At Illinois Bone and Joint Institute (IBJI), we pride ourselves on being innovative with finding new ways to treat patients, or improve the treatment available.
The physicians at Illinois Bone and Joint Institute take sports injuries serious and have extensive experience working with athletes from professionals to little leaguers; we want to keep people on the field where they love to play.
Football Injuries Less Complicated
Dr. Tack, a fellowship trained spine surgeon at IBJI, decided it was time to take on the issue of football injuries caused by the pads players wear to for protection. The result is the RipKord system being developed in partnership with Riddell.
For football players, spine and neck injuries are always a concern. While the helmet and pads help provide a certain level of protection, when a player is injured, these are often left on during transport, which means the level of treatment at the field is very minimal, often costing precious time.
Removing the pads and helmet causes malalignment between the head and neck, risking more serious injury than what may otherwise have been. The RipKord allows for the pads to be removed without having to lift them over the player’s head, maintaining the alignment of the neck and head.
Field Treatment is Imperative
It is estimated that 25% of spinal injured players experience neurologic deterioration during the initial evaluation and transportation process. Additionally, a significant number of spinal injured players experience respiratory distress. If the equipment has to be removed during transportation, the risk of additional spinal injury is high.
Further, it is the athletic staff (i.e., trainers and EMTs) that is most knowledgeable of the equipment. The ability to remove it before transport by people familiar with it reduces the risk of it being removed improperly and causing further injury.
IBJI Remains At the Top of Innovation
This kind of ingenuity and forethought regarding the treatment of patients is not surprising from the physicians at IBJI. In fact, Dr. Tack also helped pioneer disc replacement surgery in the United States as an alternative to the older cervical discectomy and fusion procedure. While this procedure had been long-adopted in Europe, Dr. Tack helped bring it to the United States and offer patients a much better solution to herniated discs.
Be sure to consult one of the top Orthopedic Specialists in Chicago. We have more than 20 locations conveniently located throughout the Chicagoland area.
You can learn more about RipKord on the Riddell website.