Our Services

Fractures, sprains, and general orthopaedics: Dr. Lewinnek can treat most of the common fractures, such as the fractures of the wrists or ankles or hips, but will refer out most of the rarer fractures. He also can do total knee and hip replacements and carpal tunnel surgery, but again refers rarer problems, sometimes to one of the other able orthopaedic surgeons in Leominster and Fitchburg .

Neck problems: The discs that form the joints between the bony vertebrae in the neck can degenerate, causing neck pain, or enlarge with arthritis that pinches nerves, causing pain into the arms and hands. Most neck problems that come to Central Orthopaedics require evaluation and then non-operative treatment with a collar, medications and therapy, for the body heals most of these problems without intervention. A few require the surgery that Dr. Lewinnek performs. The surgery typically leaves a minimal scar on the front of the neck. The enlarged disc is removed and metal devices are inserted that allow fusion of bone across the disc space, eliminating painful motion. No cadaver bone or hip bone from the patient is needed, which makes recovery for the patient easier.

Sciatica or displaced discs in the low back with leg pain: The discs in the low back may fragment as they age. One of these fragments may wedge against a nerve, causing pain into the leg. Again, most of these will respond to conservative measures, sometimes including injections. When surgery is necessary Dr. Lewinnek can remove the disc fragment, often with dramatic relief of pain.

Spinal stenosis: Sometimes arthritis causes enlargement of the disc and some smaller joints in the spine so that the space for the spinal cord is pinched, leading to pain along the sciatica nerves into the calves or shins when walking. This condition is called spinal stenosis. Only about one in twenty of these cases will recover with injections, time, or other non-operative measures. A few others will respond to a small operation in which a metal spacer is placed between the back portions of the spine to allow more space for the cord. Most spinal stenosis cases require surgical removal of bone to free the pinched nerves. Frequently the arthritis causes one vertebra to slip on another—a condition called “spondylolisthesis.” Spondylolisthesis must be stabilized with bone graft, rods, and screws in order to achieve the best results. With the freeing of the nerves and the stabilization most people have an improved quality of life. They have much less pain and much better ability to care for themselves independently at home.

Disabling Low Back Pain: Historically spine surgeons learned to relieve the leg pain from pinched nerves first. The associated back pain often persisted. The surgeon had cured the problem that he or she could treat and was pleased, but the patient who was still disabled was not. Back surgery got a bad name.

While we have yet to completely solve the problem we now have much better techniques to treat low back pain. Techniques that Dr. Lewinnek has used include inserting implants and bone graft in place of the removed disc, either from the front or the back, and use of plates from the front or rods and screws from the back. The recovery period after fusion that had been nine months has been reduced to four months and sometimes two months. Most patients with fusions can then return to full-time moderate work.

People who have had these results give modern back surgery a good name.

Second back operations: Occasionally problems recur after previous back surgery. Then the next step is a new examination and a new MRI. Dr. Lewinnek has found recurrent herniated discs at the same level, new disc disease at adjacent levels, painful hardware, and infections. Second operations are technically more difficult because of the scar tissue. Successes may be more modest than with first operations, but one who is suffering can still receive significant help.

Kyphoplasties: Many fractures of the elderly spine can be treated through needles with injections of cement under anesthesia, partially straightening the spine and relieving pain. Patients who are treated in this way can return to independent living within one day and are less likely to have second vertebral fractures later.

This is a partial list of the services that we provide. If you have questions about a procedure that is not listed, please call us.