Sports Medicine - Hand and Upper Extremity

As part of the official orthopaedic team responsible for treating the Houston Astros and Texans, Dr. Hildreth understands the demands on an athlete - both before and after an injury. The differences between an athlete's treatment plan and that of the non athlete are indicative of lifestyles and stress loads.

The approach used in treating sports injuries is similar to that which is used in overstress occupational injuries. An athlete's position on a team, is his occupation. The continuous force of throwing, catching, or running in a fast and jerking manner eventually impacts the joints involved. Though once career-ending injuries, such as the well-known Tommy John injury (ulnar collateral ligament tear), a scaphoid or distal radius fracture, or rotator cuff tear, many sports injuries today represent only a brief interruption in activity. Both a greater understanding of the stress many sports place on the hand and upper extremity and advances in technology, allow orthopedic specialists today to keep athletes playing up until unprecedented ages.