NEWS AND UPDATES • FALL 2015news

Grace Staskowski says she met orthopedic oncologist Drew Moore, M.D., purely by chance. She considers that day one of the luckiest of her life.

Grace came to Beaumont after a diagnosis of pleomorphic sarcoma, a very aggressive soft tissue cancer that forms in extremities. A large tumor encompassed her shoulder and scapula, causing excruciating pain.

“This was life threatening,” Dr. Moore said. “In cases like this, it's important to remove the tumor to prevent the chance of it spreading.”

Treating patients with cancerous and benign tumors of the bones is Dr. Moore's specialty. He and Beaumont

physician Kimberly Les, M.D., are among only a few orthopedic oncologists in

Michigan. Their goal, he said, is to remove tumors of the musculoskeletal system and maximize the patient's function with

limb salvage, avoiding amputation whenever possible.

Dr. Moore says he always enjoyed science, and medicine was on a list of career options he considered from an early age. As he worked his way through Kalamazoo College, he said, “it went higher and higher on my list.”

Dr. Moore became interested in orthopedics “because I enjoyed the hands-on nature of it, working with my hands and using tools in the operating room, and having a positive effect on a patient's function and helping them lead better lives.”

He developed a treatment plan for Grace, who was in relatively good health as she faced her diagnosis. Before surgery, Dr. Moore prescribed radiation treatment to shrink the tumor, so he was able to remove it in one piece, along with her shoulder blade.

Although she doesn't have the use of her shoulder, Grace still has her arm and fairly good use of her elbow and hand. Seven months out, there's no sign the cancer has returned.

In the not too distant past, Dr. Moore said, an amputation would have been the only treatment option.

“Our ability to do these types of procedures has come of age in the last 20 years or so,” he said. “For example, a common bone cancer in teenagers is osteosarcoma. Traditionally, that was always treated with leg amputation. Now, 80 percent of the time, we're able to save the extremity. That's pretty remarkable.”

Grace said Dr. Moore explained all of her treatment. And when she wasn't able to take it all in at first, he spoke with her over and over again until she felt comfortable with the approach.

“Him being able to do the surgery allowed me to have the use of my arm,” she said. “And, of course, he saved my life. I appreciate everything he did.”

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Advancement in orthopedic oncology procedures over the last 20 years has been “remarkable,” according to Dr. Moore. Grace Staskowski, one of his patients, appreciated Dr. Moore taking the time to explain how those advancements could help her beat cancer.

A Beaumont program that introduces high school, college and medical school students to the world of orthopedic research expanded this year to meet growing demand.

Until this year, the Student Orthopedic Academic Research (SOAR) program had typically accepted one high school, two undergraduate and two medical students per summer.

“We accepted five undergraduate and three medical students this time around because we had so much interest,” said Beaumont research engineer Erin Baker, M.S. “We have a lot of work going on right now in the lab, so we can use the extra hands, too.”

Beaumont has always accepted student volunteers, but formalized the program last summer. SOAR runs in three cycles – summer, fall and spring – aligning with students' academic schedules. Medical students attend for six weeks to two months in June and July. Undergraduate and high school students typically come on board at the end of June and stay through August.

“We basically assign them to projects we're working on,” Baker

said. “It also depends on what they're interested in. We try to assign them to projects that fit their skill sets.”

For instance, an engineering student might write computer programs, or a cell biology major might work on in vitro projects. Medical students typically write a review paper and participate in dissections and preparation for biomechanics testing and other projects that require a higher skill set.

“High school students are here to shadow and observe,” Baker said, adding they also pull background research from online databases. “We generally start by looking at what others are doing so we don't reinvent the wheel.”

At most, Beaumont hosts eight or nine students in one cycle. The hope, Baker said, is to add a one-year research fellowship for individuals who have graduated from medical school.

