Scoliosis, plantar fasciitis, yoga, MORE Awards also in the news
Stem cell technology—particularly as it applies to orthopaedics—is of great interest around the world. At the end of March, New York Times reporter Bill Pennington filed a story entitled “For athletes, the next fountain of youth?” The story dealt with elite athletes’ “banking” stem cells from their offspring’s umbilical cords to one day heal potentially career-ending injuries to tendons, ligaments, muscle, and cartilage. The piece presented the many sides to this complex issue, and also appeared in the International Herald Tribune, which has wide circulation in Europe. Several AAOS fellows contributed to this story, including Regis J. O’Keefe, MD; Scott A. Rodeo, MD; and Freddie H. Fu, MD. Johnny Huard, PhD, of the Orthopaedic Research Society, was also quoted.

The Associated Press wire service ran an article on children with severe scoliosis. Though these maladies are not common, they can be life-threatening. The article featured Behrooz A. Akbarnia, MD, and Colin Crawford, an 8-year-old with severe scoliosis. The piece examined Dr. Akbarnia’s “growing rods,” a technology he developed to help straighten and stabilize the spine. The story was picked up by a number of outlets, including the Houston Chronicle, the Los Angeles Times, Newsday, and MSNBC.com.

The Los Angeles Times and hundreds of other papers ran articles on how to avoid yoga injuries. The piece recommended that practitioners make sure their teachers are properly credentialed, that they start slowly and that they know their body’s limitations. Johnny Benjamin, MD, served as spokesperson for the Academy. Though he believes yoga is beneficial, Dr. Benjamin warned that yoga can cause lower back strains, particularly among first-time participants. Yoga is particularly popular with “baby boomers” who are attracted to activities that foster a connection between the mind and body.

2007 MORE Awards
At the National Orthopaedic Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., the AAOS recognized the recipients of the 2007 MORE (Media Orthopaedic Recognition Excellence) Awards. The program honors media efforts that further public understanding of musculoskeletal health-related issues and encourage healthy behaviors in the care of bones, joints, muscles, and tendons.

The winners are health and medical writers, producers, and reporters from print, broadcast, and online media. Entries were judged by a panel of orthopaedic surgeons and media experts; judging criteria included success in promoting greater awareness of musculoskeletal health, an understanding of what ortho-paedic surgeons treat, creativity, accuracy, and overall lasting impression.

Congratulations to the following 2007 MORE Awards winners:

Trade Print Publication: “Wartime orthopaedics: Treating friend and foe alike” by Elizabeth Hofheinz, Orthopaedics This Week

Consumer Print Journalism – National Magazine: “People who make America Great (The Genius)” by Claudia Kalb, Newsweek; “Smart moves for arthritis: joint replacement” by Jamie Kopf, Consumer Reports; “Pain-free exercise” by Gabrielle deGroot Redford, AARP Magazine; “A Surgeon on the Front Line” by Nancy Shute, US News and World Report; and “Your healthy bones action plan” by Sandra Gordon, Ladies Home Journal

Consumer Print Journalism – Local Newspaper: “The rise of boomeritis” by Tom Keyser, The Times Union (Albany, N.Y.); “Little League Elbow” by Wendi Winters, Sunday Capital (Annapolis, Md.); and “My Fragile Future” by Barbara Mahany, Chicago Tribune Magazine

Broadcast Journalism National – Radio: “Artificial disc offers new hope,” Wade Goodwyn, National Public Radio

Broadcast Journalism Local – Radio: “Healthy Minute” radio spots, Barry Kaufman, DMD, WBBM-Radio (Chicago)

Broadcast Journalism – Television: “Medical Mysteries,” JuJu Chang, ABC News; “Baghdad ER,” Lee Grant, executive producer, and Matthew O’Neill, director, HBO

Nicholas DiNubile, MD, is chair of the Public Relations Oversight Group. AAOS members who are interested in volunteering as spokespersons for the AAOS should contact the public relations department at julitz@aaos.org