Category: General

  • 13
  • Aug
Wide Bore MRI
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Singapore Orthopaedic Surgeon introduces a state-of-the-art MRI scanner that has a wider opening, light-weight coils and other exciting advanced technology that improves  your experience during the examination.

In addition to enhancing the experience, the Optima MR450w also provides our surgeon with excellent image quality and advanced tools to aid in their evaluation.

About Magnetic Resonance Imaging

An MRI scanner uses a powerful magnet and radio waves linked to a computer to create remarkably clear and detailed images of the body. MR imaging uses no ionising radiation, which is the radiation used in x-ray and CT machines.

MRI can be used to view, monitor, or diagnose disease abnormalities in many different regions of the body.

Benefits of Using A Wide-bore MRI

  • A wider opening and a shorter magnet makes the procedure more  comfortable for you, especially children, those with  claustrophobia and larger individuals
  • An exclusive optical RF system increases signal clarity and maxmises signal intensity for clean, crisp images, which leads to more accurate diagnosis and less ambiguity
  • Advanced functionality gives the radiologists the tools they need to make definitive diagnosis
  • Exclusive ease-of-use features help make life easier for both patients and the technologists
  • With a 50cm field of view, the technologists can cover more anatomy in fewer scans, leading to a shorter examination time

Musculoskeletal MR Imaging

MRI of the musculoskeletal system is a very valuable for evaluating joints of the body including hips, wrists, and hands. It is useful for diagnosing back and neck pain and evaluating soft tissue found near and around bones. MRI is extensively used to diagnose sports-related injuries, as well as work-related disorders caused by repeated strain or trauma.

MRI Lumbar Spine

Preparation Before Your Examination

Do inform the technologist (the person performing the MRI) if you have any of the following condition prior to the scan:

  • Cardiac pacemaker
  • Coil, filter, stent in your blood vessel
  • Orthopaedic hardware (e.g. plates, screws, etc.)

Book Appointment Online for Wide Bore MRI Scan

  • 08
  • Aug
Repetitive Strain Injuries
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Repetitive Strain Injury – Prevention if Better Than The Cure

A 2008 study showed that 68% of UK workers suffered from some sort of Repetitive strain injuries (RSI), with the most common problems areas being the back, shoulders, wrists, and hands. A study in Canada (2000) revealed 2.3 million Canadians had a repetitive strain injury in the 12 months prior to the study, and 10% of them had a repetitive strain injury so bad it impaired their daily activities.

Repetitive strain injury also known as cumulative trauma disorder (CTD), occupational overuse syndrome (OOS) and musculoskeletal disorder (MSD), is an umbrella term for a group of disorders caused by repetitive movements that affect muscles, tendons and nerves which often occur over an extended period of time. These repeated movements can be actions, tasks or exposure to compressive or vibratory forces, or sustained awkward posture.

Repetitive strain injury can occur in any parts of the body, but the most common places are back (low back pain), neck (neck strain), elbow (Golfer’s Elbow, Tennis Elbow), wrist (de Quervain’s, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome), and fingers (Trigger Fingers).

What Are The Common Causes of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)?

Usually, the type of RSIs that one suffers from is very specific to one’s occupation and work, poor postural or ergonomical habits, and presence of stress and / or poor stress management.

Occupational and Work Related RSI

The type of job one does maters. For example in an office, personnel who are predominantly long-term computer users often suffer from back and neck pains as well as non-specific shoulder and elbow pain. Administrative staff may suffer from very specific RSI type, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, de Quervain’s or Trigger Finger from their daily use of stapling, filing. Cleaning aunties often develop Golfer’s and Tennis Elbow from the pushing and pulling loads and incessant mopping.

Poor Postural Or Ergonomical Habits

Sometimes, it is poor habits that contribute to the development of repetitive strain injuries, such as clamping our phone between our shoulder and neck when conversing on a telephone call, reading articles on our phones with extreme neck flexion or “over-doing” a task by taking 10 steps to finish it when it can be finished in seven steps with the same results.

