The Sports Medicine OrthoPod

Joe Harris underwent ankle surgery in November 2021 with a 4-8 week  recovery timeline.  Unfortunately, his recovery did not play out as  expected, and it was recently announced that he will undergo a 2nd  surgery and miss the rest of the '21-22 season.  We discuss the  multitude of factors that can lead to a 2nd surgery, how medical  decision making for an NBA athlete differs from that of the lay person,  and how in spite of advanced technology, modern medicine, and a track  record of success, doctors may not always get it right.

#joeharris #injuryreport #NBA #tsmo

The Sports OrthoPods discuss Odell Beckham Jr's bittersweet end to  the 2021-22 season - he left with a championship and another torn ACL.   Beckham tore the ACL in his left knee in 2020 and made a successful  return to the field, as evidenced by his domination during the first  half of Super Bowl LVI.  A non-contact pivoting injury to the same knee  unfortunately resulted in another ACL tear.  We talk about ACL re-tears,  and how they are much more common than one would think.  We discuss  risk factors that may predispose someone who has previously had ACL  surgery to tear again, and what the 2nd surgery, what we call revision  surgery, is like.

#odellbeckhamjr #nfl #superbowl #acltear

Sports Medicine Surgeons Anthony Yu, MD (@SportsOrthoPods) & Andrew  Burleson, MD (@drewburlesonmd) discuss Jameis Winston's ACL and MCL  injury.  We talk about the mechanism of injury, anatomy, function,  timing of surgery, technical considerations of surgery, recovery, and  prognosis.

#sportsinjury #NFLinjuries #tsmo #jameiswinston #acl

Sports Surgeons Anthony Yu and Drew Burleson discuss Baker Mayfield’s  shoulder labrum tear, chances of returning to the field this season, and  the potential need for surgery.

#bakermayfield #sportsmedicine #fantasyfootball #sportsinjury

12 year professional basketball journeyman Noel Felix joins us to talk  about his career beginning as a standout high school player in LA,  stardom at Fresno St, and then navigating a professional career that  took him across the country and world.  He talks about achieving his  ultimate goal of reaching the NBA when he joined the Seattle Supersonics  in 2006.  He expresses his gratitude towards basketball for providing  him the chance to travel the globe with stints in Italy, Korea, Egypt,  Israel, Taiwan, Qatar, Bahrain, and Puerto Rico.  Like any high level  athlete with a lengthy career, he had his share of sports-related  injuries, and he talks about his experiences with Sports Medicine around  the world.  He talks about friendships he made along the way including  with two of his all-time favorites, Ray Allen and Lebron James.  Lastly,  he talks about life after basketball, and his efforts to give back to  the world through his brand GiVE Culture.

Foot & Ankle specialist Dr. Adam Schiff joins to talk about Zion  Williamson’s off-season foot injury, the possibility this may be a Jones  fracture, subsequent surgery, prognosis, and expected timetable for  return.

#zionwilliamson #nba #neworleanspelicans #nbainjuries

Foot & Ankle specialist Dr. Adam Schiff joins to talk about Jaycee  Horn’s Week 3 foot injury, the possibility this may be a Lisfranc  pattern, subsequent surgery, prognosis, and expected timetable for  return.

#nba #jayceehorn #injuryreport #sportsmedicine

Drs. Drew Burleson and Nithin Natwa talk about the various pathways to becoming a Sports Medicine Doctor and the differences and similarities between a Sports Medicine Surgeon and a Sports Medicine  Doctor who does not perform surgery.

#medicalschool #sportsmedicine #premed #sportsmedicinepodcast

YouTube Channel https://youtu.be/fSNTv_-nOwQ

Injury Report - Another bad break for Raheem Mostert.  We discuss his unique injury and  the most likely scenario for this upcoming surgery given the projected  timeline for his return to the field.

A Sports Medicine pioneer, Dr. John Bodnar, better known as the Supercross Doc, joins us to tell the story of how he helped establish modern trackside medical care for Motocross and Supercross.  Once a solo volunteer at races that may have had no other medical professionals in attendance, Doc now heads the Alpinestars Mobile Medical Unit comprised of a comprehensive healthcare team dedicated to on-site care operating out of a state of the art medical rig parked trackside at every race.  He also serves as Medial Director for AMA Supercross and Motocross National Series', leading the sport in a safer direction as exemplified by the establishment of a comprehensive concussion program under his watch.  A lifelong off-road motorcycle enthusiast and a practicing Emergency Medicine Physician, Doc has struck the perfect balance for his skills and passions, and he has built an enduring legacy along the way.   

Watch on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqPhlKZ1-7c

Mysterious knee injury and Kawhi Leonard have become synonymous.  We  discuss his most recent injury sustained during Game 4 of Western  Conference Semi-Finals, the reported uncertainty of his diagnosis and  potential return to the court during this playoff run, and the eventual  report that he sustained a partial ACL tear ultimately culminating in  ACL surgery.

We are joined by two amazing guests this week. Dr. Ben Nwachukwu, a sports medicine surgeon

from the famed Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, team physician for the Brooklyn Nets, New

York Liberty, and New York Red Bulls, and medical consultant for the NBA Players Association, joins us to

talk about his journey and career. Ben was born in Nigeria and moved to London at the age of 7. He

picked up a basketball for the first time at age 14 and 4 years later was playing college ball at Columbia

in New York. His background as a high-level player and experience with the NBA including being in the

2020 NBA Playoff Bubble, gives him unique insight into how professional sports have been affected by

and responded to COVID-19.

