Health Wonders - Fall 2008 - (Page 5)

Break snowboarder with nine years of experience, swerved to miss a skier who had stopped in the middle of the hill, he hit a mogul instead and was unexpectedly launched into the air. McKee landed softly but knew immediately from the pain in his left leg that something was wrong. Fortunately, two snowboarding buddies were with McKee at the New York ski resort where the accident occurred in January. They helped return McKee to his Burton home, where he hoped to rest for several days before returning to work as a home remodeler. His left ankle disagreed. McKee went to see William E. Saar, D.O., a foot-and-ankle orthopaedic surgeon who practices at University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center. “He came to the office in quite a bit of pain,” says Dr. Saar, “He was diagnosed with what we call a ‘snowboarder’s fracture.’ ” Doctors are seeing increased numbers of this type of injury, both because of the growth of snowboarding and the use of a less rigid boot that offers less protection. McKee’s fracture occurred in the talus, a small bone between the heel bone and the two bones of the lower leg. The tendons and ligaments surrounding the talus were also affected. “Any time you have a fracture around a joint or one that extends into the joint, there is an increased risk of arthritis,” says Dr. Saar. “One of the goals of orthopaedics is to reestablish joint congruity if the surfaces of the joint are offset due to the fracture. “Mr. McKee is young, healthy and active, so it’s important to maintain functionality of the joint,” Dr. Saar continues. Back from a On his feet again after a painful accident fractures his lower leg When Shane McKee, a 25-year-old Dr. Saar recommended surgery and repaired McKee’s ankle during an outpatient procedure at Geauga Medical Center. McKee spent the next two months recovering at home, interspersed with physical therapy sessions at the hospital three times each week. McKee returned to work on April 1 and felt better as the weeks went by. By early May he and some friends took an extended hunting trip to Missouri, during which he walked long distances and hiked up and down hills. “I’m back to doing most of my normal stuff,” McKee says. “I’m also jogging again, but I don’t want to push too hard too fast.” Fortunately, McKee’s repaired left ankle enables him to drive again—an ability that comes in handy because his car is equipped with a five-speed manual transmission.  Fall 2008 For more information about services, call 440-285-7757. 5

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Health Wonders - Fall 2008

Health Wonders - Fall 2008 New Health Center, New Technology, to Debut in '09 Medical Mystery Taking a Team Approach to Fight Cancer A Geauga Doctor Gets a Snowboarder Back on His Feet Free Seminars on Orthopaedics and Memory Loss Meet Our Physicians

Health Wonders - Fall 2008

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