Stress Increases Risk of RSI

Stress caused by fast work pace, ambiguity in roles, work-related anxieties, and monotonous tasks are associated with RSI, especially so if the individual feels overwhelmed at work. Higher stress levels often correlate directly with increased intensity of executing job functions, e.g., typing, filing or stapling harder, strained necks, and decreased rest time increases risks.

“Gan cheong” personality-types or people who tend to be more anxious are more prone to developing repetitive strain injuries. They are often more anxious, aggravated, impulsive and want to do today’s tasks like they were due yesterday – causing the physical body to be more tense. This has a cascading effect of additional strain and load on the muscles, joints and other soft tissues.

Lastly, one can also sustain a repetitive strain injury through a direct trauma, such as accidents and falling on a specific body part, or being hit by an object(s) directly at a body part.

Whatever It Is, It Can Hurt A Lot

Depending on the type of repetitive strain injuries, symptoms during an acute bout of RSI can include short bursts of severe cramping and excruciating pain over a specific location; pain intensifies with activities or use; and noticeable weakness in the affected limb. Some can have numbing sensation or electrical, shooting like pain that travels over a location. Some people get severe headaches.

What You Can Do

  • Pay a visit to a specialist to assess the severity of the condition, and they can provide you the appropriate treatments to the problem.

  • “RICE” Method

    a. Rest the painful area, avoid or minimise using the affected area for about two weeks.
    b. Ice it intermittently with an ice pack wrapped in a towel for about fice minutes.
    c. Compress and elevate to decrease swelling

  • Lifestyle Change

    a. Micro-breaks – Every 3o minutes, take one minute to stop and stretch muscles.
    b. Adequate sleep helps your body to heal from injuries, big or small.
    c. Exercise at least three times a week to increase your strength, stamina, and health.
    d. Plan and Prioritise – Schedule your important tasks first, and complete them first.

  • Improve Ergonomics

    Can you identify if there is a specific activity, device or pattern you realised is causing you pain? Can you change it, replace it or modify it? Think creatively how you can do things better. An example is, if you seem to be getting numbness in your forearm because you realised that you’ve been resting your entire body weight on your forearms as you type, can you bring your keyboard tray forward for you to easily reach and type without resting your forearms and body weight on the edge of your table?

Book Appointment Online for RSI Treatment

  • 05
  • Aug
Men Don’t get Osteoporosis?
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Osteoporosis is a condition in which bones become weak and brittle. If not prevented or if left untreated, osteoporosis can progress painlessly until a fracture (crack or break in the bone) occurs, typically in the hip, spine and wrist. One in three persons with hip fractures suffers considerable loss of function and becomes dependent on others, while one in five people dies within a year of sustaining a hip fracture.
Bone mass peaks between the ages of 25 to 30. After that, any additional calcium that a person takes is only used for replacing the bone tissues. Thus, the foundation for good bones at a later age begins now. To prevent osteoporosis, get enough calcium and vitamin D, engage in weight-bearing & resistance exercises, and avoid smoking and limit alcohol intake.

Men don’t get Osteoporosis? Think Again

While women are more likely to get osteoporosis compared to men, men also suffer from osteoporosis. Worldwide, osteoporosis affects approximately one in three women and one in eight men over the age of 50. Osteoporosis in men related to a decrease in testosterone. Compared to women, osteoporosis develops at a later age in men. Although both men and women lose bone density with age, since men begin with a higher bone density, they reach osteoporotic levels later. Additionally, unlike women who undergo rapid bone loss after menopause, men don’t. Besides age, it can affect men who have eating disorders.

How do I check whether I have Osteoporosis?

You can do a Bone Mineral Density scan (specifically a densitometry or DEXA scan) which is used to determine your risk of getting osteoporosis.

