If you have torn your anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), the main ligament that stabilizes the knee, and are scheduled for reconstructive surgery to repair it, your surgeon could use either an autograft or an allograft. What is the difference between the two? An autograft is a piece of tissue removed from your body and used […]
Considering that most patients with osteochondritis dissecans are adolescent boys, the explanation of the condition is sure to win points for sheer gross-out potential. Characterized by pain, limited range of motion, and a popping or locking sound in the joint, osteochondritis dissecans occurs when a small piece of cartilage breaks off from the end of […]
Patellar tendinitis, also known as jumper’s knee, is an injury to the tendon connecting the kneecap to the shinbone. This condition generally affects athletes, often basketball and volleyball players, who jump frequently and put repeated stress on the patellar or quadriceps tendons. But jumper’s knee can also affect high- and long-jumpers, soccer players, weight-lifters and […]
In recent years, concern has risen about the long-term impact of concussions, traumatic brain injury usually brought about by direct impact to the head or by severe, violent shaking of the upper body. In most cases, a concussion has little to no lasting effect, but repeated or severe blows can have long-term or even permanent […]
In 2012, National Football League running back Adrian Peterson returned from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear in his knee to have the best season of his career. His amazing recovery shows how far ACL treatment has progressed over the last decade and gives many athletes hope that they too can make full recoveries after […]
Jersey finger is a hand injury common among athletes who participate in tackle sports such as football and rugby. It occurs when a player grabs an opponent, entangling his or her finger in the jersey. As a result, the finger tip, or distal interphalangeal joint, is hyperextended, and the flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) tendon attaching […]
Athletic pubalgia is the technical term for the severe groin pain often called a sports hernia—although unlike a true hernia, no abdominal-cavity organs protrude where they should not. Because the cause of the pain is often missed or misidenti fied, an accurate diagnosis of athletic pubalgia is the first step in treating the condition and often […]
A torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), followed by reconstruction surgery, can be devastating for an athlete. It leads to many questions: When can I return to competition? Will I lose my scholarship? How do I prevent reinjury? Advances in physical therapy now help athletes improve rapidly during the early period after surgery. Read full article […]
A recent study found that about 25% of the U.S. population has flat feet, and almost 43 million Americans suffer from foot problems. Flat feet, a condition in which the foot does not have a normal arch when standing, can present challenges for a running program, but having flat feet does not mean that such […]
After a winter of inactivity often occasioned by bad weather, the one- to two-month period before baseball season begins is a great time to get your child in better physical shape. Start with stretching, aerobic exercise and strength-training at least two or three days a week, working up to five days by the time the […]
