Olympic Doc

e Leg Bone’s Connected to the …

Many of us know the feeling: a tendon we stressed during jogging, tennis, or lawn work continues to dog us, especially during similar activities. Almost 40 million people in the U.S. su er from tendinopathy, a chronic injury to those exible cords of tissue that attach our muscles to our bones. In general, patients use ice, rest, pain relievers and injections, physical therapy, surgery, or other topical treatments to alleviate symptoms.

But Emory sports medicine physician

Kenneth Mautner and colleagues from Georgia Tech have developed a tool that could improve healing speed. e Automated Percutaneous Needle Tenotomy instrument punctuates the tendon with a small needle, causing a controlled injury, which initiates healing and growth of new, healthy tendon. Using needles to aggravate injured tendons is an existing treatment for tendinopathy, although it is currently conducted with a traditional needle or with a percutaneous procedure in a surgical center. e new instrument would allow the treatment to be performed in an orthopedic o ce. A prototype has been tested with promising results. “ e biomechanics of this procedure are already proven to be e ective,” says Cli Michaels, assistant director of Emory’s O ce of Technology Transfer. “ is just increases the e ciency and reliability of the treatment.”

Aspen Ono 18C

Mind the Gap

A two-story, steel-and-glass pedestrian bridge is taking form over Clifton Road as Emory University Hospital continues progress on its latest addition: a nine-level, 450,000-square-foot hospital tower. Slated to open by next summer, the J wing will feature 232 patient beds, patient care units for cancer and transplants, ICU rooms, and diagnostic and treatment spaces. The new bridge will connect J wing to the main hospital on the second and third floors. The current pedestrian bridge will be torn down when the new bridge is operational.