Our sports medicine experts in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery are leaders in their field and treat a range of sports injuries and related conditions. Here is how we approach some of the most common sports-related problems.
Foot and Ankle Conditions
-
Our sports medicine team offers expertise in repairing full and partial Achilles tendon tears (tears in the fibers connecting the calf muscles to the heel bone).
Some patients benefit from surgery to repair a fully ruptured Achilles tendon. The goal of the surgery is to stitch the tendon back together. However, in some cases, the damaged part (or the entire tendon) needs to be removed and replaced with tissues taken from another area of the foot.
Nonsurgical treatment for Achilles tendon rupture focuses on allowing the tendon to heal naturally while it’s immobilized in a boot. Early functional weight-bearing is a key part of Achilles tendon rehabilitation.
Our foot and ankle specialists:
- General Foot and Ankle Specialists:
- Pediatric Specialist:
- Sports Medicine Specialists:
-
Our physicians treat a wide range of ankle fractures, including fractures of the tibia, fibula and talus. They are also trained in treating complex, multipart fractures and related ankle cartilage damage, as well as ligament injuries and avulsion fractures that occur when a bone pulls off from a ligament attachment site.
Not all ankle fractures require surgery. Treatment depends on the location and number of fractures and whether the ankle is stable after injury. An X-ray stress test can determine the stability — whether the broken bones are in alignment. Nonsurgical treatment for stable fractures typically includes immobilizing the ankle in a cast, brace or boot.
Most unstable ankle fractures, and occasionally stable ankle fractures, can benefit from surgery. Surgery to repair a broken ankle usually includes aligning the bones, followed by internal fixation (connecting the bones with screws, plates or wires).
Our team works closely with foot and ankle physical therapists for pre-surgery and post-surgery rehabilitation.
Our foot and ankle specialists:
- General Foot and Ankle Specialists:
- Pediatric Specialist:
- Sports Medicine Specialists:
Hip and Knee Conditions
-
Our sports medicine experts offer personalized treatment and return-to-sport plans for athletes with ACL tears. The ACL is one of the most common knee ligaments to be injured, especially among female athletes. Tears may occur during sudden, twisting movements of the knee.
Treatment ranges from bracing and physical therapy to surgery, depending on the patient’s knee stability and desired activity level. If the patient chooses to have ACL reconstruction surgery, the surgeon will replace the damaged ligament with a tendon, which is called a graft. This may be an autograft (using a tendon from the patient’s knee) or an allograft (using a donor tendon). When possible, our specialists perform the procedure arthroscopically, placing the graft through a small hole in the knee.
ACL surgery was once considered too risky for children because they are still growing. Our specialists use new minimally invasive techniques to repair or replace knee ligaments with low risk to children and teens.
For nonhealing ACL injuries, percutaneous needle tenotomy may also be an option to promote the body’s healing response.
Our knee specialists:
Patient Resources:
-
Our physicians treat many athletes with hip (femoroacetabular) impingement — pinching of the ball of the hip joint against the cup of the hip. We also treat related damage to the labrum — the cartilage that surrounds the hip socket — which can lead to stiffness, pain and arthritis in the hip.
Hip impingement occurs due to abnormal shape of the bones in the hip joint. For many people, it is thought, the abnormal shape has been present since birth. It is often seen in young athletes who play sports that require much twisting of the hip or squatting.
While hip impingement can be treated using nonsurgical methods, surgery may be needed to repair or remove the damaged tissue around the hip joint. Surgery is often performed arthroscopically by making several small incisions.
Our sports medicine hip specialist:
-
Our sports medicine experts treat many injuries to the labrum (the ring of cartilage on the socket of a joint), including labral tears of the hip. The severity of the tear ranges from frays at the edges to sections ripped away from the socket bone. The injuries are often caused by overuse, trauma or abnormalities in bone structure.
Nonsurgical treatments focus on symptom management and prevention of further damage. The treatments include rest, activity modification, medications, temporary pain relief injections and physical therapy.
If the hip labral tear is severe, or if the patient is still in pain after trying nonsurgical options, arthroscopic surgery or open surgery may be needed to repair the tear.
Our sports medicine hip specialist:
-
Meniscus tears are among the most common knee injuries our sports medicine specialists treat. Treatment ranges from icing, bracing and pain medications to surgery, depending on the symptoms and the type of tear. When possible, our specialists perform meniscus tear surgery arthroscopically by making small cuts in the knee.
A common type of surgery for a meniscus tear is a partial meniscectomy, during which a surgeon trims off the torn part of the meniscus and preserves as much of the intact meniscus tissue as possible.
In some cases, depending on the type of tear and the condition of the meniscus, the torn part can be stitched back together. This procedure is more common for younger patients.
After surgery, rehabilitation exercises help the patient regain range of motion and strengthen the muscles supporting the knee joint.
Our knee specialists:
Patient Resources:
-
Our pediatric experts have experience treating young athletes who have Osgood-Schlatter disease, sometimes referred to as growing pains.