Bone Mineral Density Scan + Specialist Consultation @ $379 ONLY

Currently, we are offering a price of $379 for a hip and spine scan including a consultation with our specialist for the explanation of the result.Book Appointment Online

  • 28
  • Jul
Wound Dressing 101
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Keep It Clean and Comfortable

After the initial shock and pain of getting wounded comes the worst part, dessing your wound. Wound dressings are one of the most important parts of wound care. It is necessary to take extra care to clean your wound before simply covering it. If you’re not very careful, the wound can become infected very quickly, causing more problems and discomfort.

Proper Safety Precautions

  • Clean your hands thoroughly. Wear gloves if possible.
  • If necessary, stop the bleeding by applying pressure to the wound.
  • Cleanse the wound, careful not to aggravate it.
  • Place enough sterile gauze or dressing over the wound and saturate it thoroughly with water or some type of wound cleanser.
  • Gently dab the wound for several minutes to remove any debris that may be embedded in the wound. Rinse the wound with water for at least five minutes. It will also help remove dirt or foreign matter that might be in the wounded area. Use a pair of tweezers if necessary.
  • Dry the wound with a clean cloth or gauze.
  • In some cases, an antiseptic ointment should be applied to the wounded area before placing a dry bandage or sterile gauze onto the wound.
  • Use a  dressing pad that is soft, absorbent, and does not stick to the skin. Some dressing pads available nowadays offer comfortable, easy to use and non-adherent varieties.
  • Once the wound has been properly cleansed and dressed, change the dressing every day or every few days, depending on the severity of the wound.

The number one thing you need to avoid is infection. Infection triggers inflammation and inflammation causes fluid build up. Observe good hygiene. If infection occurs, consult our specialist.

Call +65 80859224 for an appointment to see our specialist regarding your wound infection. Email: ps@orthopaedicsurgeon.com.sg

  • 28
  • Jul
Singapore Has Highest Number of Osteoporotic Fractures in Asia
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Singapore has the highest number of osteoporotic fractures in Asia yet many Singaporean postmenopausal women are leaving it to after they have had their first fracture before taking preventive action!

Dr. Kevin Yip, Orthopaedic Consultant from Gleneagles Hospital, is encouraging postmenopausal women to see the OSTA guide below and decide whether they need to undergo bone mineral density (BMD) screening.

OSTA

The OSTA test will determine if a postmenopausal woman is at high, moderate or low risk of having a low bone density. Although Osteoporosis affects men as well, osteoporosis is more prevalent in postmenopausal women as they lose up to 20% of their bone mass in the five to seven years after menopause.

Studies show that one in every five patients usually dies within the first year after a hip fracture. Of those who survive, more than half will lose their ability to walk and will end up bedridden or wheelchair-bound.

According to Prof. Lau Tang Ching, President of The Osteoporosis Society of Singapore, “For osteoporotic patients, where the bone density has begun degenerating, medication is necessary as Osteoposis is a progressive one. In a normal situation, drinking your milk and eating your cheese and sunning yourself for vitamin D will be good measures to build bone health but will not be sufficient when you are identified with osteoporosis. When faced with this, you need to medicate under doctor’s supervision.”

In the last three decades since 1960s, the number of osteoporotic hip fractures in Singapore rose five-fold per 100k population in women over the age of 50.

We are offering a special price on a Bone Mineral Density scan which is used to determine your risk of getting osteoporosis. The usual price is more than $280 but we have available a limited number of sponsored scans whereby you need only pay $168 for a spine and hip scan including a specialist’s consultation with the doctor for explanation of your result of the scan.

Currently, this is offered to our patients who are above 45 years old. If you are interested, please make an appointment with us. The vouchers will be issued on a first-come first-served basis as there are limited quantities.

Call (+65) 6471 2674 if you are interested. You may also email ps@orthopaedicsurgeon.com.sg.

Send us a Message

Call: +65 80859224

Email: ssoc_enq@bone.com.sg

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