Marcus Cope Orthopaedic Surgeon, Renacres Hall Hospital, Ormskirk (2025)

25/09/2025

The spread of misunderstanding and misrepresentation of data by those in authority in the US is truly appalling. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1B8jfNNByi/?mibextid=wwXIfr

28/06/2025

🔥 Knee Pain & Weight Loss:
The Truth About Semaglutide & Muscle Loss 🔥

Did you know that every extra pound puts

4x more pressure on your knees? 😳

Losing weight can slash your risk of arthritis—but some weight-loss drugs like semaglutide (Wegovy/Ozempic) can also cause

muscle loss (up to 40% of what you shed!).

Less muscle = weaker joints & slower metabolism.

**Good news?**

A new study found that pairing semaglutide with **bimagrumab** (an experimental drug) helped people lose **fat, not muscle**! 💪

Bimagrumab blocks signals that shrink muscle and boosts fat burning—so you stay strong while dropping weight.

**Moral of the story?**

If you’re losing weight for your joints, **protect your muscles**!

Talk to your doctor about smart strategies.

26/06/2025

🏆 Stretch Like You Mean It:

The Secret to Staying Out of the Ortho’s Office!

Hey there, seasoned athletes! 🏃‍♂️🚴‍♀️💪

Let’s talk about something *crucial* that many of us skip—**stretching**.

We And no, I’m not just talking about a quick toe-touch while waiting for your coffee to brew.

I mean *real*, purposeful stretching that keeps your tendons happy and *you* far away from your friendly neighborhood orthopedic surgeon. 😉

**Here’s the science-y (but fun) bit:**

Your tendons are like bungee cords—they store and release energy with every move you make.

When you stretch *properly*, you **“pre-load”** them, meaning you gently tension them *before* you ask them to do heavy lifting (or running, jumping, or even chasing after your grandkids).

This pre-loading:

✔️ **Boosts elasticity** (so they snap back like a fresh rubber band, not a dried-out one).

✔️ **Improves force absorption** (so your knees don’t sound like a bowl of Rice Krispies).

✔️ **Reduces micro-tears** (the sneaky little injuries that add up to big problems).

Skip the stretching?

Well, you’re basically sending your tendons into battle without armor. And trust me, **Dr. Scalpel** would *love* to meet you, but let’s keep that relationship strictly hypothetical, yeah?

**So, what’s the game plan?**

🔹 **Dynamic stretches** *before* activity (leg swings, arm circles—get the juices flowing!).

🔹 **Static stretches** *after* (hold that hamstring stretch like your workout depends on it… because it does).

🔹 **Consistency**—even 5 minutes a day keeps the ortho away!

Your future self (and your tendons) will thank you. Now go forth, stretch like a champ, and keep crushing it—**safely!** 💥

**P.S.** If your warm-up routine is just “walking from the car to the field,” we need to talk. 😆

Drop a 🏋️‍♂️ if you’re guilty!**

25/06/2025

**🔍 What Is Inflammation?**

I often see this in clinic with tendons problems in people in their 40’s and 50’s and one of the commonest questions is why have I got this?

Followed by did I do anything thing to get this?

Inflammation is a **normal and essential part** of the body's healing process, but it can become problematic if it is

excessive

prolonged

or misdirected**

Unlike short-term (acute) inflammation (like swelling after an injury), **chronic inflammation** lingers for months or even years. It’s like your body’s alarm system gets stuck in the "ON" position, causing ongoing damage to tissues, cartilage, and bones.

**❓ Why Does It Happen?**

Common causes include:

✔ **Obesity & poor diet**—fat cells release inflammatory chemicals.

✔ **Chronic stress & poor sleep**—these keep inflammation levels high.

✔ **Long-term wear & tear** (e.g., osteoarthritis)—cartilage breaks down, triggering inflammation.

Less common

✔ **Autoimmune diseases** (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis)—your immune system attacks your own joints.

**💡 Latest Research:**

Scientists now know that chronic inflammation is linked to **gut health**, **environmental toxins**, and even **hidden infections**. New studies show that **microbiome imbalances** (gut bacteria) can worsen joint inflammation!

So eat a balanced diet reduce your processed food intake and if you get an injury remember RICE

Rest
Ice
Compression
Elevation

Also get your zzzzzz in at night. 😴

17/06/2025

**🚑 Early Practitioners of Orthopaedics:

The Bone Setter

**💀 Meet Sarah "Crazy Sally" Mapp (1706–1737)**

In 18th-century England, orthopaedic medicine looked *very* different.

No X-rays, no anesthesia—just raw strength, intuition, and a touch of theatrics.

