SPORTS SURGERY If a person sustains an injury during exercise, sports participation or any type of physical activity, depending on the severity of the injury, they are advised to see an orthopaedic surgeon with experience in sports surgery for treatment. Surgery is likely if a person has sustained a serious injury or as a result of persistent symptoms that were not successful following the use of other treatments prior to the operation. What are the common sports injuries treated? Sports surgery is repair and reconstruction of the damaged soft tissue, realign bones and joints. However, not all injuries require surgery. Such as ⦁ Sprained ankles ⦁ Hip Bursitis ⦁ Tendonitis ⦁ Low back pain ⦁ Pulled muscles ⦁ Concussion How can sports injuries be prevented to avoid sports surgery? It is highly recommended to exercise regularly to maintain overall health but precautions should always be taken to minimize risk of injuries. Sports injuries happens from overtraining, lack of conditioning and poor technique. Following tips can be used to minimize risk of injures: ⦁ Use correct equipment ⦁ Always warm up before ⦁ Wear the right protective gear ⦁ Rest in between workouts to allow the body to rest and repair ⦁ Exercise slowly and gradually ⦁ Increase strength, flexibility and endurance ⦁ Listen to your body if it shows any signs of pain or distress What are the different types of surgical procedures in sports surgery? Arthroscopic surgery involves making two or three small incisions in the joint such as knee, shoulder and ankle joint etc. A narrow tube (known as an arthroscope) which contains a small camera is then inserted into one of the incisions. Small, surgical instruments are then inserted into the incisions in order to operate and repair damage to tendons, ligaments or muscles. A less invasive form of surgery, arthroscopic surgery is often used to treat sports injuries in which all or part of the original joint can remain in place. In addition, the recovery time can be less than other, more invasive forms of surgery. That’s why some younger, more active adults – especially athletes – choose arthroscopic surgery . Commonly performed arthroscopic procedures are ⦁ Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction ⦁ Posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction ⦁ Meniscal repair ⦁ Collateral ligament repair and reconstruction ⦁ Arthroscopic banker repair ⦁ Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair ⦁ Arthroscopic subacromial decompression ⦁ Tennis elbow ⦁ Golfer’s elbow What happens after a sports surgery procedure? Recovery from an operation for a sports injury depends on the severity and the individual case. Most injuries require a long rest period following surgery on an affected joint, muscle or soft tissue. Physiotherapy is used to rebuild strength and to increase the range of movement around the joint or muscle. It will also help to condition the injury to make it more resistant to any future complications.
