Available Treatments for Compression Fracture – Orthopedic Injuries

A physician at North Jersey Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Institute Dr. Raymond Reiter also serves as an associate physician at Atlas Spine and Interventional Medicine. Dr. Raymond Reiter is experienced in evaluating orthopedic injuries and has also helped treat pain.

A type of orthopedic injury, compression fracture causes a vertebra to collapse, reducing the spine height. In some cases, the collapsed bone press on nearby nerves and the spinal cord, decreasing the amount of blood that gets to the spinal cord. Although compression fractures don’t always cause symptoms when symptoms occur, they may include numbness in arms or legs, a stooped-forward posture called kyphosis, difficulty bending or twisting, severe back pain, and loss of height. More than one vertebra fractures sometimes occur. This condition called multiple compression fractures, often leads to kyphosis.

During diagnosis, a doctor may request the patient medical history and also perform a physical examination. If the fracture is suspected, imaging procedures like X-ray, and MRI may be done to assess the patient’s spine. For some patients, doctors may recommend non-operative treatments, such as medication (to help manage pain), wearing of braces to enhance spine posture, and modified physical activities. If the fracture results from osteoporosis, treatments, such as vitamin D and calcium supplementation, and weight-bearing exercises, can help prevent additional fractures. Surgery may be recommended for an unstable spine.

Can Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections Help with Tendinitis?

Orthopedic and sports medicine professional Dr. Raymond Reiter has nearly 30 years of medical experience focused on treating and evaluating athletic injuries. In his current appointment at the North Jersey Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Institute, Dr. Raymond Reiter uses electrodiagnostic testing to examine injuries, and is experienced in the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections to treat common tendon injuries and conditions.

Platelet-rich plasma injections have been a common option in the athletic community since the 1980s, but they are only reaching the public in recent years. Used to treat common orthopedic conditions, particularly various forms of tendinitis and other over-use conditions, PRP injections contain a very high concentration of platelets, growth factors, and other blood cells that can aid in healing.

PRP is an outpatient procedure that can easily be done in a doctor’s office, taking as little as 30 minutes to complete. Physicians will draw some of the patient’s own blood and spin it in a centrifuge in order to separate out the different components of the blood. The platelet-rich portion is then extracted and injected back into the injured area. Laboratory studies indicate that PRP can increase growth factors that are important for healing, but there is not yet enough evidence to prove that PRP is effective in treating conditions like tendinitis. Side effects are rare, but most often include increased pain and inflammation at the injection site.

About the Unified Champion Schools Program

Dr. Raymond Reiter is an experienced physician at the North Jersey Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Institute and Atlas Spine and Interventional Medicine in New Jersey. Dr. Raymond Reiter volunteered for the New Jersey Special Olympics.

Since its founding in the 1960s, Special Olympics New Jersey has provided sports training and athletic events for adults and children with intellectual disabilities. Programs at the organization, which are completely free, include all necessary insurance, equipment, housing, and even uniforms for athletes. To date, Special Olympics New Jersey has served more than 26,000 athletes as part of a global movement that has reached more than 5.7 million individuals.

In addition to managing athletic events, the New Jersey Special Olympics administers life enrichment initiatives like the Unified Champion Schools Program (UCS). The UCS promotes social inclusion at New Jersey Schools through three pillars; inclusive sports, youth leadership, and whole-school engagement. Effective implementation of these pillars fosters a positive school environment where standards such as equal opportunity and awareness are a part of the social fabric.

For additional information on the UCS program, visit www.sonj.org.

The Regenerative Property of Platelet-Rich Plasma

Former New Jersey Nets team physician Dr. Raymond Reiter possesses 40 years of experience in the practice of orthopedic medicine and sports medicine. As a physician at the North Jersey Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Institute, Dr. Raymond Reiter performs fluoroscopy-guided platelet-rich plasma (PRP) joint injections.

The human blood has three types of cells: red, which carry oxygen to different parts of the body; white, which fight infection; and platelets, which clot the blood and help the body heal from injury. Platelets contain growth factors and proteins that help control inflammation. They also act as “first responders” in an injury by clotting blood to prevent bleeding.

When a concentrated amount of platelets, PRP, is injected into an injured area, growth factors are released to stimulate healing. This is the regenerative property of PRP.

The PRP injection process takes up to 90 minutes and may be performed as an outpatient service in the physician’s office. Blood is drawn from the patient’s arm, and the blood is placed into a centrifuge, a machine that separates the platelet from the other cells.

When the PRP is ready, the injured area is numbed with local anesthesia. The physician uses fluoroscopy to guide the needle into the injured joint, where the PRP is injected.