Dr. Millett & Patient News

Tyrel Lenard to Play Football for Redlands | Full Recovery from Shoulder Injuries

After shoulder injuries slowed him his sophomore and junior years, the Rifle High School football player took the field with plenty to prove last fall.  Amassing nearly 2,200 all-purpose yards — 1,241 of those coming on the ground as one of the Bears' primary running backs — his senior season, Lenard no doubt left Rifle's coaching staff wishing he'd been fully healthy his entire prep career.  “I felt like, if I could have been healthy, I could have contributed those years,” said Lenard, a veteran of two shoulder surgeries. “That made it frustrating. You just want to fight with everybody out there, but there's nothing you could do.”  By contributing plenty his senior year, Lenard earned a chance to contribute at the University of Redlands, where he will play football and study starting in the fall.  Lenard chose the Southern California Division III school for both its highly competitive football program and its academic track record. The Colorado native also wanted to spread his wings a bit and experience a different part of the country.

See Rifle's Lenard to play football for DIII Redlands for full article.

Motorcycle Racer Melissa Paris | Broken Tibia and Fibula Paris | Vail Orthopedic Knee Surgeon

AMA Pro Daytona Motorcycle Racer Melissa Paris successfully underwent knee surgery in June 2010 by Vail orthopedic knee surgeon, Dr. Peter Millett, to repair injuries from a broken tibia and fibula. Paris had injuries in her knee that needed repair.  The surgery took place on the same knee that had been operated on previously (by a separate doctor) using rods and screws to initially stabilize the fracture.  Labeled the “world’s fastest woman,” motorcycle racer Melissa Paris had been riding in pain since the first surgery and researched top specialist which landed her in Vail Orthopedic Knee Surgeon, Dr. Peter Millett’s office at the Steadman Clinic.  Dr. Millett treated Paris by extracting the rod from the tibia and repairing the damage to the patella tendon which involved removing excessive scar tissue.  Paris is currently in rehab and continuing physical therapy. She hopes to be back on course competing in the next few weeks. Photo attribution: Flickr Creative Commons (DieselDemon) 

See Melissa Paris Undergoes Successful Leg Surgery for full article.

Dr. Peter Millett Chosen as Speaker at the 26th Annual Surgical Symposium | Vail Orthopedic Surgeon

Vail orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Peter Millett chosen as speaker at the 26^th Annual Francis P. Boland, M.D., Surgical Symposium.  The academic lectures:  “Rotator Cuff Disease—State of the Art in Surgical Management” and “Sports Medicine: Evolution and Impact on us and our Children,” were presented to area physicians at Mercy Hospital’s Grand Rounds meeting on Friday, May 7, 2010.  Dr. Millett is a Vail orthopedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine and orthopedic surgery at the Steadman Clinic.

See Dr. Millett Will Offer Two Lectures for full article.

Common Sports Injuries | Overview of Sports Medicine | Orthopedic Sports Medicine Specialist

Dr. Millett contributes to LA Times Sports Medicine publication on Orthopaedic Health.  Sports medicine used to be a fancy word that limited itself to the treatment of sports injuries by professional athletes.  This is not the case anymore. The most common sports injuries associated with the knee, shoulder and elbow can all be considered common sports injuries under the sports medicine umbrella—and any athlete playing sports is at risk.  Orthopedic sports medicine specialist, Dr. Peter Millett, provides an overview of sports medicine as well as common sports injuries he sees daily from athletes of all ages.  He also notes that an orthopedic sports medicine specialist should adopt a common theme during surgery and that is to restore the soft tissue structures that are so vital to the joints’ well being. According to Millett, “it is the orthopedic sports medicine specialist’s job to make sure a patient can return to his or her sport, full functioning, as quickly and safely as possible."

 See Orthopaedic Health: Over View of Sports Medicine for full article (For Dr. Millett, scroll down to page 8)

Youth Sports Injuries | STOP Sports Injuries | Orthopedic Surgeon In Colorado

In this Wall Street Journal article, Dr. Millet discusses how the incidence of youth sports injuries continues to rise across the U.S.  Recently, a group of surgeons, including orthopedic surgeon in Colorado, Dr. Peter Millett, formed an alliance called STOP Sports Injuries—a nonprofit organization whose campaign is geared towards the prevention, research and education of youth sports injuries.  STOP Sports Injuries also focuses on overuse injuries—a type of injury associated with children who play the same sports, year-round.   As an orthopedic surgeon in Colorado, Dr. Millett has noticed the increase of youth sports injuries and will play a key role on the STOP Sports Injuries committee.