Volunteer students this summer came from Divine Child High School in Dearborn, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Kalamazoo College and Western Michigan University. Medical students came from the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine and Central Michigan University College of Medicine.

Applicants learn about SOAR largely through word of mouth, Baker said, but information will soon be added to the Beaumont website to expand its reach.

Beaumont student volunteer program expands in size, scope

Bilateral hip replacement gets dance champ back in the ballroomBarry Douglas makes his living teaching some of the most elite dancers on the planet how to move their bodies at a level most of us can’t even imagine. He is a world-class dance movement dynamics coach with multiple state, regional and national dance titles.

But a chronic, deteriorating hip condition almost put an end to his career. When Barry was 50, he started experiencing an aching pain in his right hip. It expanded to the left and progressively got worse. At one point, he says he was experiencing “overwhelming pain” on a daily basis.

After performing extensive research on surgical options, Barry decided he wanted a surgeon skilled in the anterior approach and he wanted someone with a lot of experience. His search led him to Beaumont orthopedic surgeon James Verner, M.D. He says Dr. Verner was knowledgeable, personable and compassionate and that he “really knew his stuff.” That earned him Barry’s trust.

The day after his hip replacement surgery, Barry was walking with assistance from an occupational therapist and even attempting to go up and down stairs.

“I was amazed at how much pain I was not in,” he says. “I was at an 8 or a 9 every day before the surgery and I’d say I was at less than a 1 within a few days after.”

Barry is still working his way back to 100 percent, but he’s already back to teaching clients around the globe.

ORTHO NEWS l 248-551-1467

Medical student Lisa Galasso performs interferometric

microscopy on unicompartmental knee liners for an implant

retrieval study.

Undergraduate student Evan Gorgas pipettes during his research studying stem cell migration.

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ORTHO NEWS l BEAUMONT.EDU/ORTHOPEDICS

Beaumont team leads walk to help patients with arthritisEmily Maiorana lives the life of a typical teenager. She goes to class and plays soccer both on a traveling team and for her high school.

But this Troy, Michigan 15-year-old is also working to find a cure for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. She takes daily anti-inflammatory drugs to combat her own symptoms of the disease, which was diagnosed by an orthopedic surgeon when she was 9 years old.

Emily was the Detroit Youth Honoree for this year's Walk to Cure Arthritis presented by Beaumont’s Department of Orthopedic Surgery. The event took place May 9 at the Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak and raised more than $250,000 for the Arthritis Foundation.

“My family and I have been participating in the Detroit Walk to Cure Arthritis for the past six years, working on raising money to help find a cure,” she said. “Last year, we raised close to $7,000 and hope to raise even more this year!”

Adult honoree Bonnie Quinn, a Clarkston, Michigan resident, has lived with rheumatoid arthritis since 1979. When she was diagnosed at age 37, Bonnie was told to prepare for life in a wheelchair by the time she was 45.

“Now, 36 years later, I'm still walking – painfully so, but walking, nonetheless,” she said.

Even through multiple surgeries, Bonnie continued to work until 1998, well beyond the time she was supposed to be wheelchair-bound. Today, she volunteers for the Arthritis Foundation and, of course, had a team in the Walk to Cure Arthritis.

People like Bonnie and Emily show that arthritis isn't necessarily what people think it is, according to Beaumont orthopedic surgeon Rachel Rohde, M.D. She served as the event's medical co-chair with Jeffrey S. Fischgrund, M.D., chief of orthopedic surgery at Beaumont Hospital – Royal Oak and chair of orthopedic surgery at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine.

Corporate event chairs Rick Swaine, president of Beaumont Hospital – Grosse Pointe, and Nancy Susick, president of Beaumont Hospital – Troy, rounded out the Beaumont contingent of event leaders who aimed “to raise awareness about the walk and inspire people to join the fight.”

