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Sports Medicine

 
 

The Montefiore Approach

The Division of Sports Medicine at Montefiore brings together a tremendous breadth of expertise to treat a wide range of athletic musculoskeletal injuries. Using a collaborative and comprehensive approach, we offer patients an array of surgical and non-surgical treatment options, from physical therapy and bracing to arthroscopic and open surgical approaches.

Our fellowship-trained specialists are dedicated to the diagnosis and management of injuries involving all regions of the body, including common injuries like anterior cruciate ligament tears, meniscus tears, shoulder instability, labral tears, rotator cuff tears, and nerve injuries. Our mission is to achieve maximal improvement in pain and function, ultimately returning our patients to their peak level of activity.

As an academic medical center, we are committed to the study of how injuries occur and the identification of innovative treatments to help achieve better outcomes. We are constantly striving to develop novel and cutting-edge techniques for the advancement of care within our own health system and beyond.

The experience of our patients and their loved ones—not simply their ailments—demands our full attention. Your dedicated care team will be there to discuss your condition, answer questions, assess treatment options and develop a treatment strategy that is best for you.

Athletic injuries present unique challenges. Musculoskeletal injuries and disorders can cause significant pain and dysfunction, limiting an individual’s ability to participate in sports, work duties and the normal activities of daily life. At Montefiore, we believe that optimal outcomes are the product of accurate diagnosis, appropriate and timely treatment, and patient-centered management.

Our collaborative and comprehensive approach combines the expertise of physical therapists, occupational therapists, rehabilitation medicine specialists, pain management experts and orthopedic surgeons. Together, our specialists collectively assess and customize a treatment plan tailored to a patient’s individual needs.

As an academic medical center, we are deeply committed to advancing the science of medicine. Together with our Albert Einstein College of Medicine, one of the highest NIH-funded institutions in the country, we work toward excellence in sports medicine study and care. Our research efforts endeavor to better understand why patients develop sports and musculoskeletal injuries, and aim to improve operative and non-operative treatments. We routinely present our research findings in numerous national forums and publish our results in peer-reviewed medical journals.

Conditions We Treat

Montefiore treats a vast spectrum of conditions, a selection of which you will find listed below. In addition to these, we have experience treating many other conditions. Please contact us to schedule a consultation to review and discuss your specific healthcare needs.