Enter **Sarah Mapp**, a cross-eyed, gin-loving force of nature nicknamed “Crazy Sally.” She wasn’t a doctor. She wasn’t even allowed to be one. But she became London’s most famous bone-setter, defying gender norms and enraging the medical elite .

**⚡️ Her Wild Rise to Fame:**

- **Strength Over Scholarship:** Bone-setting required brute force to snap dislocated joints back into place—a job typically done by blacksmiths or farriers. Sally learned from her father but quickly surpassed him, opening her own practice as “Cracked Sally—the One and Only Bone-setter” .

- **Miracle Worker:** She famously cured **Sir Hans Sloane** (president of the Royal College of Physicians!) after his niece suffered a 9-year spinal deformity.

Soon, racing elites in Epsom paid her 100 guineas a year just to stay in town .

- **Flamboyant Style:** Sally rode to London twice weekly in a 4-horse chariot, dangling her patients’ discarded crutches like trophies. When a mob mistook her for King George II’s mistress, she roared: *“Damn your blood! Don’t you know me? I am Mrs. Mapp, the bone-setter!”*—and the crowd cheered her on .

**🔥 Clashes & "Quack" Labels:**

- **Medical Backlash:** Surgeons called her an *“immoral, drunken female savage”* (Sir Percivall Pott). William Hogarth drew her as a cross-eyed ogre in his satire *The Company of Undertakers*, lumping her with “quacks” .

- **The Husband Heist:** In 1736, she married footman Hill Mapp. He beat her for two weeks, stole 100 guineas, and vanished. Sally shrugged: *“The money was well spent to be rid of him”* .

**⚰️ Tragic Fall & Legacy:**

Sally’s drinking worsened as physicians campaigned against “unlicensed” healers. By 1737, she died destitute in London’s slums, buried by parish charity. Yet her impact endured:
- She inspired plays, ballads (“*Dame Nature has given her a doctor’s degree!*”), and even a racehorse named *Mrs. Mapp* .
- Modern osteopathy and physical therapy trace roots to bone-setters like her—self-taught pioneers who healed when “proper” doctors couldn’t .

**✨ Fun Facts:**

- **Tested by Tricksters?** When surgeons sent a healthy man pretending to need wrist help, Sally *dislocated his wrist on the spot* and sent him back .

- **Sister Drama:** Her sister, Lavinia Fenton, went from child pr******te to Duchess of Bolton—proving the Wallin sisters knew how to break barriers (and bones) .

**👇 Why Remember Sally?**
She was flawed, fierce, and forgotten by history’s “winners.” But for a glittering moment, a working-class woman with no formal training out-healed the entire medical establishment 🏆.

16/06/2025

🌟 **Ice Pack or Heating Pad? What’s Better for Your Pain?** (That question we hear EVERY day in clinic! 😅)

You twisted your ankle. Your back feels stiff. Your shoulder’s screaming. Do you grab ice or heat? 🤔 Let’s break it down (no medical degree needed!):

---

# # # ❄️ **COLD PACKS: For Fresh Injuries & Swelling**
*Use when:*
- Injury JUST happened (like a sprain, strain, or bruise).
- Area looks puffy, red, or feels "hot."
- Pain is sharp and intense.

*Why it works:*
Cold numbs pain (like an “off switch” for nerves! ⚡) and shrinks blood vessels. This reduces swelling and stops inflammation from going wild .

*Pro tips:*
- Wrap ice in a towel—**never put it bare on skin!** 🧊❌
- Apply 15–20 mins, then take a break .
- *Great for:* Post-workout soreness, swollen ankles, sudden pain.

---

# # # 🔥 **HEAT PACKS: For Stiffness, Aches & Old Injuries**
*Use when:*
- Muscle feels tight, stiff, or “knotted up.”
- Pain is dull and achy (like an old back injury).
- You’re warming up BEFORE exercise .

*Why it works:*
Heat relaxes muscles and boosts blood flow (like a “traffic jam” clearing out 🚗💨). This helps heal tired tissues and eases stiffness .

*Pro tips:*
- Use a warm (NOT scalding) pack.
- Apply 15–30 mins .
- *Great for:* Morning back stiffness, chronic arthritis, muscle cramps.

---

# # # ⚠️ **What NOT to Do:**
- **Don’t use heat on fresh injuries** (makes swelling worse!).
- **Don’t use ice on stiff joints** (can “freeze” muscles tighter) .
- **Never fall asleep** with ice/heat on your skin!

