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UAB Surgeons See Advantages in Using BioBrace to Support Soft Tissue Repairs by laura Freeman
In June of last year, UAB became the first orthopedic surgery program in Alabama to use BioBrace implants to support weakened soft tissue in procedures like ACL and Rotator Cuff repairs, where it can be difficult to achieve and
maintain successful outcomes. Each procedure that was done with BioBrace was tracked in detail as the patients’ healing progressed, and now the results are in and have been published. “I’ve done more than 50 rotator cuffs in that time and quite a few other soft tissue repairs working with BioBrace, and
the results have been impressive,” Chief of Sports Medicine Amit Momaya, MD said. A surgeon in the UAB Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Momaya is also team physician for UAB Athletics, the Birmingham Bulls hockey team, and Hoover Vestavia Soccer. In the past, soft tissue support was
The Biobrace implant features a unique composite design.
either synthetic or biologic. BioBrace is both. Its purpose is to help prevent reinjury and to speed healing. “One of the key differences between BioBrace and other options is that it isn’t just contributing the strength of external materials. It also works with the biology, (CONTINUED ON PAGE 6)
Intervention Improves Quality of Life for DVT Patients by marti Webb slay
Interventional cardiologist Mark Sasse, MD wants to increase awareness about current treatments for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and prevention of post thrombotic syndrome. “When I was a cardiology fellow, we didn’t have the equipment, the knowledge or the desire to treat DVTs more aggressively,” he said. “DVTs can be neglected, because they are typically treated with only anticoagulant therapy. Physicians
would prescribe anticoagulants, and we thought we did our job. Unfortunately, a significant minority of patients, approximately 20 to 50 percent, develop post-thrombotic syndrome, a chronic disease that occurs after a large unresolved thrombus, even with optimal anticoagulant therapy. “The symptoms of post thrombotic syndrome can include leg swelling, leg pain, color changes below the knee, venous ulcers and ultimately, disability. The sequelae of post throm-
botic syndrome are difficult to treat.” Thrombolytic therapy, one of the modalities to treat large DVT, can increase the risk of bleeding. It may not resolve the thrombus completely since some of the thrombus is chronic. There are also options to use balloon angioplasty to disrupt the chronic thrombus. However, this does not usually result in a durable longterm outcome. Aspiration devices have been available for several years but are limited in their ability to extract chronic thrombus. (CONTINUED ON PAGE 3)
Mark Sasse, MD
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