HSS Presents

In this episode of HSS Presents, Dr. Jeffrey Ciccone sits down with Dr. Heidi Prather to explore the vital difference between lifespan (how long you live) and healthspan (how long you stay healthy). As the founder of the HSS Lifestyle Medicine Program, Dr. Prather breaks down the six pillars of a healthy lifestyle—including nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress management—and how they reduce harmful inflammation in the body. The conversation explains how everyday habits can help treat joint pain, reverse type 2 diabetes, and help patients recover faster and safer from surgery. With practical advice on tracking your health and using pain as a motivation for change, this episode offers a clear look at how lifestyle choices can dramatically improve your long-term mobility and well-being.

In this episode of HSS Presents, Dr. Matt Conti sits down with Dr. A. Holly Johnson to discuss the rapid progress and clinical benefits of minimally invasive foot and ankle surgery. The conversation explores how percutaneous techniques utilizing specialized burrs lead to smaller incisions, reduced soft tissue damage, and significantly faster recovery times for patients. Dr. Johnson candidly shares her own learning curve and highlights the most impactful minimally invasive procedures in her practice, from calcaneal osteotomies to bunion corrections and first MTP fusions. Balancing enthusiasm with caution, the experts also debate the complexities of the MIS Lapidus and lesser toe procedures, offering practical advice for surgeons looking to incorporate these game-changing techniques into their own practice.

In this episode, interventional spine physician Dr. Abhishek Gupta and spine surgeon Dr. Matthew Cunningham team up to tackle the tricky diagnosis and management of axial low back pain. They break down how to spot the differences between muscle issues, disc problems, and facet joint pain, using simple clues like whether a patient hurts more while standing or sitting. The duo also chats about why MRIs don't always tell the whole story and why diagnostic blocks can be a game-changer for pinpointing the source of pain. From conservative rehab and radiofrequency ablation to surgery, they outline a collaborative approach to finding patients lasting relief.

In this episode of HSS Presents, physical therapist Snehal Patel sits down with Dr. Riley Williams, Chief of the Sports Medicine Institute at HSS, and Michael Chronert from DARI Motion to talk about the future of motion capture in patient care. They discuss how DARI’s AI-driven tech is changing the game by offering a quick, markerless way to analyze movement without needing a full biomechanics lab. Dr. Williams explains how swapping manual exams for this kind of objective data—measuring things like limb symmetry and loading—leads to smarter "return to sport" decisions. It’s a great look at how the field is moving from simple observation to high-tech precision to get athletes back in the game safely.

In this episode of HSS Presents, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Peter K. Sculco sits down with Dr. Fernando Quevedo-González, PhD, to demystify the world of computational modeling and its transformative impact on joint reconstruction. They explore how technologies like finite element analysis allow researchers to break down complex physics into manageable pieces to predict how implants will interact with a patient's unique bone structure. The discussion highlights a future where AI-driven solvers and data from wearable tech could provide surgeons with real-time guidance on the optimal alignment and fixation for every individual. This episode is a must-listen for surgeons and engineers interested in how "digital twins" and predictive analytics are moving from the research lab to the operating room to improve outcomes in complex hip and knee surgeries.