---

# # # 💡 **Quick Cheat Sheet:**
| Situation | Ice 🧊 | Heat 🔥 |
|--------------------|--------|--------|
| New injury (first 48 hrs) | ✅ | ❌ |
| Stiff neck/back | ❌ | ✅ |
| After intense workout | ✅ | ❌ |
| Arthritis flare-up | ❌ | ✅ |
| Muscle spasms | ❌ | ✅ |

---

# # # 🌟 **The Bottom Line:**
> “**Ice for swelling, heat for stiffness.** Cold stops the storm. Heat heals the calm.”

Still unsure? Ask below! 👇 Or share your own ice/heat win (or fail!) stories. 💬

*Sources: Johns Hopkins, Stanford Medicine, PubMed, Postgrad Medical Journal.*

15/06/2025

I love it when patients send me things showing how well they are doing. Total hip replacement 4th May and she is back to hiking. 🥾❤️

22/05/2025

What is the point spending money on training doctors if you then don’t employ them.

A classic example of Government failing.

We need more doctors let’s increase medical school places …..

we need more doctors let’s allow international graduates to apply……

End result if you don’t create any more jobs at the end…

Medical unemployment.

Each doctor cost £250k to train. That’s money you and I have paid.

10/05/2025

Movement is life.

We are built ro move.

Modern society dictates we have to have a sedatory lifestyle. We work at a computer, sit on our phones and binge on boxsets.

But it is a choice.

We don’t work every waking hour.

Get up get out, even if it’s for 5 minutes it’s a start.

The first step is the hardest but small habits lead to big changes.

Go on your future self will thank you for the choices you make today.

Have a wonderful day.

$During my time working in the NHS, neck of femur fractures—or broken hips—in elderly patients were a common occurrence, ...$

08/04/2025

During my time working in the NHS, neck of femur fractures—or broken hips—in elderly patients were a common occurrence, primarily due to osteoporosis, which disproportionately affects women.

However, after relocating to the Middle East, the sheer number of young people with low Vitamin D levels astounded me. This was highlighted by a young man in his thirties with a pathological femoral fracture caused by osteoporosis who I recently fixed his broken hip.

I was always aware of low Vitamin D levels in those that cover up for cultural reasons in the UK but it was relatively rare in the populations I looked after.

In Saudi Arabia despite the region’s abundant sunshine, a 2018 study found that around 60% of the healthy Saudi population has insufficient vitamin D levels. The problem is even more pronounced among women in Riyadh, with over 60% suffering from hypovitaminosis D.

Vitamin D is essential for maintaining strong bones, as it facilitates calcium absorption and preserves bone density. A deficiency can lead to osteoporosis, significantly increasing fracture risk.

Contributing factors include:
Limited sun exposure due to indoor lifestyles
Cultural and religious dress practices that reduce skin exposure
Dietary habits lacking in vitamin D-rich foods

For individuals who avoid sun exposure for cultural or religious reasons, alternative approaches are crucial:

Dietary Adjustments – Increase intake of vitamin D-rich foods such as fatty fish (salmon, mackerel), fortified dairy products, and egg yolks.

Supplementation – Vitamin D supplements can help bridge the gap. Consult a healthcare provider to determine the correct dosage based on individual needs.

Regular Screening – Routine blood tests can monitor vitamin D levels, allowing for early intervention if deficiencies arise.

Conclusion
Addressing vitamin D deficiency is vital in preventing osteoporosis and related fractures. As healthcare professionals, we must prioritize awareness and provide culturally sensitive guidance to help patients maintain optimal bone health.

01/03/2025

🌍✨ **Nature’s Secret Superpower: Grandmas!** ✨🌍

Did you know grandma’s love isn’t just *magical*—it’s **evolutionary genius**? 🧠💖

Scientists discovered something wild: in humans and some whales (yes, WHALES! 🐋), grandmothers stop having babies themselves… so they can focus on **saving their families**. 🦸♀️

👉 **Here’s the cool part**:
- Grandmas help raise grandkids, find food, and protect the group.
- This “grandmother hypothesis” means their wisdom literally keeps families alive for generations. 🤯
- Even orca whales do this! Older female orcas lead their pods to food hotspots—like GPS with fins! 🗺️

**Nature’s lesson?** Love, teamwork, and sharing knowledge = survival. 💪❤️

**Mind blown?** Tag someone who’s your family’s superhero! 🦸♂️💬

28/02/2025

I am excited to join Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Al Sahafa Hospital in Riyadh—one of the largest and most advanced hospitals in the Middle East. This state-of-the-art facility, completed in 2023, spans 25 floors, 750 beds, and 245 outpatient clinics, setting a new standard for world-class healthcare.

Marcus Cope Orthopaedic Surgeon

25/09/2025

28/06/2025

26/06/2025

25/06/2025

17/06/2025

16/06/2025

15/06/2025

22/05/2025

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01/03/2025

28/02/2025

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