Sophie Bodek

Articles by Sophie Bodek

Rising From the Rubble: San Diego Surgeon Helps Those Impacted by Nepal Earthquake

Nepal faces a long road to recovery after a record-breaking earthquake rocked the small country on April 25, 2015.

Jun 9, 2015

Rong-Min Baek, M.D. Wins Prestigious Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award

Rong-Min Baek, M.D. received the Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award (AHHA) at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul.

Jan 12, 2015

Remember Haiti? Next Time, Get Trained. Here’s How

When natural disasters strike, many orthopedics physicians, nurses and other caregivers jump at the chance to contribute their skills and expertise and turn chaos, destruction and heartbreak into recovery. But…after crises such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005 or the 2010 Haitian earthquake, first responders realized that many of generous orthopedic volunteers were woefully untrained in […]

Sep 2, 2014

Crowdfunding for Spinal Technology

Poets, politicians, and public servants have been lamenting the fickle crowd since before Roman times. With new crowdsourcing and crowdfunding websites, like Kickstarter and Indiegogo, entrepreneurs and inventors can now harness the support and whims of the crowd. A well-known example of crowdfunding is the infamous potato salad Kickstarter project where a man from Columbus, […]

Aug 18, 2014

First Time Ever! Clear Quantification of Gender Running Differences

Hard to believe, but no one had ever figured out a study to quantify the gender differences among runners. Sports medicine doctors have noticed 20% more injuries among women runners than men. But where’s the data to explain such huge differences? University of Freiburg to the rescue. In a clever, high-tech study the researchers came up with solid answers. Here you go.

Aug 15, 2014

Voluntary Amputation: When is it the Right Decision?

It was morning on September 9, 2012 when Corporal Alan Fernandez was hit by an hidden improvised explosive device (IED). His commander, Sgt. Lee Davidson, also in the vehicle, died. Fernandez survived but with massive injuries which required more than two years of intensive rehabilitation. At 33 years old, after all the surgeries, all the […]

Aug 13, 2014

Would Congress Let Traumatic Brain Injury Care for Vets Expire?

With time quickly running out before Congress’ month-long recess in August, lawmakers were able to keep a small but critical program to help veterans with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) funded. Sadly, this critical program was already on life-support and Congress was about to let it expire. The recent scandals regarding the Veterans Administration (VA) treatment […]

Aug 11, 2014

Does Gender Play a Role in ACL Reconstruction Outcome?

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the most frequently injured knee ligaments with an injury incidence of over 200, 000 cases per year, according to the University of California, San Francisco Department of Orthopedic Surgery’s website. By the numbers, more ACL injuries happen to men because a greater amount of men participate in […]

Aug 6, 2014

Intratissue Percutaneous Electrolysis Mends Pectoral Tear

Although injury to the pectoralis major muscle is uncommon, doctors have seen more muscle tears in recent years due to an increased interest in lifting and sports. In 1989, Kretzler and Richardson1 conducted the largest series published to date, reporting 19 pectoralis major ruptures. In 2001, Hanna et al.2found about 114 cases of pectoralis major […]

Aug 6, 2014

Be Mindful When Going for the Gold

As many as 60 million children aged 6 to 18 years participate in some form of organized athletics, the National Council of Youth Sports reports—44 million of those children participate in more than one sport and 27 million youths engage in team sports. Although the positive aspects of sports participation, active lifestyle, peer socialization, building […]

Aug 6, 2014

Text Messaging for Sports Injury Registration?

The rate of injury among female soccer players is ranging from 1-7 injuries for every 1, 000 hours of training or 12-24 injuries per 1, 000 hours of match play. That rate of variability makes predicting rates of injury little more than a roll of the dice. In reality, there is a wide variability of […]

Aug 1, 2014

Orthopedic Surgeons Volunteer in Vietnam, Share Skills and Better Lives

When the American Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) outreach to Vietnam began in 2002, the volunteers hoped to better the lives of countless people. Thirteen years later, AOFAS volunteers have surgically treated over 1, 100 patients and have seen more than 2, 600 patients in the clinics, at no cost to the patients. In […]

Jul 31, 2014

Low-Profile Hybrid Fixation for Pediatric ACL Reconstruction

With injuries occurring in children as young as 5 years old, Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tears seem to be occurring more frequently. For female soccer players between 14 to 18 years old, the ACL injury rate is 14.08 for every 100, 000 athletic exposures. Male football players of the same age have an ACL injury […]

Jul 30, 2014

Meeting the Health Care Needs of Female Veterans

Forty two percent of women who are deployed in the military have seen combat. After they have completed their service, 51% indicate that they plan to use the Veterans Health Administration as their primary source of healthcare. A new landmark study points the way to better gender specific healthcare services for women who have served and sacrificed. Time to return the favor.

