Academy serves as authoritative source for orthopaedic information

As colder weather creeps across the country, media turn to AAOS members for advice on everything from yoga to hanging those holiday decorations.

Yoga anyone?
Practicing yoga continues to be a popular form of exercise, especially during the winter months when most people head indoors. Daryll C. Dykes, MD, PhD, advised readers of the Yoga Journal about choosing yoga when dealing with the “garden variety” of back pain.

Edward A. Toriello, MD, talked to Pamela Paul of TIME magazine about how most people just assume they can dive right into yoga and “turn themselves into a pretzel on demand.” Not so, said Dr. Toriello, who warned baby boomers and weekend warriors to “take it slow” and avoid unnecessary injuries.

Michael F. Schafer, MD, was quoted in the Chicago Tribune about individuals who do too much too quickly and wind up injuring what he calls the big five: neck, shoulders, lower back, legs, and knees. My advice to MSNBC viewers and SELF magazine readers was to warm up before tackling any kind of exercise and to stretch to relieve stress at home or in the workplace.

AAOS partners with JRGOS
AAOS and the J. Robert Gladden Orthopaedic Society (JRGOS) successfully partnered in a radio media tour to promote the JRGOS special supplement to the Journal of the AAOS on Professionalism, Diversity, and Health Disparities. Mary I. O’Connor, MD, and Kimberly J. Templeton, MD, participated in the radio media tour, which reached more than a million listeners nationwide. AAOS members were heard on radio stations from Denver to Charlotte, N.C., and from Pittsburgh and Boston to Seattle.

What a Webinar!
In November, AAOS hosted a Webinar directed to national media called “Sex Matters: Discussing the importance of gender in musculoskeletal health.”

Moderated by Laura L. Tosi, MD, the panel of experts included Dr. O’Connor, who talked about osteoarthritis of the hip and knee; Sharon L. Hame, MD, who tackled stress fractures; Judith F. Baumhauer, MD, who explained gender differences in the foot and ankle; Letha Y. Griffin, MD, who discussed the anterior cruciate ligament; and Beth E. Shubin Stein, MD, who reported on the frozen shoulder. Reporters from national publications—such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, Associated Press, Fitness Magazine, Allure, Women’s Day, Latina Style, Marie Claire, Self, Arthritis Today, and Prevention—participated, along with many others, and learned some startling statistics about men, women, and their bones.

Haul out the holly, but watch your step
With the holiday season well underway, the media and bloggers are quoting from many of the Academy’s Prevent Injuries America! news releases. Recent releases featured Joseph J. Legan, MD, on guarding against frostbite when the mercury dips below 20ºF; Timothy S. Johnson, MD, on what to wear to protect the body when sledding, skiing, snowboarding, and ice skating; and Michael T. Archdeacon, MD, with strategies for thrill seekers who participate in X-treme winter sports like snowboarding, downhill ski racing, and ice climbing.

The November/December issue of Road and Travel magazine features tips from our press release on luggage-related injuries—just in time for people traveling during the holidays.

Just a few more things….
Robert R. Slater Jr., MD, talked with NAILPRO magazine about carpal tunnel syndrome, which can affect nail technicians. USA Today used statistics and pictures from the Academy to fill out a story about undergoing a knee replacement.

Speaking of knees, I talked with the New York Daily News about New York Jet superstar Jonathan Vilma, who is out for the season after being diagnosed with what doctors believe is osteochondritis dissecans.

Thomas C. Barber, MD, discussed the topic of gender knees with Business Week. Medical reporter Sanjay Gupta, MD, featured William B. Macaulay, MD, in a story that appeared on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric about a patient who opted for hip resurfacing instead of a traditional hip replacement. CBS News reporter Kim Dozier, who was injured in Iraq, wrote about the Academy’s efforts to push Congress and the president to fund several initiatives such as the Orthopaedic Extremity Trauma Research Program, which is being championed by one of her surgeons, Andrew N. Pollak, MD. Ms. Dozier says her recovery from those injuries is now complete.

Nicholas DiNubile, MD, is chair of the Public Relations Oversight Group. If you would like to serve as a spokesperson for the AAOS, contact the public relations department at julitz@aaos.org