strong bones — bones that will stay stronger into adulthood and beyond. That’s why it’s so important for young teens to “build their bone banks” with weight-bearing exercise and a diet rich in calcium.

At least three cups of low fat or fat free milk plus other calcium-rich foods each day is a good rule. If you have children 11–15, make sure they take advantage of this critical time frame. They won’t get a second chance to build strong bones.

For more information, visit http://www.orthoinfo.org/ and www.nichd.nih.gov/milk.

Bone up on bone loss

Osteoporosis