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Innovations in Sports Medicine

Orthopedic Surgeon George Stollsteimer of St. Mary's Orthopaedics

As a society, we are more fitness conscious than ever. Are particular types of injuries becoming more common among adults and teens?

Yes, it does seem that injuries are becoming much more of a common finding with the lifestyles of today's patients. For adults, I believe that we are seeing more rotator cuff tears, as well as meniscal cartilage tears. In younger people, we are seeing more overuse injuries, such as shoulder or elbow injuries, to knee injuries including meniscus tears and ACL tears. As women have consistently increased their participation in high-level sporting activities, we are especially seeing increased numbers of ACL tears in female athletes. I believe we are living longer, and adults are trying to keep their physical activities at higher levels, this has much to do with some of the injuries we are seeing in our older population. For our younger athletes, much of this has to do not only with greater percentage of participation among these young people, but also due to year-round participation, as opposed to seasonal participation, which we would see in the past.

How has sports medicine changed over the past 5-10 years?

I think one of the most significant changes that has developed over the last decade is sports medicine continues to be less invasive. We are able to do more procedures through the arthroscope, limiting the surgical damage to tissue. In addition, every year it seems that new tools and techniques are being developed to tackle more difficult problems. I would say it Is a very exciting time in sports medicine, as we have more options to offer patients for treatments.

What innovations have emerged recently in terms of treatment? 

There seem to be new innovations on almost a year-by-year basis. New types of anchors have been developed to repair rotator cuff tears in a less invasive fashion. Different types of screws have been developed to more easily biologically incorporate tendon or ligament repairs. And very much so, we see ongoing research into the development of "biologics," which are treatments such as platelet-rich plasma (or PRP), stem cells, collagen patches, etc. This research is early and ongoing, however. We are "not quite there yet." But this research is very exciting and I think that in the years to come biologics will pave the way to a vast array of options for dealing with different types of injuries, increasing healing rates of tendon repairs, possibly slowing progression of arthritic changes and other exciting possibilities.

Where do you see sports medicine and innovation in the field headed in the near future?

I think where real innovation will occur will be in the area of speeding up healing rates or decreasing effects of inflammatory chemicals -- these essentially biologic issues that we work with every day. Some of the biologic research is centered on trying to increase ways to augment healing of rotator cuff tendons or healing of tendons into bone to assist with ligament reconstructions. In addition, we are also seeing research performed on biologics limiting scar tissue formation or the production of harmful chemicals produced in the body after injury. We are also seeing continued research on cartilage growth for arthritic injuries in the joints. So, I think some of our most exciting innovations will come from this field. 

Do you have any advice for young athletes and older athletes to reduce the risk of injury while maintaining a regular fitness routine?

Absolutely! But I do not think we really have time here to go over all the possible pieces of advice! I think that what much of it boils down to for athletes of all ages is to exercise properly in preparation for what you are going to ask your body to do. For instance, if you are a middle-aged man and you want to go out and play basketball on the weekends, you are "asking for trouble" if you have done nothing but sit at your desk all week and then try to play five basketball games on a Saturday and act like you are Michael Jordan. This is a set-up for injury.

For younger athletes, whether you are playing a high-level club sport or playing for your high school team or just want to play a sport with your friends, it is important that you are exercising to keep your body in condition so that it can do what you ask of it. Also, for our younger athletes, as well as for their parents or guardians, keep a very close eye on overuse. Baseball is a wonderful sport, but if you are playing 12 months of the year and never giving your arm a rest, this can lead down the pathway to elbow and shoulder injuries. This also applies to other sports, such as soccer, where athletes are playing year-round and involved in multiple games on any particular weekend. This kind of overuse can lead to fatigue or overuse injuries or catastrophic injury such as ACL tears.

For some of our older athletes, I think it is also important to be realistic with your activity level. Make sure that you are warming up and performing regular routine exercise. Listen to what your body is telling you to make sure you are not overdoing it.

What are the most rewarding aspects of being a professional in this field of medicine?

I have always loved science, math and physics and I’ve been fascinated with the musculoskeletal system and its function. So, when I decided to go to medical school, orthopedics felt like the perfect fit for me. The more I studied orthopedics, the more I realized that the subspecialty of sports medicine was what I was most passionate about.

There are so many rewarding aspects of being a professional in the fields of sports medicine. I love working with all types of athletes! Whether they are young or old, recreational athletes or high-level athletes, these are people that love to move and do. I really enjoy that type of patient. In addition, many of the injuries or issues that athletes experience, we can treat very well and get most of these people "back on the field." I cannot tell you how satisfying that is. To take a young athlete that has suffered an ACL tear or a middle-aged or older athlete that has suffered a rotator cuff tear—to be able to surgically fix the problem and watch them rehab and then see them get back to what they love to do. That is an incredibly satisfying experience.

Bio

Dr. George Stollsteimer is a graduate of Temple University School of Medicine, and completed his residency at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia. He is fortunate to have completed a fellowship in sports medicine and arthroscopy at the Mississippi Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Clinic in Jackson, Mississippi where he trained with some of the finest sports medicine surgeons in the world. He is board certified in orthopedic surgery and sports medicine.

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