Sports Medicine

Sports medicine is a specialty focused on caring for injuries that affect the muscles, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage. As a sports medicine specialist, Dr. Greene provides both surgical and nonsurgical care for a variety of these injuries. His goal is to help patients recover and regain function as quickly and safely as possible so they can return to normal activities like work, exercise, and sports.

No. People often assume that sports medicine pertains only to athletes, but you can benefit from seeing a specialist for a ligament or tendon injury even if you are not an athlete. Injuries such as sprains, strains, and tears are common among both athletes and non-athletes, and they can occur during sports, exercise, accidents, or overuse.

ACL tears are among the most common knee injuries in both athletes and non-athletes. If a patient wants to remain active or has a more severe ACL tear, ACL repair surgery may be needed to restore strength and stability in the knee. Dr. Greene uses arthroscopy, a minimally invasive procedure, to repair torn ACLs. This approach can lead to less pain, quicker recovery, and a shorter hospital stay compared to open ACL surgery.

A meniscus is a c-shaped piece of cartilage that acts as a cushion for the knee and helps with maintaining balance. Each knee has two menisci, one at the inner edge of the knee and one at the outer edge. Meniscus tears often occur during sports, but they can also develop due to degeneration of the meniscus over time.

Treatment often begins with conservative methods. If those approaches do not alleviate symptoms, Dr. Greene may recommend minimally invasive surgery to repair or remove the damaged areas of the meniscus.

Rotator cuff injuries are a common cause of shoulder pain in athletes and others who perform repetitive arm motions for work or recreation. Rotator cuff tears often occur slowly over time due to wear and tear, eventually causing chronic shoulder pain and loss of function.

Dr. Greene initially treats rotator cuff tears with nonsurgical methods. If a patient does not respond to conservative treatment or has a very large tear, surgery may be recommended. He typically uses arthroscopy for rotator cuff repairs because this minimally invasive procedure allows for smaller incisions, less post-surgical pain, and quicker recovery times.

Ligament injuries are typically classified as either a partial or a full tear. In cases of a partial tear, the knee joint is often still stable enough to support the body’ weight, and non-surgical treatments are commonly the best approach, as physical therapy, bracing, and anti-inflammatory medication can help an athlete return to pain-free play. Full ligament tears often require ligament reconstruction surgery to return full joint functionality. Ligament reconstruction surgery is typically performed using minimally invasive techniques, and reconstructs the torn ligament through grafts of tissue.

Caused by overuse or trauma, Runner’s knee results in irritation to the nerves in the kneecap (patella) and tears in the surrounding tendons. Athletes who participate in sports that involve repetitive bending of the knees, such as running, biking, and basketball, have a higher risk of developing runner’s knee. Runner’s knee can result in the misalignment of the joint’s components, often creating an uneven distribution of weight, inflammation, and severe pain symptoms.

Achilles tendinitis is an overuse injury that causes inflammation, swelling, and pain. The progression of Achilles tendinitis is often accelerated by increases in exercise intensity and bone spurs. The majority of Achilles Tendinitis cases do not require surgical treatment. Rather, a three-week regimen that involves a combination of rest, anti-inflammatory medication, daily calf stretches, physical therapy, and orthotics are often recommended. If pain symptoms go untreated for an extended period-of-time or if symptoms do not decrease, then a 3 to 6 month treatment routine is typically suggested. Dr. Greene will create a custom routine of conservative treatments, based on the cause and extent of the injury, to help decrease pain symptoms.

Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that Dr. Greene uses for treatments such as ACL reconstruction, meniscus repair, and rotator cuff repair. Compared to traditional open surgery, this approach can offer benefits including smaller incisions, less pain, quicker recovery, and shorter hospital stays.

Dr. Greene treats a variety of injuries affecting the muscles, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage. Common examples include sprains, strains, and tears, along with specific conditions such as ACL tears, meniscus tears, and rotator cuff injuries. These injuries can occur during sports, exercise, accidents, or overuse.