Read Red Flag on Kids, Sports and Injuries in the Wall Street Journal

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Dr. Peter Millett Honored by American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

By Geoff Mintz, Vail Mountaineer Staff Writer, Wednesday, March 24, 2010 – Vail Mountaineer

Dr. Peter Millett of the Steadman Clinic was awarded with the Achievement Award at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Annual Meeting in New Orleans last week.

Millett also made five presentations on various topics and served as an instructor and moderator for two academic and education programs. One was on "Master Surgery for Rotator Cuff Injuries," which included lab instruction for orthopaedic surgeons from around the globe.

He was also part of a presentation on original research that was done through the research institute on the management of clavicle fractures – a very common injury in Vail – and showed improved outcomes and faster return to activities with fracture fixation surgery.

"Active volunteer involvement is at the heart of AAOS activities. Our meetings, courses, educational materials, clinical practice guidelines, and advocacy efforts are just a few of the many activities that depend on participation by volunteers for their success," the AAOS said of the honorees. "Volunteers and vital – not only to the AAOS, but also to orthopaedic specialty societies; national, state, and local orthopaedic societies; and the broader medical community."

The AAOS Board of Directors established the Achievement Award Program to encourage and enhance individual growth of Academy members, and to thank them for their many contributions to education, research and advocacy in orthopaedics.

The program was designed to recognize those who are freely giving back and to create an incentive for others to do the same.

"It is a great honor for me to receive this award and be recognized by my peers for my contributions to orthopaedic surgery and to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons." Millett said. "I am humbled to be included with many of the great orthopaedic surgeons from around the country and I am thankful to work in such a wonderful medical environment here at the Steadman Clinic and the Vail Valley Medical Center."

He said the research they perform on a daily basis in Vail directly translates into better care and better outcomes for the patients in the community and, by sharing it through organizations such as the AAOS, to the greater worldwide orthopaedic community as well.

Aspen Olympic Skier Casey Puckett on Ski Accidents, Shoulder Surgery and Hyperbaric Chambers

In the article Down, but not out: Casey Puckett by Aimee Berg (February 05, 2010) Olympic Skiier and Winter X-games winner Casey Puckett discusses his AC Joint Separation shoulder injury treated by Dr. Millett. 

According to the article, on Jan 10, Puckett was in a position to win his first World Cup event in Les Contamines, France.  Leading the race entering the final turn, Puckett lost his balance, hit a gate, and crashed hard. The diagnosis was a Grade 5 separation of his left acromioclavicular (AC) joint, which is where the collarbone attaches to the top of the shoulder blade and forms the highest point of the shoulder. "I knew the pain because I did it on my right shoulder two years before," he said, referring to a crash at a World Cup ski cross event Grindelwald, Switzerland, when he was hit by a falling skier, knocked unconscious, and transported to the hospital via helicopter (video below).

Puckett, is using a hyperbaric chamber to speed his recovery from this new shoulder injury until he departs for the winter games in Vancouver.

U2 Drummer Larry Mullen Jr. Discusses His Experience with Dr. Peter Millett and Others at The Steadman Clinic

Founder, Partner, Lead Drummer, Renowned Musician and Business Leader Moves Beyond the Music to Bring an International Perspective to the Foundation's Board of Directors

By Jim Brown, Executive Editor, The Foundation News, Steadman-Philipon Research Institute Fall 2009

Although Larry Mullen describes himself as just a "street drummer," he is, by the highest of standards, considerably more. As founder, partner, and lead drummer for one of the world's most famous rock bands, U2, he has moved beyond entertainment to make a difference in the lives of people around the world.

This should not be a surprise to those who have followed the careers of Larry and his fellow U2 band members. This legendary group has a well-deserved record of using its high-profile platform to promote philanthropy, service, and social responsibility to a worldwide audience. Now he has added his voice to the mission of the Foundation as a member of its Board of Directors, the governing group he joined in 2007.