Some Common Conditions
  • Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears
  • Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) tears
  • Medial collateral ligament (MCL) tears
  • Lateral collateral ligament (LCL) sprains
  • Meniscus tears
  • Patellar (kneecap) disorders, including instability (dislocations) and overload
  • Cartilage lesions
  • Shoulder instability (dislocations)
  • Rotator cuff tears
  • Labral tears
  • Bursitis and tendinitis
  • Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis)
  • Fractures
  • Tennis and golfer’s elbow
  • Arthritic conditions
  • Nerve injuries and disorders
Bursitis is a painful swelling of a small sac of fluid called a bursa. Bursae (plural of bursa) cushion and lubricate areas where tendons, ligaments, skin, muscles, or bones rub against each other. People who repeat the same movement over and over or who put continued pressure on a joint in their jobs, sports, or daily activities have a greater chance of getting bursitis. Bursitis is commonly caused by: Read More
A PCL injury is a sprain or tear of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). The PCL is a band of tissue that crosses inside the center of the knee joint. It connects your thighbone to the bone of your lower leg. The PCL keeps your knee stable when it moves forward or backward. A direct blow to the knee can injure your PCL. For example, the PCL can be injured in a car crash when your bent knee hits the dashboard. You can also hurt your PCL during sports, such as football, soccer, or skiing. Or you can hurt it while doing other activities if you fall on your bent knee with your foot or toes bent downward or if the front of your knee is hit. Read More
A meniscus tear is a common knee injury. The meniscus is a rubbery, C-shaped disc that cushions your knee. Each knee has two menisci (plural of meniscus)—one at the outer edge of the knee and one at the inner edge. They keep your knee steady by balancing your weight across the knee. A torn meniscus can prevent your knee from working right. A meniscus tear is usually caused by twisting or turning quickly, often with your foot planted while your knee is bent. Meniscus tears can occur when you lift something heavy or play sports. As you get older, your meniscus gets worn. This can make it tear more easily. Read More
Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) is stiffness, pain, and limited range of movement in your shoulder. It may happen after an injury or overuse. Or it may happen from a disease such as diabetes or a stroke. The tissues around the joint stiffen, scar tissue forms, and shoulder movements become hard to do and painful. The condition usually comes on slowly. And then it goes away slowly over the course of a year or more. Frozen shoulder can develop when you stop using the joint normally because of pain, injury, or a chronic health condition, such as diabetes or a stroke. Any shoulder problem can lead to frozen shoulder if you do not work to keep full range of motion. Read More
An LCL injury is a sprain or tear to the lateral collateral ligament (LCL). The LCL is a band of tissue on the outside of your knee. It connects your thighbone to the bone of your lower leg and helps keep the knee from bending outward. You can hurt your LCL during activities that involve bending, twisting, or a quick change of direction. For example, the LCL can be injured in football or soccer when the inside of the knee is hit. This type of injury can also occur during skiing and in other sports with lots of stop-and-go movements, jumping, or weaving. Read More
Most people have had a minor knee problem at one time or another. Most of the time our body movements do not cause problems, but it's not surprising that symptoms develop from everyday wear and tear, overuse, or injury. Knee problems and injuries most often occur during sports or recreational activities, work-related tasks, or home projects.The knee is the largest joint in the body. The upper and lower bones of the knee are separated by two discs (menisci). The upper leg bone (femur) and the lower leg bones (tibia and fibula) are connected by ligaments, tendons, and muscles. The surface of the bones inside the knee joint is covered by articular cartilage, which absorbs shock and provides a smooth, gliding surface for joint movement. See a picture of the structures of the knee. Read More
A medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury is a sprain or tear to the medial collateral ligament. The MCL is a band of tissue on the inside of your knee. It connects your thighbone to the bone of your lower leg. The MCL keeps the knee from bending inward. You can hurt your MCL during activities that involve bending, twisting, or a quick change of direction. For example, the MCL can be injured in football or soccer when the outside of the knee is hit. This type of injury can also occur during skiing and in other sports with lots of stop-and-go movements, jumping, or weaving. Read More
Patellofemoral pain syndrome is pain in the front of the knee. It frequently occurs in teenagers, manual laborers, and athletes. It sometimes is caused by wearing down, roughening, or softening of the cartilage under the kneecap. Patellofemoral pain syndrome may be caused by overuse, injury, excess weight, a kneecap that is not properly aligned (patellar tracking disorder), or changes under the kneecap. Read More
Patellar tracking disorder means that the kneecap (patella) shifts out of place as the leg bends or straightens. In most cases, the kneecap shifts too far toward the outside of the leg. In a few people, it shifts toward the inside. Your knee joint is a complex hinge that joins the two bones of the lower leg with the thighbone. Read More
The kneecap (patella) is normally positioned over the front of the knee joint at the base of the thighbone (femur). A kneecap can be dislocated, or moved out of its normal position, when:Symptoms of a dislocated kneecap may include: Read More
A subluxation is a partial dislocation. The kneecap, or patella, can sublux out of its normal position more easily when the thigh muscles are weak, when the patella is not firmly held by the surrounding tendons and ligaments, or when there is a problem with the alignment or structure of the knee bones.A patellar subluxation feels like the kneecap is shifting or jamming out of place. Usually, a subluxated patella returns to its normal position by itself. But repeated incidents can damage the cartilage on the back of the patella or stretch the connective ligaments. Read More

Our Treatments

Treatment plans are designed to maximize our patients’ functional outcomes, returning them to health and activity as quickly as possible. Whenever we can, we employ the use of non-operative treatments. When surgery is needed, we always consider the most conservative approach appropriate.

In many cases, surgery can be performed arthroscopically, using a camera and specialized instruments that are inserted through small incisions. Arthroscopic techniques permit faster recovery time, smaller incisions, decreased risk of infection and reduced blood loss.

Outpatient surgery is performed at the Hutchinson Ambulatory Surgery Center, a state-of-the-art facility equipped with high-definition arthroscopic cameras and monitors, X-ray imaging, and a vast array of implants and instruments.

For those seeking further information, we have included a few examples of common procedures that we perform.

Highlighted Treatments

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