More than 300,000 children in the U.S. live with arthritis. According to Dr. Rohde, different types of the disease can be extremely debilitating, and the Arthritis Foundation says it is the most common cause of disability in the country. The disease costs the economy $128 billion every year in direct costs for medical care and indirect costs, such as missed work days.

“We need to develop better solutions to prevent it, and better treatment for people who have it,” Dr. Rohde said. “It's astonishing how detrimental it is.”

Beaumont’s support for this year’s Walk to Cure Arthritis in Detroit included the participation of corporate event chairs Rick Swaine (above), president of Beaumont Hospital – Grosse Pointe, and Nancy Susick, president of Beaumont Hospital – Troy.

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We appreciate your support

Beaumont has become a national

leader in orthopedic surgery thanks

to the support of many generous

benefactors and contributors.

Donors can contribute to a variety of

programs including the Orthopedic

Research Laboratory; new facilities

and patient care programs such as

The Madeline & Sidney Forbes Family

Orthopaedic Center; endowments

such as The Harry N. Herkowitz, M.D.,

Distinguished Chair in Orthopaedics;

and community outreach and

education efforts.

To discuss orthopedic funding needs

and opportunities, please contact

John Lewandowski with

the Beaumont Foundation at

248-964-8172 or via email at

john.lewandowski@beaumont.org.

Editors: Rachel S. Rohde, M.D.

Erin A. Baker, M.S.

Jeffrey S. Fischgrund, M.D. Chairman, Department of

Orthopedic Surgery

beaumont.edu/ortho-publications

ORTHO NEWS l 248-551-1467 l BEAUMONT.EDU/ORTHOPEDICS

For an appointment with

an orthopedic surgery specialist,

please call 248-551-1467.

Parents and coaches can help prevent sports injuriesCombine increasingly competitive sports seasons with the relentless energy of youth, throw in open growth plates, and you have a recipe for injuries among student athletes.

Beaumont orthopedic surgeons Shariff K. Bishai, D.O., and Paul Schreck, M.D., say parents, coaches and trainers can work together to ensure kids get off to a good start as the summer ends and the sports seasons begin.

In his practice, Dr. Schreck sees traumatic sports injuries and “overuse” injuries, which happen when kids spend too much time on the field or push themselves too hard.

“We highly encourage kids to be active, but there are limits,” he said. “Physical activity can become injurious if they move beyond their level of conditioning.”

The better an athlete is conditioned going into the season, the less likely he or she is to suffer an injury, Dr. Schreck added.

“Kids tend to ramp up suddenly, and the result can be stress fractures, tendonitis … even problems with the growth plates,” he said.

Both physicians strongly recommend having children stretch and work on cardiovascular fitness before games. Dr. Schreck recommends 5-10 minutes of light running and jumping jacks before intense activity. Even when time equals

money at rented sports facilities, warm-ups before games should never be ignored, according to Dr. Bishai.

“Many injuries could be prevented if you have a good coach or a trainer,” Dr. Bishai said. “It's important to keep kids out of harm's way.” He suggests parents interview coaches, just to make sure everyone is on the same page about safety.

Still, injuries do happen. Dr. Bishai recommends seeking medical attention whenever an athlete experiences a problem that lasts a week and is not getting better.

Parents can also help, Dr. Schreck said, by taking care of themselves. He recommends being a good role model by eating a balanced nutritious diet, limiting sugar, being active on a regular basis and using the right protective gear.

“Nothing is better than setting a good example,” he said. “It really rubs off on kids.”

Also, with competition being so high in so many sports, children may feel the drive toward anything that enhances performance.

“Parents need to be aware that on sports teams, with the lure of scholarships and the appeal of professional sports, kids might do anything to enhance their performance,” Dr. Schreck said. “Many things an athlete can ingest can have side effects.”

The most important thing, both physicians agree, is just to encourage children to start getting in better shape, all year around.

“It's really important that there be some consistent element of fitness,” Dr. Schreck said. “You might be able to cram for a test, but you can't cram for a sports season.”