The treatment for Osgood-Schlatter disease and related knee pain typically includes taking time off from the activity that makes the pain worse, applying ice and taking anti-inflammatory medications. Injury prevention techniques, including proper warm-ups and taking rest days, can help reduce the likelihood of overuse injuries. Surgery is rarely needed for Osgood-Schlatter disease.
Our pediatric knee specialist:
-
Our sports medicine specialists treat a variety of patellar conditions, including patellar instability.
When the kneecap (patella) moves or slides out of the small groove at the end of the thighbone, it is considered unstable. A patellar dislocation or subluxation (partial dislocation) can usually be diagnosed by a physical exam, but X-rays and an MRI may also be required.
Treatment varies depending on the condition’s severity and the patient’s health status and activity level. It includes nonsurgical treatments (rehabilitation and bracing) and surgical treatments to realign the bones or tighten the tendons that hold the kneecap in place.
Our knee specialists:
-
A patellar tendon rupture is one of the many knee injuries that our sports medicine specialists treat. A rupture occurs when the tendon is completely torn and separated from the kneecap, often as the result of a fall or during the landing from a jump.
If the patient has been diagnosed with a patellar tendon rupture, our orthopaedic surgeons can offer a treatment plan that may include surgery to re-attach the tendon to the kneecap.
Our knee specialists:
-
Treatment of patellofemoral pain syndrome usually includes avoiding any activity, sport or exercise that makes the knee pain worse, taking anti-inflammatory medications and, for some patients, wearing soft braces. Surgery is rarely needed.
Our knee specialists:
Shoulder and Elbow Conditions
-
Commonly called a separated shoulder, an AC joint injury occurs when ligaments attached to the collarbone tear away from the shoulder blade. As with many shoulder injuries, this can occur from a forceful blow, such as during a sports activity or from a fall onto the top of the shoulder.
Depending on the severity of the AC joint injury, treatment ranges from rest, wearing a sling and taking anti-inflammatory medications to surgery.
Our shoulder specialists:
-
Our sports medicine specialists treat numerous baseball-related shoulder injuries, including shoulder tendonitis, torn rotator cuff, labral tears — such as a SLAP tear — and broken humerus (upper arm). Common ways to injure a shoulder include throwing a baseball too hard and sliding headfirst into a base.
Treatment for baseball-related shoulder injuries range from rest and ice to surgery, depending on the type and severity of the injury. Rehabilitative services can help gradually return strength and range of motion.
Our shoulder specialists:
-
Most clavicle fractures are treated with rest and an arm sling, but some require surgery. Open reduction and internal fixation is a type of surgery commonly used to stabilize and heal a broken collarbone.
Our sports medicine fracture specialists:
-
Our sports medicine experts treat patients with labral tears related to sports and other activities. The labrum is a piece of fibrocartilage (rubbery tissue) attached to the rim of the shoulder socket that helps keep the ball of the joint in place. The labrum can tear completely off the bone, within or along the edges of the labrum, or where the bicep tendon attaches. SLAP tears, among the most common types of labral injuries, are often seen in baseball and softball players due to excessive throwing.
Treatment for a labral tear can include rest, physical therapy or surgery, depending on the patient’s needs and severity of the injury. If a shoulder labral tear is severe, or if the patient is still in pain after trying nonsurgical options, arthroscopic surgery can be used to repair the tear.
Our shoulder specialists:
-
Our sports medicine specialists are experienced in treating patients with rotator cuff injuries, including full and partial tears, and failed rotator cuff repairs. We use advanced imaging techniques to rule out other conditions, such as frozen shoulder and rotator cuff tendinitis, that can mimic a torn rotator cuff.
Not all rotator cuff tears need surgery. Even if the tendon is fully torn, some people can maintain a comfortable range of motion in the shoulder. And some partial rotator cuff tears that cause pain or reduce shoulder function can be treated with physical therapy, icing, medications and activity modification.
In some cases, surgery can be used to re-attach the torn tendon. The two popular surgical methods are open surgery and shoulder arthroscopy — a minimally invasive procedure that uses smaller incisions. Our specialists can help the patient decide if surgery is the right choice. For some patients, surgery may not guarantee complete healing of the rotator cuff, and if the tendon is heavily worn, it can tear again.
For patients who have arthritis of the shoulder in addition to a rotator cuff tear, total shoulder replacement might be another option. A subacromial balloon spacer could be an alternative to joint replacement for patients with massive rotator tears.
Our shoulder specialists:
- Matthew Best, M.D.
- Andrew Cosgarea, M.D.
- Alex Johnson, M.D.
- Edward McFarland, M.D.
- Duc Nguyen, M.D.
- Umasuthan Srikumaran, M.D., M.B.A., M.P.H.
- John Wilckens, M.D.
Patient Resources:
-
Our sports medicine specialists are experts in treating rotator cuff tendinitis. This painful condition develops when rotator cuff tissue gets pinched or inflamed due to injury or overuse, or when it degenerates with age.
