Sports Medicine on Tap

Another great show with Nick Bertha, MD! We cover a wide range of topics including the newest relevant injuries, as well as, follow up on some older ones. Dr. Bertha floats some really interesting new ideas regarding the management of ACL injury, at risk knees! Additionally, we offer new insight to some possible major changes to sports medicine which are on the horizon! Plus a variety of relevant injuries across multiple sports!

We welcome back our new regular, Nicholas Bertha, MD! We discuss some of the most impactful players in baseball, who are yet to see the field in 2026. Topics include thoracic outlet syndrome (Zack Wheeler), UCL recovery (Gerrit Cole, Joe Musgrove) as well as some guys who already need some early season recovery - hip injury (Justin Verlander) in addition to a variety of other injuries!

After a short hiatus, we welcome back Joanne bullard, a sports psychologist and Assistant Professor in the Health in the Health and Exercise Science Department at Rowan University. We previously discussed Lindsey Vonn but from the orthopeadic point of view. Today we delve into the psychology aspect of her injury and recovery. We also topic about the essay Lauren Betts, the UCLA basket ball player recently published documenting her struggles with depression, and even discuss the tragic story of Marshawn Kneeland, Dallas Cowboy who recently took his own life.

Two time NBA All-Star, recently acquired by the Utah Jazz, will miss the remainder of this season due to surgery on his knee to treat Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis (say what?!?....come again?). In addition to doing another Olympic update, we explain what PVNS is and if it will be a problem for Jaren Jackson Jr. Does he really need to miss the rest of this season? Are there other factors at play in that decision making? Will this impact his career? All this and a very cool update from our producer, Kyle Miller, owner of Timber Reel Productions with the upcoming release of a life goal passion project!

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina have delivered one of the most polarizing and inspiring medical storylines in sports history. This week, we are breaking down the "impossible" comeback attempt of Lindsey Vonn. In this episode: The "Zero-Percent ACL" Decision: We analyze how Vonn was cleared to race an Olympic downhill just nine days after a complete ACL rupture in Switzerland. The Biomechanics of the Crash: A step-by-step breakdown of the 13-second run. Why a 5-inch error on her line led to a complex tibia fracture, and why her previous ACL injury wasn't the cause of the fall. The Surgical Reality: Dr. Frey explains the "multidisciplinary" approach to her recovery, including the three surgeries she has already undergone to stabilize the fracture and manage compartment syndrome concerns. The "Grit" Factor: We discuss the psychology of competing at 41 with a titanium knee and a fresh ligament tear.

Who better to sit down with, to talk about the upcoming super bowl, than a former Super bowl champion!! We have a great show with Gino Gradkowski, who is a former NFL center and was part of the Baltimore Ravens 2012 Super Bowl championship team! We delve into his seven year NFL career and what it was like winning the Super Bowl. We discuss the lead up to the big game and also what it is like to traded to another organization, especially on April 1st! We learn what it is like to play against your brother, Bruce Gradkowski, in an NFL game and what it is like to grow up in Pittsburgh but get drafted by the Ravens, especially when your brother is playing for Pittsburgh! We make our Super Bowl predicitons and, of course, there was no way to not talk about Lindsey Vonn, and the miracle she is trying to pull off!

We welcome one of our new sports medicine surgeons, Dr. Nicholas Bertha. We cover the final 8 teams for a round up on playoff relevant injuries!

We welcome urologist, Dr. Jayram Krishnan, to our show to discuss the important topic of testicular cancer. Hear the amazing story of Denver Bronco linebacker, Alex Singleton. Learn how he was diagnosed and the importance of awareness and self exams within the young, athletic population, those whom are most at risk. How did he only miss one game!?! We also touch on TJ Watt and what to expect from the pneumothorax which currently has him sidelined. Will he be back for this all important, playoff deciding, upcoming game with the Ravens?

Herbert, Danny Dimes, Rodgers and more! How are three NFL quaterbacks playing with fractures? The common thread of this most recent episode is how are three hockey players, I mean, NFL quarterbacks currently playing despite breaking bones? We reveal how and why, in addition to toughness, these critical players are able to minimize down time, despite breaking bones!

