Articles

Digital deformities, otherwise known as hammertoes, continue to be one of the most common conditions foot and ankle surgeons treat. It is estimated that nearly half of all forefoot surgical procedures are centered around digital deformity correction. It has been reported that about 20% of the United States population develops a digital deformity, with peak incidences in the 6th and 7th decades. Women are nearly 5 times more likely to develop digital deformities than men, and shoe-wearing societies demonstrate a significantly higher rate of deformity progression.

Ankle arthritis is a fairly common condition that occurs when the articular cartilage on the tibia and/or talus bones wears away. It most commonly occurs as a result of trauma (fractures or sprains), primary degenerative arthritis, or from an inflammatory condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis. 

For all employers that sponsor retirement plans, make sure you continue to stay current on potential changes with respect to who may be considered fiduciaries of your plan. After more than five years of debate as to the direction of the meaning of an investment advice “fiduciary” under Section 3(21) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the United States Department of Labor (DOL) is moving ahead with its attempt to broaden its scope by redefining the current five-part test.

It may seem obvious that certain medical specialties are sued more often than others (think neurosurgery vs. rhinology). However, there are also physician behaviors that can result in a higher claims rate, according to a recent study reported by The New England Journal of Medicine.

The implementation of a ketogenic diet (KD) to treat intractable childhood epilepsy has ancient origins. As elements of the treatment have advanced over the centuries, clinicians are hopeful the diet’s uses can be expanded to address other neurological disorders.

No matter your age or your approach to investing, there is one kind of investment that may be considered for your portfolio: dividend-paying stocks. While hardly the sexiest of investment choices, dividend-paying stocks may offer a difficult-to-beat combination — good quality and a history of typically lower volatility than the overall market. Wren cites an impressive number in this regard. During the past 80 years, about half of the market’s growth, as measured by the S&P 500, has come from dividend-paying stocks.

Most healthcare practitioners probably give little thought to what constitutes a medical record or where they keep patient records. When a patient requests his or her records, the staff copies the patient’s chart or prints out electronic records and provides them to the patient. However, a recent case decided by the Ohio Supreme Court demonstrates recent efforts by patients (and patients’ attorneys) to broaden the definition of “medical record” to obtain more ammunition for potential lawsuits.

Retinal disorders are among the most common causes of visual impairment and blindness for people over 55 in the United States. One such disorder, age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), affects at least 35 percent of all people over 75 — more than 10 million Americans. As the baby boomer generation ages, the number of people with age-related eye diseases is expected to double.

Opioid prescription and addiction are serious problems. Consider these facts from the CDC: In the last 15 years, prescriptions for opioids have quadrupled. During that same time period, more than 165,000 people died from prescription opioid overdose. In 2014 alone, nearly 2 million Americans were addicted to or abused opioid medications.