If you suffer from arthritis or osteoporosis, have chronic back, muscle or joint pain, or have experienced a sports-related injury, we have advanced joint replacement and minimally invasive surgical options that can get you back in action. The Human Motion Institute at Abington Memorial Hospital gives you the benefit of advanced medical technology and the skill of a team of medical professionals. Physicians at the Human Motion Institute treat a wide variety of disorders affecting the musculoskeletal system, including the care of fractures and injuries to tendons, ligaments, joints, bones and muscles. On staff are specialists in orthopaedics, orthopaedic hand surgery, neurosurgery, rheumatology and rehabilitation medicine.

Orthopaedic surgeons at the Human Motion Institute are experienced in treating patients requiring hip or knee replacements. Our comprehensive program includes evaluation, centralized preadmission, a high-tech operating suite with laminar air flow, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation and home care to ensure successful results. State-of-the-art minimal-incision procedures are available for some joint replacement surgeries.

We also offer educational sessions and a support group for people interested in more information about hip and knee replacements.

To remedy nighttime shoulder pain and a decreased ability to reach overhead:
ARTHROSCOPIC ROTATOR CUFF REPAIR—Minimally invasive arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery involves the use of fiber optic digital cameras to visualize the injury and help facilitate repair. The physicians of the Sports Medicine Department of Abington Memorial Hospital's Human Motion Institute use advanced techniques in arthroscopic rotator cuff repair with excellent results.

When a degenerated disc is worn out and is causing debilitating low back pain:
ARTIFICIAL LUMBAR DISC REPLACEMENT—The Charité artificial disc is an alternative to spinal fusion for patients who have one degenerated disc between the L4 and L5 vertebrae or between the L5 and S1 vertebrae. The degenerated disc is removed from between the vertebrae and an artificial disc made of a plastic polyethylene core sandwiched between two cobalt chromium endplates is anchored into adjacent vertebrae.

For chronic lower back and leg pain:
DYNESYS® SPINAL SYSTEM—In the treatment of lower back and leg pain caused by slipped disc or stenosis, this new system uses flexible materials to stabilize the affected vertebrae while leaving the intervertebral discs and joints intact. Because Dynesys preserves much of the natural anatomy, patients will likely go home in one or two days.

For pain caused by spinal fractures resulting from osteoporosis:
KYPHOPLASTY—This new, minimally invasive technique was developed to stabilize vertebral fractures and relieve back pain. During kyphoplasty, two needles are threaded through the skin into the fractured vertebrae under X-ray guidance. Through the needles, a balloon is inflated to help restore the lost vertebral height and create a cavity in the bone that is then filled with bone cement to stabilize the fracture. Pain relief can be immediate but often occurs between 48 to 72 hours.

To relieve back and leg pain:
"MINI BACK" SURGERY OR MINIMAL DISSECTION LUMBAR LAMINECTOMY—This surgery can be used to decompress the nerve sac in the lumbar spine when the effects of arthritis have caused a build up of bone spurs and thickened ligaments resulting in crowding of the nerves in the spinal column. Using MRI scanning and approved surgical techniques, including magnification of small operative sites using an operating microscope, spine surgeons can dissect and remove less bone to  decompress the spinal nerve roots.

For treatment of back pain associated with vertebral compression fractures:
VERTEBROPLASTY—Vertebral compression fractures are a common and often debilitating cause of back pain usually caused by weakening of the bones due to osteoporosis. To relieve the compression fractures, this procedure is performed through a tiny incision in the skin usually requiring only local anesthesia. Using digital fluoroscopy for guidance, a needle is inserted through the skin and into the fractured vertebra. An acrylic bone cement is then injected, stabilizing the bone and relieving the pain associated with it. Some patients will experience immediate pain relief but most report that their pain is gone or significantly diminished within 48 hours.

For pain-relieving hip replacement:
"MINI HIP" SURGERY—Total hip joint replacement surgery for the treatment of disabling hip arthritis is one of the most successful pain-relieving operations in the United States today. Now, both single- and double-incision mini hip replacement surgical procedures are available with much smaller incisions. Traditional total hip replacement components are used and the procedure takes about an hour.

To relieve chronic knee pain due to arthritis:
"MINI KNEE" MINIMAL-INCISION PARTIAL KNEE REPLACEMENT SURGERY—Knee arthritis patients with isolated knee pain and the presence of arthritis on a single side of the knee may be candidates for unicondylar surgery (partial knee replacement). Partial knee replacement offers potential for long-term pain relief and is performed through a smaller incision. This less-invasive procedure results in less disruption to muscles, tendons and ligaments. The visible scar from the mini-knee procedure is usually three to four inches.

To restore range of motion, and in many cases eliminate the pain of crippling arthritis:
"MINI TOTAL KNEE" MINIMAL INCISION TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT SURGERY—This procedure involves a small incision, just four or five inches, rather than the conventional eight to eleven-inch incision. A smaller incision-with less disruption to muscles, tendons and other soft tissues-results in patients achieving faster gains in rehabilitation including a return of muscle strength and functional walking ability.