Unparalleled Medical Care for Sports Injuries

Professional athletes, weekend warriors and amateur players can all suffer painful, and sometimes severe, injuries. For these patients, finding a trustworthy doctor is often the first step to recovery. Our sports medicine specialists partner with you to create a custom care plan to reduce your pain and restore your mobility.

Our sports medicine program focuses on injuries to the knee, shoulder, hip, elbow and ankle. We provide state-of-the-art care for all ages and skill levels. The University of Chicago Medicine's  Musculoskeletal Center offers non-surgical, surgical and rehabilitative options designed to return patients to their previous ability and level of play. While in most cases we can offer our patients non-operative treatments, for those who do require surgery, we take a minimally invasive approach using arthroscopic techniques. This less invasive option allows for:

  • Faster healing
  • Less pain
  • Smaller incisions

Orthopaedic specialists work on a multidisciplinary team that includes primary care sports medicine specialists, physiatrists and physical therapists.

Common Sports Injuries

There are several common sports medicine injuries. We can help you identify and evaluate your condition. We treat a wide range of these problems, including:

  • Arthritis, bursitis and tendinitis
  • Elbow injuries, such as golfer's elbow and tennis elbow, ulnar collateral ligament injuries (Tommy John surgery)
  • Hamstring injuries and Achilles tendon

  • Hand and wrist injuries

  • Knee problems, including anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, meniscus and cartilage injuries, and problems affecting the kneecap (patella)
  • Shoulder injuries, including dislocation, rotator cuff tears (particularly injuries from swimming, volleyball and throwing)
  • Sprains and strains
  • Stress fractures
  • Hip injuries, including labral tears and femoral acetabular impingement (hip impingement) related to all sports (including gymnastics and dancing)

Surgical Services for Sports Injuries

Our team performs non-operative treatments, minimally invasive surgery (arthroplasty) and rehabilitative options for patients with sports injuries. Our goal is to tailor care and treatments so you can regain your full ability and activity without pain. We offer a wide range of treatments, including:

  • Arthroscopic surgery for the knee, shoulder, hip, elbow and ankle
  • Cartilage and knee ligament repair
  • Hamstring repairs
  • Multi-ligament knee reconstructions
  • Total shoulder replacement and other complex care

UChicago Medicine At The Forefront Live: Sports Medicine

We spoke with UChicago Medicine sports health expert and Chicago Sky physician Dr. Aravind Athiviraham about protecting knees, staying healthy playing fall sports, and much more.

 Dr. Aravind Athiviraham and Tim Brown discuss sports medicine.
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