Dr Bruce E Ellison MD - Orthopedic Surgery Expert Witness - Offices Near Sequoia Hospital

  Complex regional pain syndrome ( CRPS ), previously referred to as reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD),  is a condition resulting in burning pain, stiffness, swelling, and discoloration of the hand. CRPS includes other medical diagnoses, including causalgia, Sudeck's atrophy, and shoulder-hand syndrome.   CRPS occurs as result of abnormally overactive sympathetic nervous system that controls the blood flow and sweat glands in an extremity.   A burning pain, swelling, and warmth are felt in the affected extremity.   If not treated, CRPS can cause stiffness and a loss of use of the affected extremity.  In the worse cases, the results can be permanent The cause of CRPS is frequently unknown.  CRPS is felt to occur as the result of stimulation of sensory nerve fibers. Those regions of the body rich in nerve endings such as the fingers, hands, wrist, and ankles are most commonly affected.  Often, an injury can cause CRPS, especially when placing pr...

  Acromioclavicular (AC) separation, commonly referred to as shoulder separation, does not involve injury to the shoulder joint.   The injury instead involves various degrees of dissociation between the wingbone (acromion) and the collarbone (clavicle.)   The most common mechanism of injury involves a fall directly onto the shoulder, with injury to the ligaments that surround and stabilize the AC joint.   In the case of an extremely high energy fall, the ligaments attaching to the inferior aspect of the clavicle are torn, causing the "separation" of the clavicle and acromion.   The acromion and scapula actually moves downward from the weight of the arm, creating a "bump" or bulge above the shoulder.