Sports medicine

We offer pediatric sports medicine for kids of all ages at our children's hospital: Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children at Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center.

Our pediatric sports medicine doctors treat a variety of sports injuries and play-related accidents. Whether an injury occurred on the field or in the backyard, we will work with you and your child to ensure effective treatment and proper healing.

If a sports injury requires a surgical procedure, you will receive excellent care before, during and after surgery at our hospitals.

Our surgeons use advanced surgical techniques such as robot-assisted surgery, a minimally invasive procedure, whenever a patient's condition allows. With minimally invasive methods, you'll have a shorter hospital stay and quicker postoperative recovery.

Joint replacement surgery

Continuous use of joints over time may lead to joint wear and tear. As joint components (such as bones, cartilage or tendons) wear down, there is increased pain. Joint diseases, like osteoarthritis, can also cause severe pain.

If nonsurgical treatments don't relieve your joint pain, joint replacement surgery may be necessary.

During joint replacement surgery, the surgeon replaces the damaged parts of a joint with prosthetic implants. These implants are new and smooth, no longer creating friction within the joint when you move. This reduces or eliminates pain and restores mobility.

Physical therapy may be prescribed as a treatment for an injury or as postoperative rehabilitation. We provide a range of physical therapy and rehabilitation programs.

We offer inpatient and outpatient sports physical therapy services. Our therapists will customize a rehabilitation regimen to your condition and your sport, helping you regain strength and skill.

Our orthopedists treat injuries with rest, ice, compression and elevation (RICE). If your condition does not improve, we may need to progress to surgical options. Our specialists also advise a gradual increase in the amount and intensity of exercise to prevent relapse and help you recover.

Although hip injuries in sports are not as common as foot, knee and shoulder injuries, they do happen. With the hip, we usually see overuse injuries, including bursitis, groin pulls and hamstring injuries. In addition to nonsurgical care, we also offer hip replacement surgery, but only when absolutely necessary.

As the body's largest joint, the knee is susceptible to forceful turns, jumps, kicks and landings. We offer many treatments —including knee replacement surgery — to help you recover.

Other knee procedures we offer include:

• Arthroscopy — Minimally invasive procedure to repair joints, tendons and ligaments using a small incision and inserting a tiny camera and surgical instruments
• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery — Surgical procedure to repair or replace the ligament that helps the knee pivot
• Cartilage restoration surgery — Procedure to repair damaged cartilage with either the athlete's own tissue or donated tissue
• Kneecap (patella) instability and dislocation surgery — Surgery to repair, reconstruct or replace the medial patellofemoral ligament
• MCL surgery — Procedure to reattach or reconstruct the ligament on the inner side of the knee connecting the shin and thigh bones
• Meniscus surgery — Surgical procedure to repair the C-shaped cartilage discs between the shin and thighbone
• PCL surgery — Surgery to repair the ligament connecting the back of the thighbone to the front of the shinbone typically using arthroscopy

As an athlete, you may engage in activities involving excessive, repetitive overhead motion, and this can mean you are more prone to shoulder injuries and instability. When you experience such injuries, our physicians provide a full spectrum of nonsurgical and surgical services, including arthroscopy and shoulder replacement surgery.