Jul 28, 2014

Syrian Doctors Run Hospital Despite Siege and Civil War

As the civil war in Syria continues unabated, the city of Zabadani remains under siege. In 2012, rebel forces entered Zabadani, a city close to Damascus. In retaliation, the Assad regime laid siege to the city by blocking all entrances and taking strategic positions in the surrounding mountains. Isolated from external aid for two years, […]

Jul 22, 2014

3-D Bioprinting Directly Into Wounds!

A remarkable program from the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine (AFIRM) program is testing the use of an advanced 3-D Bio-printing system to print living cells directly into a wound. That’s right, directly into a wound!

Jul 22, 2014

Running at the Beach Is a Whole New Kettle of Fish

Running is popular. In fact, so many weekend athletes pound the pavement/sand that from an orthopedic perspective it’s becoming a Monday morning annuity for sports medicine docs. Seventy percent of both recreational and competitive runners experience an overuse injury over a 12-month period. Knee injuries are most frequent and make up 42% of all running […]

Jul 21, 2014

Genetic Factors Determine Speed of Concussion Recovery

According to the Sports Concussion Institute, with a 75% chance of receiving a concussion, football has the highest concussion risk for male players. For females, soccer is the riskiest sport with a 50% chance of concussion. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 1.6 and 3.8 million concussions occur each year. After […]

Jul 21, 2014

New Study: Prolotherapy for Treating Tennis Elbow?

Chronic lateral epicondylosis (CLE) accounts for 4-7 out of every 1, 000 primary care office visits annually. More commonly known as tennis elbow, CLE is often a misnomer because the disease is not necessarily more common in tennis players. In fact the prevalence of CLE in industrial workers is 30% of all cases with symptoms […]

Jul 17, 2014

Hospital Ships Take Center Stage at RIMPAC

The naval might of 22 nations lies moored around the Hawaiian Islands. More than 40 naval vessels and 200 aircraft manned by over 25, 000 personnel are gathered for RIMPAC, the biannual Rim of the Pacific maritime exercise. The vast armada of ships, submarines, and aircraft, participating in the largest international maritime exercise ever, will […]

Jul 16, 2014

State-of-the-Art Rehabilitation Center Set to Open for Injured British Soldiers

Stanford Hall dates from the early 18th century. In the 1930’s, Sir Julian Cahn remodeled the house by adding a nine-hole golf course, a trout lake, and a decorated outdoor swimming pool. The fortunate new tenants of this luxurious estate will be the British Army’s seriously injured soldiers, as Stanford Hall undergoes renovations to become […]

Jul 16, 2014

New Study: Autografts Last Longer for ACL Reconstruction

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries occur about 200, 000 times each year and about 100, 000 of those patients undergo reconstructive surgery. Seventy percent of ACL injuries occur when patients participate in agility sports, mainly basketball, soccer, skiing, and football. ACL injuries are more prevalent in patients 15-45 years old since people in this age […]

Jul 16, 2014

Ouch! Treating Groin Pain in Soccer Players

Chronic exercise-related groin pain occurs in between 0.5% and 6.2% of all athletes but is especially common among soccer players where recent research has pegged the incidence rate at 10 to 18 injuries per 100 soccer players. Nonoperative treatments often have limited efficacy and some studies have shown that only 38% of injuries resolve with […]

Jul 8, 2014

Gender, Age Risk Factors for Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome in U.S. Military

Greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS) has an incidence rate of 1.8 per 1, 000 person-years in the general population.* However, in a study evaluating GTPS in Unites States servicemen and women, the incidence rate was higher at 2.03 per 1, 000 person-years. This study of the military population, conducted by Drs. Elizabeth Blank, Brett D. […]

Jul 7, 2014

2014 POSNA Humanitarian Award Recognizes Dr. Richard M. Schwend

In the subsequent weeks and months following an earthquake in Haiti, countless organizations gathered funds, materials, and volunteers to help the stricken nation. One of these volunteers was Richard M. Schwend, M.D., the 2014 Pediatric Orthopedic Society of North America (POSNA) Humanitarian Award Winner.

Jul 7, 2014