Three Reasons

Why? "Three reasons," explains Mullen. "Firstly, I have benefitted so much from the incredible, cutting-edge resources, expertise, and practices available here in Vail and I thought it important to share the news. Secondly, I feel strongly that this level of care should be available to everybody— celebrity and non-celebrity, sportsman and non-sportsman—all over the world. Lastly, the Foundation's willingness to invest money and resources back into the community was probably the single biggest part of my signing on with the Board."

Like other board members, athletes, and exercisers, Larry first became aware of the Clinic through injury. "I was having trouble playing due to a knee problem. I saw Dr. Muller-Wohlfahrt in Germany. He recommended surgery, and suggested that I have it done by surgeon Richard Steadman in Vail at the Clinic.  I had been told that Dr. Steadman was a pioneer in his field and I was desperate and intrigued."

The rest is history, but it is history still in the making. "I have already seen Dr. Steadman, Dr. Philippon, and Dr. Millett, among other physicians, as well as receptionists, lab technicians, imaging specialists, scientists, administrators—practically everyone in the building, and the way things are going with my body, I'll probably meet the rest of them by the end of the year."

Occupational Hazzards

"I'm a street drummer and I've physically abused — neglected may be a better word — my body for a long time, through bad posture, questionable technique, throwing myself around a stage, not eating or hydrating as I should have, and sitting too much. Almost all the things I do as part of my job are bad for my body.  It's not just the physical act of hitting things. Rock and roll is about freedom and escapism, it's like running away to the circus. That's okay for about 10 years, then bits start to fall off. I was not trained as an athlete, but I have to perform like one."

His travel schedule is frenetic, exciting, and adds to the problem. The day before he made a stop in Vail to have a hamstring injury checked (and to give us this interview), he performed before 70,000 people at the new Dallas Cowboys football stadium. He left Vail and flew to Houston for another concert the next day. During the two weeks that followed, his schedule included dates in Phoenix; Los Angeles; Norman, Oklahoma; Las Vegas; Vancouver and New York, before performing in Berlin to finish the tour. Larry Mullen is not a member of a flier program; he IS a frequent flier program.

Confidence Based on Evidence

"That's why Vail has become so important to me," he says. "It's a 'one-stop-shop' for anybody with sports-related injuries. I consider it an integral part of my maintenance and recovery. The doctors are willing to listen and are anxious to develop new ways to treat you and heal you quickly, based on their expertise and supported by the Foundation's research. This is very important for me. What sets the Clinic and Foundation apart is the confidence the doctors, scientists, and staff members have in their own ability."

Mullen now sees an opportunity to get this message out to the rest of the world. "Larry's international viewpoint and expertise at branding and message delivery is invaluable to our Foundation," says Mike Egan. "Larry agrees with our mission of taking our expertise and ability to educate around the world so that we can have a positive impact on the next generation."

Mullen's Message

"We have an incredible resource here," concludes Mullen. "I want to re-emphasize that this facility, its resources, the data it has amassed, and its educational programs are not exclusively for the privileged. It is available to all, and we should figure out ways to share this treasure with people in the rest of the world so that their quality of life can be improved."

Dr's. Steadman, Philippon and Millett Thanked in the "No Line on the Horizon" Album Credits (see page 19/23)

NHL Hockey Player Alex Tanguay | Separated Shoulder | Partially Torn Labrum | Colorado Shoulder Surgeon

After missing 32 games in one season, NHL Hockey Player Alex Tanguay, a left wing for the Tampa Bay Lightning, sought out the best shoulder surgeon to repair his badly injured AC joint separated shoulder and partially torn labrum—shoulder injuries that were proving to permanently hault his hockey career unless repaired.  Dr. Peter Millett, a Colorado Shoulder Surgeon who is in practice at the Steadman Clinic in Vail, performed arthroscopic shoulder surgery on Tanguay’s injured shoulder and immediately put him through a strict and daily physical therapy regime.  As an NHL hockey player, Alex Tanguay was able to subsequently sign his contract and make a complete comeback, continuing what has already been a rewarding hockey career.

See With shoulder deemed fine, Alex Tanguay signs with the Tampa Bay Lightning for full article.