By 
Sports always offer a healthy and fun way of spending time. As a hobbyist or professional sportsperson, you are prone to sports injuries such as rotator cuff injuries. It can also happen at the knee through a tear in the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). An orthopedic surgeon with an understanding of sports medicine can be instrumental in dealing with any sport-related injuries. Some specialists offer treatments in West Chester, OH, and put you in physical therapy for better recovery. Book an appointment with Dr. Ronald Hess in West Chester.
When should anyone see an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine expert?
Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
Soft tissues in the knee can sometimes experience pressure through an impact when you’re in the field. This often alters the normal movement of the knee. An arthroscopic knee surgery helps assess, diagnose, and treat the affected soft tissues. It’s a minimally invasive procedure whereby the specialist will make a series of small incisions (portals). The treatment helps you when having problems within the meniscus, knee ligaments, and patellar tendons.
ACL Reconstruction
Going by the anatomy of the body, your knee is the largest joint. This is an adaptation to support the overall weight of the body and help in movement. In sports, the knee is often subject to damages through tears of the anterior cruciate ligament. An orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine expert can serve you well. They do the reconstruction by replacing the damaged ligament with a tendon from a donor cadaver. The other option is using a tendon from another part of your knee. After the whole treatment, your knee will need a few physical therapies for recovery.
Dealing Rotator Cuff Tear
Sports occupation also can bring about tears in the shoulder, and a good example is the rotator cuff tear. The rotator cuff comprises a group of tendons and muscles that help in the movement of the shoulder. They also hold the ball part of the shoulder joint, the humerus head and ensure they’re well-placed in the socket of the shoulder blade. Rotator cuff tears usually take place after an acute injury or regeneration sometimes. An orthopedic surgeon can perform minimally invasive surgery to rectify the damages. There are also conservative treatments such as heat and ice therapy, steroid injections, and physical therapy.
Meniscus Tear Repair
Between your bones of the shin and thigh bone, there are critical shock absorbers that help protect the knee. You can have two menisci per knee which do the job hence helping you in the normal walking, running, and standing. However, a sudden movement can result in a tear in the knee. A specialist usually puts you in a conservative treatment first, such as physical therapy. This helps in training the knee and possibly steroid injections to make the healing process faster. However, if such efforts prove futile, the ultimate option is orthopedic surgery to deal with the torn meniscus.
An orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist are significant in dealing with ACL damages, rotator cuff injuries, and meniscus tear repairs. Generally, these professionals will start by using conservative procedures such as physical therapies, heat and ice therapies, and steroid injections before considering orthopedic surgeries.
Comments