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TWO DOCTORS AND A LAWYER RAISE THE BAR FOR ARTHRITIS THERAPY
CHICAGO -- One of the nation's leading criminal law scholars, Ronald Allen is not the type of guy who takes no for an answer. Nowhere is that more apparent than in his fight to overcome the limitations of a severe case of osteoarthritis. His determination to find the best medical care for his condition and to return to a vigorous, athletic lifestyle are among the highlights of a book that raises expectations for those suffering from hip or knee arthritis.
Coincidentally, the release of "Arthritis of the Hip & Knee: the Active Person's Guide to Taking Charge" in May coincided with National Arthritis Month.
The book was co-written by Allen, John Henry Wigmore Professor of Law, Northwestern University School of Law; Victoria Anne Brander, M.D., director of the Arthritis Center at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Northwestern Medical School; and Allen's surgeon S. David Stulberg, M.D., professor of orthopedic surgery at Northwestern Medical School and founder and director of the Joint Reconstruction and Implant Service at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
The book details how osteoarthritis sufferers can take control of their care by selecting an experienced, competent surgeon and accompanying team of doctors. It also stresses the importance of a vigorous exercise program, once frowned upon for this population, highlighting specific exercises and Allen's persistence in returning to an athletic life.
"During the replacement of my left hip in 1988, the surgery was designed primarily to eliminate pain," said Allen. "At the time being able to walk and to climb stairs was a reasonable expectation. But two years later, I was playing competitive tennis again."
When the right hip had degenerated to the point where it, too had to be replaced, Allen applied the lessons he had learned from the left hip. After years of observing patients, Stulberg and Brander shared Allen's beliefs, and together the three decided to write a book about controlling the debilitating effects of osteoarthritis.
With the aging population growing rapidly, the book should have wide appeal. As baby boomers age the number of Americans with arthritis is expected to grow to 59.4 million (nearly one in five) by 2020.
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6/4/98
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