Dr. Douglas G Pankratz M.D.

Osteoporosis is sometimes described as "bone thinning". It’s a disease wherein the bone’s density and quality are severely reduced. As an individual’s bones become more permeable and fragile, the susceptibility to fracture is immensely increased. Bone loss occurs silently and progressively....

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA), also known as total knee replacement, is a surgical procedure in which parts of the knee joint are replaced with artificial parts or prostheses.A normal knee usually functions as the hinge joint located between the lower leg bones (tibia) and the upper leg bone...

What is a charley horse?A charley horse is a term used when referring to a muscle cramp or spasm. Although muscle cramps can occur in any muscle in the body, they are commonly experienced in the leg. In a muscle spasm, the muscle uncontrollably contracts and does not relax. When the contracting...

Spinal stenosis is a condition where two spinal vertebrae separated by an intervertebral disc come closer as the disc wears off due to osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or trauma. When this happens, the spinal nerve that runs between them becomes compressed causing pain to the individual. The...

In patients with muscular dystrophy, contractures usually occur as muscle breaks down. They begin at a very tender age of about 8 to 13. What this means is that muscles and tendons of the patient's wrists and hands tighten. Did you know that not all muscles lose strength at the same time? Hand...

Cervical spinal stenosis surgery is a surgical treatment used to solve problems of spinal stenosis in the cervical part of the spine. Before even talking about this surgical procedure it is very important to understand what cervical spinal stenosis is first.Cervical spinal stenosis is characterized...