Swimmer Michael Phelps — the most decorated Olympian in history — aggravated a stress fracture when he stumbled into a hole playing golf. Extreme jumper Jeb Corliss suffered life-threatening injuries after smashing into rocks at 120 miles-per-hour in South Africa. Pittsburgh Pirates’ pitcher A.J. Burnett went under the knife twice after being diagnosed with torn ligaments in his elbow.
The good news is the same treatments that help professionals rebound from crippling sports injuries are now available to Brooklyn’s wounded weekend warriors.
New York Methodist Hospital’s new Institute for Orthopedic Medicine and Surgery at Scott Medical Center in Canarsie offers state-of-the-art techniques for injured bones, muscles, ligaments, and joints, while its skilled team of surgeons and nurse practitioners use a multi-faceted approach to keeping our athletic and orthopedic community at the top of its game, claims its director of sports medicine.
“For Brooklynites who hurt themselves playing the sports they love, just getting better isn’t always enough, because they expect to be as good as new or even better than before,” says Dr. Matthew Wert, a dual-fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon who specializes in orthopedic sports medicine, and cartilage repair and restoration. “The same techniques that we use on world-class athletes are now available to them.”
Treatable common sports injuries
• Shoulder injuries in baseball and tennis players.
• Knee injuries in runners, and basketball and football players.
• Ankle fractures and knee arthritis.
“Most of these injuries can be sustained by non-athletes as well, but they can be treated with the same minimally invasive techniques that keep as much of the natural cartilage intact as possible,” says Dr. Wert, a former International Cartilage Repair Society traveling fellow who has worked with world-renowned surgeons in Europe.
Innovative therapies
Methodist’s multidisciplinary approach includes customizing alternative exercise programs and using innovative therapies to speed recovery safely, including:
• Anatomical ACL reconstruction.
• Anatomical knee replacement.
• Cartilage repair and restoration.
• Meniscus repair and transplant.
• Minimally invasive rotator cuff surgery.
• Platelet rich plasma.
“Anyone who feels pains and strains coming on has a place now to get high-quality care, answers to their questions, and make sure these issues don’t become chronic problems,” he says.
The Institute for Orthopedic Medicine and Surgery at the Scott Medical Center [2035 Ralph Ave. off Ave. J, suite A8 in Canarsie, (718) 251–3759, www.WertMD.com].
