A Lateral Collateral Ligament Tear: Listen To The Patient

I often write about what I experience in the clinic. Today I’d like to tell you about a patient who has a specific injury to his lateral collateral ligament but instead was told he needed the wrong surgery. How did that happen? The surgeon paid attention to the bright shiny object on the MRI. Let’s…read more

Meniscus Tear MRI?-Please Read This

Key points: Meniscus tears in middle-aged or older people are as important as wrinkles – they are a sign of normal aging New research shows that all sorts of once serious findings exist in the knees of patients without pain Many studies now show that the most commonly used surgery to treat meniscus tears doesn’t…read more

Torn ACL Recovery Time?

How quickly can you get back to sports after a torn ACL? Can an ACL tear heal without surgery? If you have surgery, how long does it take to get back to sports? Let’s dig in to define torn ACL recovery time. What is the ACL? The ACL is a ligament that lives in the…read more

Shoulder Labral Tear Surgery Pros and Cons

Quick links: What is a shoulder labral tear? What are the causes of labral tears? What is shoulder instability? How is a labral tear related to shoulder instability? What happens if you have shoulder instability after labral tear surgery? I evaluated a patient this week who shows off the warts of our modern orthopedic care…read more

How Successful Is Hip Labral Tear Surgery Really?

On this page: What is the hip labrum? What is a hip labrum tear? What is FAI? Can physical therapy help FAI? Can a hip labral tear heal itself? Will a cortisone shot help a torn hip labrum? What’s the hip labral tear surgery success rate? What is the hip labral tear surgery success rate?…read more

Do Shoulder Labral Tears Need Surgery?

Do shoulder labral tears need surgery? What happens if a labral tear goes untreated? Can you fix a labral tear through injections?  Let’s dig in. What is a Shoulder Labral Tear? The labrum is the lip around the socket where the ball of the shoulder bone fits. It provides stability along with the shoulder ligaments…read more

Can a Torn Rotator Cuff Heal on Its Own Without Surgery?

On this page: What are some common rotator cuff injury symptoms? Will a rotator cuff tear get bigger without surgery? Can a torn rotator cuff heal on its own? Are you wondering, “Do I really need surgery for a torn rotator cuff?” This and others are common questions asked by many of the 40,000 patients…read more

Labrum Tear on Your MRI? It May Not Be Related to Your Hip Pain

Orthopedic surgeons have created yet another mass hysteria in patients over this issue of hip labrum tears. I have spoken with hundreds of patients over the last 5–10 years who are absolutely terrified about a small tear on an MRI image observed by a radiologist after they developed hip pain. While surgery is often recommended,…read more