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16 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • November 2014 Ask the Expert I f your children are involved in sports, you know all too well how quickly an injury can happen on the field or in the gym. Do you have aging family members who are at risk of serious injury if they fall? Feel dull pain in your back after a long day of holding a baby? Wondering if you have carpal tunnel? All these questions and concerns can be answered and addressed by an orthopedic specialist! Dr. Kostas Constantine, of Fredericksburg Orthopaedic Associates, P.C. (FOA), has gracious- ly answered several questions for us regarding sports injuries, everyday wear and tear, and common childhood injuries. Fredericksburg Orthopaedic Associates sports injuries, everyday wear and tear, and common childhood injuries. Q: What is orthopedics and what is your specialty? It stands for "standing child" since originally the spe- cialty was concerned with scoliosis, or bending of the spine, in children. It has now expanded to deal with all musculoskeletal injuries — joints, bones, ligaments, tendons, nerves and arteries — ranging from lacerations and broken bones to artificial joints from the neck to the foot. Q: What age groups do you treat? We treat all age ranges from newborns to centurions. I once treated a patient when I first started, 101 years old, who broke her hip kicking a ball in the nursing home. She was born in 1899 and none of the hospital computers could compute her age! Q: What are the most common injuries you see in kids? How can we help prevent them? Fractures are by far the most common injuries and unfortunately are very difficult to prevent since most are sports related or accident related. Q: How does physical therapy /hand therapy factor into your treat- ment? Do most of your patients need PT? Our physical and occupational therapy is integral to helping patients heal quickly and get back to their normal activities as soon as possible. Not everyone needs to go, but it can be essential in certain injuries for the therapist to be involved in the healing process. Tell us a little bit about Fredericksburg Orthopedics Associates. How big are you? When did you get started? The group was formed in 1971. We have grown to seven partners with sub- specialty interests in general (including common childhood injuries), spine, total joints, sports, shoulder and hand. We also have a podiatrist and five physician assis- tants, as well as three physical therapy locations to help us take better care of our patients. Physicians are specially trained in advanced surgical procedures and each performs a particular surgical expertise for FOA. Specialties include arthroscopic surgery, arthroscopic knee and shoulder reconstruction, carpal tunnel repair, neck and back pain, shoulder surgery, total joint replacement and revisions, and more. In addition to medical and surgical expertise, FOA offers patients the benefit of receiving physical rehabilitation. a sk t h e e x p e rt The Constantine Family