Sports Medicine

• Meniscus tears (also known as cartilage tears) — when soft tissue between joints (most often the knee) is suddenly damaged as the result of a twisting motion or sudden hit, such as a tackle.
• Dislocations — when two bones that meet at a joint completely come apart, such as a dislocated shoulder or dislocated knee.
• Fractures — breaks in bones and can occur in varying degrees of seriousness anywhere in the body.
• Sprains, strains and bruises — affect ligaments, tendons and muscles, such as sprained ankles, sprained wrists and strained muscles in shoulders, arms, back, groin, legs and other parts of the body.
• Stress fractures — small cracks or severe bruising of bones, such as foot and ankle bones like the metatarsals, tibia (shin) and fibula.
• Tendinitis — painful inflammation that can affect tendons in the arms, legs, ankles and other parts of the body.

• Dislocated shoulder — a shoulder injury occurring when two bones are moved out of their normal position and come apart.
• Shoulder separation (acromioclavicular joint separation or AC joint separation) — when the top of the collarbone (clavicle) is separated from the top of the shoulder blade (scapula).
• Rotator cuff injuries — such as a rotator cuff tear, which involve a tear of one or more of the tendons that connect four muscles in the shoulder to the upper arm bone (humerus).
• Tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow — characterized by pain on the outside of the elbow (tennis) or inside of the elbow (golf).
• Ulnar collateral ligament injury (also known as UCL injury) — when the ligament inside the elbow connecting the upper arm (humerus) with the forearm (ulna) is partially or completely torn.

• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury (also known as ACL tear) — when one of the main ligaments that helps stabilize and support the knee is partially or completely torn.
• Iliotibial band syndrome or IT band syndrome — an inflammation of the tendon that connects the knee to the hip and causes pain on the outside of the knee.
• Medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury (also known as MCL tear) — when the ligament located along the inner knee is strained or torn.
• Osgood-Schlatter disease — an overuse injury of the tendon below the kneecap seen in growing adolescents before entering their mid-to-late teens.
• Runner’s knee (also known as patellofemoral knee syndrome) — occurs in adults and is characterized by pain just below the kneecap that usually intensifies during activity.
• Patellar tendinitis (also called tendinitis in the knee) — an injury or inflammation to the tendon that connects the kneecap to the shin bone.

• Achilles tendinitis — an inflammation of the Achilles tendon at the back of the ankle above the heel.
• Ankle sprain — an injury that occurs when the ankle rolls, twists or turns.
• Plantar fasciitis— inflammation in the bottom of the foot with stabbing heel pain, usually originating at the base of the heel.
• Heel spur — a calcium deposit that develops around the heel bone, causing a bump on the underside of the heel.
• Peroneal tendonitis — an injury to the tendons that connect the calf muscle to the foot.
• Sesamoiditis of the foot — inflammation of two small bones in the forefoot that produces pain under the big toe.
• Shin splints — pain in the lower front leg caused by inflamed muscles or the possible onset of stress fractures in the tibia (shin).
• Turf toe — when the main joint of the big toe is sprained due to hyperextension.

• Elbow surgery, including total elbow replacement
• Hand and wrist surgery, which can include repairs for fractures of the scaphoid or bone fragments in the fingers
• Minimally invasive shoulder surgery following a dislocation to repair damaged joint soft tissue
• Shoulder replacement surgery, including total shoulder replacement, partial shoulder replacement and/or reverse shoulder replacement
• Shoulder resurfacing, in which the head of the upper arm bone is trimmed and capped with a smooth metal covering, and the shoulder blade socket may be smoothed and replaced with a strong plastic socket or tissue graft
• UCL reconstruction (“Tommy John surgery”), in which a torn ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow is rebuilt using a tendon tissue from a donor or patient’s body

• Hip resurfacing, in which the head of the femur is trimmed and capped with a smooth metal covering, while the hip socket is removed and replaced with a metal socket
• Minimally invasive hip replacement, in which a smaller surgical incision is made than in traditional total hip replacement surgery
• Total hip replacement (hip arthroplasty), in which the head of the femur (thigh bone) is removed and replaced with a metal stem and a metal or ceramic ball, while the worn hip socket (acetabulum) is removed and replaced with a metal socket

• ACL reconstruction, in which a torn anterior cruciate ligament is rebuilt using tissue — most commonly the kneecap tendon or hamstring tendon — from a donor or the patient’s body
• Knee arthroscopy, a minimally invasive surgery that is performed through small incisions to trim or repair torn cartilage in the knee
• MCL reconstruction, in which a torn medial collateral ligament is rebuilt using tissue from a donor or the patient’s body to restore stability to the inner knee
• Partial knee replacement, in which damaged tissue and bone in the inner knee or the outer knee is replaced with a metal and plastic part
• Total knee replacement (knee arthroplasty), in which the ends of the femur (thigh bone) and tibia (shin bone) at the knee joint are removed and replaced with metal and strong plastic parts

• Ankle surgery, including repairs of torn Achilles heel, fractures and dislocations
• Ankle replacement (ankle arthroplasty), in which damaged bone and cartilage are replaced with metal and plastic parts
• Foot surgery, including complex procedures to repair fractures and torn ligaments

We are here for you — not only as your orthopedic surgeons, but as a team of experts who understands that your joint health is about much more than your medical treatment. Specifically, Scripps offers a variety of patient support services to ensure your physical and emotional well-being, as well as resources for dealing with the logistical aspects of your care.

Our services include:

• Home health care when you require skilled intermittent care in the comfort of your home.
• Nutrition and weight-maintenance services with registered dietitians of Scripps Center for Weight Management and Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine to help you plan meals that align with your health goals.
• Physical rehabilitation and occupational therapy to help you get back on your feet following an injury, illness or surgery.
• Visiting patient services if you reside beyond San Diego and want help arranging appointments or learning more about short-term lodging.

For more offerings, please visit our patient resources section.

Patient education is an important part of understanding your joint condition and treatment plan. To stay informed, we encourage our orthopedic patients to:

• Bookmark the Scripps glossary of orthopedic terms for easy referencing.
• Watch the pre- and post-surgery videos your doctor recommends.
• Consult your orthopedic team for educational materials and a list of trusted online sources beyond the Scripps site. 

Always check with your orthopedic surgeon first to ensure that you have the most accurate information for your particular medical condition or need.