Blog | Dr Oliver Khoo

Paul George Breaks His Leg

August 2, 2014

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Lightning strikes twice! Indiana Pacers All-Star Paul George has broken his leg while playing in the Team USA Blue White scrimmage. It has been just over one year since Louisville Cardinals guard Kevin Ware suffered a similar open tibia fracture while attempting to block a shot. Kevin's response to Paul's injury:

Man..

— Kevin Ware (@5Juice) August 2, 2014

For more info about open fractures - click here

Warning: graphic footage

Thanks everybody for the love and support.. I'll be ok and be back better than ever!!! Love y'all!! #YoungTrece

— Paul George (@Paul_George24) August 2, 2014

Open Tibia Fractures

April 9, 2013

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College basketballer Kevin Ware, of the Louisville Cardinals, made headlines this week after he sustained an open tibial fracture during a game. Read more

Achilles Tendon Rupture

April 2, 2013

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"It felt like I was kicked in the heel". An all too common description of an injury which will have you sidelined for 3 months. Minimum. Read more

Lady Gaga Makes Hip Arthroscopy Fashionable

February 17, 2013

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Hip Joint

A hip injury has forced Lady Gaga to cancel the remainder of her Born This Way Ball tour.

Tests have revealed that she has a "labral tear of the right hip" which requires surgery.

"Tears of the labrum of the hip are quite common and can be extremely painful and debilitating." says Dr Oliver Khoo. "The labrum is basically a ring of soft tissue which forms a rim around the hip joint to make it deeper and more stable."

"Tears of the labrum cause pain and swelling, especially at the extremes of hip motion, which makes a tear really problematic when playing sports such as football, tennis and dancing."

"The best investigation to diagnose a tear is a MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scan. It's important to diagnose a tear early so that the right treatment can be started. The first line of treatment is non-operative and includes anti-inflammatories, rest with activity modification and physiotherapy."

"If pain and symptoms continue then non-operative treatment has failed and surgery can be used to deal with the tear. Surgery can be performed arthroscopically. This means small skin incisions are made so that instruments can be passed into the space of the hip joint. These instruments include a High Definition (HD) camera which allows your doctor to view the hip joint up close on a monitor, in incredible detail. With the use of specialised instruments the torn part of the labrum is repaired or trimmed."

"The torn labrum is usually found in conjunction with a condition called Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI). When FAI is present, it can be treated during the same operation."

"Recovery from a torn labrum takes 3 to 6 months."

We all wish Lady Gaga well.

Give me a Break! Bone Fractures – A Basic Break Down

February 16, 2013

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Broken Collar Bone

"It's broken." says the doctor. What does that mean? Where to from here? What now? Here's 10 things you need to know about broken bones.

1. Is it a break or a fracture?

Actually, they're the same thing!

"Fracture" is the technical term for a broken bone. A bone breaks when it is put under too much stress. Next time you have an iceblock, try bending the wooden stick...SNAP!

2. Are all breaks the same?

All breaks are different. You may have broken the same bone as someone you know, or the person next to you may be wearing the same plaster cast, but that does not mean you need the same treatment.

Fractures can be seen by using tests like Xrays, CT scans and even MRI. These tests help greatly when deciding what sort of fracture you have, and how best to fix it.

3. How does a broken bone heal?

Your bones are amazing. Bones are the only part of your body which heal without scar tissue.

When a bone breaks, it starts to bleed. This blood forms a haematoma (a fancy name for a clot) around the broken ends of the bone. Within a week, the body starts to transform this haematoma into new bone, which is called "callus".

At first this new bone is soft and too weak to hold the broken pieces of bone together. Day by day, the new bone becomes harder and eventually will be strong again.

4. How long will my fracture take to heal?

The average time for most bones to heal in adults is 6 weeks - but it's not quite that simple. The healing process depends on several things: which bone you have broken (big bones take longer), the type of break, your age, and which part of the bone is broken. Some medical conditions (such as diabetes), medications and habits such as smoking and excessive alcohol can substantially delay the healing of fractures. We're all individual, and so is our fracture healing time!

5. Why do I need a plaster?

A plaster is used to splint the fracture so that it stays in its current position and doesn't move. A plaster holds the fracture still so that it can heal. Too much movement of the broken bones can mean the fracture will not heal. Interestingly, a tiny, tiny amount of movement (measured in nanometres) helps a fracture heal. It is also important that the fracture doesn't move as movement of the broken bones really hurts!

6. Do I need an operation?

Sometimes the position of broken bones needs to be improved. This needs to be done with anaesthetic or when you are asleep. Once the position of the bone has been moved into an acceptable position, it needs to be kept in place. That's where plaster comes in. If plaster is not enough, the next step is to use metal in the form of wires, plates and screws, or rods.

7. What can I do to help?

If there are any lifestyle choices you have made, such as smoking, which delay fracture healing, now is the time to stop. It is important to eat well and get plenty of calcium. If you have a plaster - be sure to follow the plaster care instructions. Don't get that plaster wet! Follow the exercises given to you by your physiotherapist - they are important to prevent swelling and stiffness.

8. How do you know the bone has healed?

When the bone has healed, we say that it has united. A physical examination is important in determining if a bone has united. Once a bone has united it is no longer tender when palpated (doctor speak for prodded and poked) and it is painfree when stressed. Xrays can be used to confirm that broken bones have united. The xray appearance of a united fracture changes over time as the bone continues to remodel, becoming stronger and more organised.

9. When do I need an xray?

Xrays are used to check on fracture position and the progress of healing. Xrays cannot see new bone straight away and this means that the xray appearance of the healing bone lags behind what is actually happening in real life.

10. My plaster is off, now what?

Fantastic news. Your fracture is now strong enough that you no longer need the plaster to support it. Now it's time for some exercise. Plasters and slings can cause stiffness in joints and muscle wasting from being immobilised. Physiotherapy is an important part of recovery and an individual exercise program will be needed, which will take into account the severity of your injury and the time since your original fracture.