A familiar face to TSMO, the multifaceted Dr. Kamran Hamid, Foot & Ankle specialist from Loyola

Chicago and former team doctor to the Chicago Bulls and White Sox, makes his return to our show to

add his perspective.

While both are leaders in their respective fields, they lead fascinating lives outside of surgery. Ben is co-

founder of Best in Class MD, an up and coming telehealth company looking to disrupt the traditional

health care model. Kamran, a former stand up comedian, is a rap artist known as KomRon who has

quickly become an internet sensation. Ben and Kamran have been close friends for over a decade, and

we are blessed to have them share their wisdom and humor with us.

As an expert in Infectious Disease and Epidemiology and a former CDC Epidemic Intelligence Officer, Dr. Rishi Desai was thrust into the spotlight during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 appearing on outlets including CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News, the latter of which produced a memorable interview that turned him into a social media star.  He joins TSMO to talk about his career, beginning with an accelerated educational pathway that saw him enter UCLA at age 14 and medical school at UCSF at age 18, the training that positioned him to be an authority on COVID-19, rubbing elbows with doctor-turned-actor Ken Jeong, and his current role as Chief Medical Officer at Osmosis.  We talk about COVID-19 and its societal impact, particularly in the world of sports where athletes and fans are returning to some semblance of normal, and unexpected fallout from the pandemic that we are starting to see play out such as the mental health challenges athletes have faced.      

Dr. David Ring, a Hand & Upper Extremity Specialist and Professor of both Surgery and Psychiatry from the University of Texas in Austin, joins TSMO to talk about his career as a surgeon and his special interest and expertise in mental health.  As an orthopaedic surgeon who works with athletes daily and a mental health scholar for over 20 years, David has unique insight into Sports Psychology.  He shares his wisdom and observations on how recognition and acceptance of mental health has evolved in our society over time, particularly in the world of professional sports.  With elite athletes such as Naomi Osaka courageously revealing their own struggles with anxiety and depression, it is clear mental health disorders are pervasive in our world, affecting people of all walks of life including the rich, famous, and seemingly superhuman.  The historic response to mental health has been one of denial and embarrassment, and David shares why we need to continue to acknowledge and embrace it, to heal those afflicted individuals and for the betterment of all.  

The Sports OrthoPods return to discuss the disturbing injury trend during the NBA playoffs.  As the injuries, particularly to star players, continue to mount, controversy exists regarding whether the lack of standard rest due to the shortened off-season plays a role or not.  Lebron James is of the opinion that the lack of rest is to blame, and while a recent Baxter Holmes article cites data of an increased injury rate this season, the NBA argues the opposite - that the injury rate this year is similar to that of years past.  We also talk Kawhi Leonard's mysterious knee injury and surgeries for Pascal Siakam and Serge Ibaka.  

The Sports OrthoPods discuss Joel Embiid's suspected small meniscus tear and his return to the court without surgery.  We also talk first round playoff exits for 2020's bubble finalists, the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers, and how fatigue may have contributed to injuries, particularly for  Anthony Davis, and their early demise.  

We welcome back Mass General Spine Specialist, Dr. Harold Fogel, MD to talk about Luka Doncic's untimely neck and nerve injury as the Mavericks approach a pivotal game 5 against the Clippers.  Fortunes can change in an instant in the playoffs based on the health of the best players, and this last week has shown that with injuries to Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid in addition to Luka.  

Distance runner Tony Nguyen, a.k.a. Endorphin Dude, joins TSMO to tell his incredible story.  Struggling to accept a diagnosis of Type II Diabetes and maxed out on medications, Tony had reached a point of crisis with his health in his early 30s.  He committed to turning his life around starting with a walk around the block.  Before long, Tony took up distance running, and so Endorphin Dude was born.  Tony's alter ego, originally crafted as a way to motivate himself as he trained, soon became a social media sensation, and as word of Tony's story and the tales of Endorphin Dude's feats spread - including completing 52 marathons and 52 weeks and conquering Ultra-Marathons 100 miles in length - Endorphin Dude became a beacon of inspiration.  Full of heart and humor, Tony recalls his struggles, triumphs, and adventures along the way.  And he talks about how he accomplished his primary goal: to save himself by living a healthier life.  This is a story of courage, perseverance, and the beauty of the human spirit, and it shows that sometimes Sports Medicine can exist in the opposite direction we typically think of: in this case, the best Medicine is Sports.  

The Sports Orthopods return to discuss Chris Weidman's gruesome open tibia fracture and the intricate details of and concerns with his injury that he has shared publicly including the chance of the fracture not healing even after successful surgery.  We bring in special guest, Hand Specialist and Fantasy Doctor, Dr. Amar Patel to talk about Jaylen Brown's scapholunate ligament tear and season-ending injury.  Dr. Patel compares Brown's injury to Kelly Oubre Jr's wrist injury, which keeps Oubre Jr. sidelined but does not require surgery.  He also talks finger fractures for Zion Williamson and Jesus Luzardo.  Lastly, we talk low back pain for Christian Yelich and Serge Ibaka - a common injury affecting people of all walks of life.  Good news, it doesn't need surgery, bad news, it can linger.

The Sports Orthopods take a trip through the NBA and MLB injury reports.  For the NBA, we talk ankle sprains sustained by Donovan Mitchell, Trae Young, and Deni Avdija, the nagging injuries to Brooklyn stars Kevin Durant and James Harden, and Myles Turner's plantar plate tear.  We discuss how at this time of year, timing for return to play may be influenced by a team's playoff positioning.  For the MLB, we talk Cody Bellinger's fibula fracture and Luke Voit's recent meniscus surgery.