Specialty Patient Services Expanding

For Immediate Release: February 25, 2008

at Orthopaedic Center of the Rockies

Patients suffering from workplace injuries, other trauma, or spinal disorders and back pain can benefit from new physician services at the Orthopaedic

 Center of the Rockies in Fort Collins.

The Orthopaedic Center and Colorado Rehabilitation and Occupational Medicine (CROM) are offering additional services from physiatrists, doctors who specialize in physical medicine and rehabilitation.

Dr. Scott J. Primack and. Dr. David L. Reinhard of CROM are staffing a physiatry clinic for patients every Friday by appointment in Fort Collins. Appointments can be scheduled by calling the Orthopaedic Center at (970) 419-7050 or 493-0112.

Dr. Primack and Dr. Reinhard provide diagnosis and treatment for patients who have disorders of the nerves, muscles, bones, or joints. They may use physical therapy, exercises, injections, osteopathic manipulations, and other methods to help patients recover and achieve maximum functional gains.

“We’re very pleased to expand our non-surgical services with Dr. Primack and Dr. Reinhard,” said Dr. Kirk Kindsfater, president of the Orthopaedic Center’s board of directors. “They will expand the number of ways that we can help patients, especially those who don’t need surgery.”

“I’m excited to partner with the Orthopaedic Center and expand CROM’s services in northern Colorado,” Dr. Primack remarked. The new clinic approximately doubles the number of patients that CROM physiatists can help in Fort Collins. CROM has 11 physicians who practice at various locations around Colorado.

Dr. Primack holds a Level II Accreditation from the Colorado Division of Workers’ Compensation and is a senior clinical instructor at the University of Colorado School of Health Sciences. Dr. Primack is a co-founder of Colorado Rehabilitation and Occupational Medicine.

Dr. Reinhard also holds a Level II Accreditations from the Colorado Division of Workers’ Compensation. He holds board certification in his specialty.

Surgery for Spinal Stenosis Benefits Patients

For Immediate Release: February 25, 2008

Study Finds Surgery for Spinal Stenosis Benefits Patients

A major medical trial has just announced that back surgery effectively corrects a painful and common condition called spinal stenosis. Patients of Colorado orthopedic surgeons have experienced excellent surgical outcomes.

Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal. A degenerative condition that results from normal wear and tear, it causes a progressive squeezing of the nerves, resulting in leg and buttocks pain. More than 400,000 Americans, most over 60, suffer from spinal stenosis of the lower back, or lumbar spine.

Loveland resident Harold Graff had lumbar spinal stenosis.  “I had a lot of lower back pain,” said Harold, 75. “I enjoy doing yard work, cutting firewood and playing with the grandkids. I wanted to be able to keep doing those things.”

To help Harold, Dr. Robert Benz of Orthopaedic Center of the Rockies turned to a new device called the X-stop™.  The X-stop is a titanium implant that stabilizes lumbar vertebrae to relieve pressure on spinal nerves. It eases pain by controlling—but not eliminating—motion in the affected area.

“The surgery worked out real well,” said Harold, who has since returned to his active lifestyle. “It helped right away.”

The minimally invasive X-stop procedure is a relatively new surgical option for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. The gold standard surgery for this condition is laminectomy, which involves removing excess bone, ligament and soft tissue to create more room for the nerves. Laminectomies can also be minimally invasive.

Results from the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial, or SPORT, were published in the February 21^st edition of the New England Journal of Medicine. The seven-year, million trial was led by Dartmouth clinician-researchers. The study affirmed that patients who have surgery to correct lumbar spinal stenosis achieve better physical function and experience less pain than patients treated with more conservative approaches, such as physical therapy, exercise and chiropractic care.

Spinal surgeons Dr. Robert Benz and Dr. Bill Biggs practice at Orthopaedic Center of the Rockies, a 17-physician orthopedic center with offices in Fort Collins and Loveland, Colorado. They can be reached at (970) 493-0112 or 663-3975.