Rotator cuff tendinitis can be difficult to distinguish from a torn rotator cuff. Shoulder tendinitis is more likely to develop if a person is participating in certain sports, including baseball, weight lifting, swimming and racket sports. If an arm cannot be fully rotated without pain, the problem may be shoulder tendinitis.
Treatment may include medications and physical therapy. Surgery is rarely used to treat rotator cuff tendinitis unless the rotator cuff is severely damaged.
Our shoulder specialists:
-
Our sports medicine specialists are experienced in treating rotator cuff injuries, fractures, tendonitis and other shoulder and elbow problems for young baseball players. Because bone and cartilage are still developing in Little League pitchers, they are more prone to develop elbow problems such as growth plate fractures from excessive throwing. If a young baseball player mentions persistent pain in the shoulder or elbow, or if he or she can’t perform a full range of motion, medical advice should be sought.
Because many shoulder and elbow conditions share symptoms, the child should get an accurate diagnosis as soon as possible.
Treatment of shoulder and elbow problems among youth baseball players ranges from medication and rest to surgery in rare circumstances.
Our pediatric shoulder and elbow specialists:
-
Our sports medicine experts treat different types of shoulder bursitis, including chronic bursitis, infected bursitis and traumatic bursitis. Bursitis is the inflammation of bursa (fluid-filled sacs that reduce rubbing between soft tissues and bones) that may occur due to injury or overuse.
Many types of shoulder pain can mimic the signs of bursitis. If you experience shoulder pain, contact a skilled orthopaedic clinician to perform an evaluation.
Bursitis and its associated pain are usually treated with rest, anti-inflammatory medications or hydrocortisone injections.
Our shoulder specialists:
-
Our physicians treat a variety of shoulder instability problems, including dislocation (the shoulder joint leaves the socket), subluxation (partial dislocation) and multidirectional shoulder instability (chronic dislocation or subluxation in more than one direction).
Some patients may need shoulder stabilization surgery to repair or tighten loose or damaged tissues that cause instability and dislocation. Our experienced surgeons can perform either an open procedure, or an arthroscopic shoulder surgery that uses several small incisions to insert a camera and tools.
Many patients don’t need surgery for shoulder instability — their condition can often be remedied by a combination of rest, physical therapy, icing and medications, and activity modification.
Our shoulder specialists:
-
Tennis elbow is a painful condition that occurs when the tendons on the outside (lateral side) of the elbow become injured and inflamed. Our team offer surgical and nonsurgical treatments for this condition, helping patients return to their favorite sport.
Nonsurgical treatments include activity modifications, icing and anti-inflammatory medications, wrist bracing and elbow straps, as well as physical therapy to restore range of motion.
Surgery is rarely needed for tennis elbow. However, a doctor may recommend surgery if the pain is severe, the range of motion is limited and the condition doesn’t respond to other treatments. Surgery to repair ligaments can be performed through one open incision or minimally invasively through several small incisions (arthroscopic surgery).
Our elbow specialists:
- General elbow specialists:
- Pediatric specialist:
- Sports medicine specialists:
-
Our specialists help patients with UCL injuries and related conditions, including UCL tears and elbow fractures.
Treatment for UCL tears ranges from rest and physical therapy to surgery, depending on the injury’s severity and on the health goals. If work or leisure activities don’t require much strain on the elbow, nonsurgical treatments may be all that are needed. These treatments may include rest and ice, anti-inflammatory medications and physical therapy.
The doctor may recommend surgery if other treatments don’t provide the desired pain relief. But more often, surgical UCL repair is performed on athletes who need strong and stable elbows to play a sport.
Our sports medicine experts are skilled in procedures that can be used to repair a UCL tear:
- If the UCL was injured in a single traumatic event and pulled off the bone, sometimes an elbow surgeon can re-attach it.
- If the UCL has suffered damage over time, UCL reconstruction (Tommy John surgery) may be needed. A surgeon uses tendons from elsewhere in the body, or from a donor, to rebuild the UCL.
Read more about UCL injuries of the elbow.
Our elbow specialists:
- General shoulder and elbow specialists
- Pediatric specialists
- Sports medicine specialists
Other Conditions
-
Popping and cracking in joints such as fingers and knees could be caused by ligaments stretching and releasing or by the compression of nitrogen bubbles in the spaces of the joints.
Usually, joint cracking and popping does not need to be treated. These sounds are normal and may become more frequent with age. However, if cracking and popping in the joints is accompanied by swelling and pain, this may be a sign of a more severe condition and should be evaluated by an orthopaedic physician.
-
Our sports medicine physicians and physical therapists are experts in treating soft-tissue injuries such as muscle strains or “pulled” muscles.
If you believe you have experienced a pulled muscle, you should immediately stop the activity that caused the strain and apply ice to the injured area.
A severe muscle strain will cause swelling and bruising and can even make the person unable to move the limb. However, most muscle strains can be treated at home and do not require medical intervention.
The risk of muscle strains can be reduced by taking time to warm up and stretch muscles before any type of physical activity, including walking. Muscle strains occur more often in cold, inflexible muscles.