In this episode, we were honored to welcome the 16th President of the National Athletic Trainers' Association, A.J. Duffy, III, MS, ATC, PT BIO. Duffy has an incredibly accomplished career including 34 years as head athletic trainer and physical therapist for Widener University. His accolades are too many to list! Through Duffy's career we gain insight into the evolution of the profession, career pearls, and the future directions of Athletic Training.

There were a few high profile injuries in the NFL the last few weeks! We discuss some of these types of injuries, highlighted by the Jayden Daniels elbow dislocation and the Travis Hunter LCL tear. Despite how gruesome the elbow dislocation was to watch, will it be devastating for his career? When will he be back and will get back to playing at the same level? We covered these topics along with the Alex Singleton story, Joe Burrow, Garrett Wilson, Oronde Gadsden, and of course, Joel Embiid!

Slightly delayed, but this a very interesting episode on open ankle fracture dislocations like the gruesome injury sustained by Cam Skattebo on a nationally televised game. We talk about some of the concerns associated with an open fractures and the standard treatment options. We compare this injury to other similar injuries and try to predict the career impact this injury will have on this hard charging young player!

As the NBA gets rolling, we do another injury roundup. The story for Embiid this time is NOT being on the injury report! How long will that last? We also review most of the major injuries from last year and the impact to expect for this season.

We compare and contrast three different knee injuries, ACL, PCL and multi-ligament knee injuries commonly the result of a knee dislocation. The spring board for this conversation being the gruesome injury sustained by Tyreek Hill on national television on Monday Night Football. Those injuries are not just difficult to watch, they can be devastating. They are not uncommonly associated with nerve injuries (drop foot) and, even worse, occasionally vascular injuries potentially resulting in amputation.

With so many foot and ankle injuries to high profile players, we needed to bring Dr. Matthew Brant back onto the show to give us some insight regarding the timing and expectations for return. Why does Joe Burrow need surgery on his turf toe injury, while Brock Purdy did not? What might the "foot" injury to James Conner actually be, and did his career just end? Lastly, who doesn't have a high ankle injury nowadays?

To follow up our in depth preseason review, we have our first injury recap. We cover multiple injuries and expected time missed with each of these. We even dip our toe back into MLB, with Trea Turner and hamstring injuries.

If you have a draft on the horizon, you want to listen to this episode! Get an idea of what to expect about many key player injuries, past and present, plus learn how that ripple effect will impact other players you should be targeting! This should guide you to some later round steals, and hopefully a championship!

We revisit a common topic from a new angle, why do some athletes miss a whole year from a torn meniscus, like J.J. McCarthy, while others expect to miss just a few weeks? We discuss some of the reports on Landon Dickerson. There are some ominous concerns regarding his history, but should we expect a long recovery?

After a lengthy layoff, we are back to review some impactful injuries for this upcoming football season. This is the show before the show, part 1 of discussing some critical pre draft injuries.

We bring back Dr. Brian George, one of our hand specialists, to discuss Bryce Harpers latest cryptic wrist injury. What is actually causing pain? What is the injury and how does getting hit by a pitch in the elbow exacerbate a wrist injury? Also somewhat confounding, why did Giancarlo Stanton need to miss 1/3rd of the baseball season for tennis elbow? One of these things may make sense...

We bring back one of our favorite guests, Dr. Bernardini to talk about multiple dramatic injuries in the last two weeks including a gruesome both bone forearm fracture for a top prospect rookie for the Reds, Tyler Callihan. We also speculate on some details about the tragic lacrosse injury of 16 year old, Dylan Veselic, who recently died. We discuss Derek Carr and why he is choosing to retire as well as some other major injuries!

We welcome an incredibly accomplished new guest, Arthur Ng, MD, a cardiac surgeon at Virtua to explain what the "hole in the heart" Kris Letang, defenseman for the Pittsburgh Penguins, has been diagnosed with, and why he needed a procedure at the end of the season to correct it. Patent foramen ovale is one kind of hole in the heart and we learn just how shockingly common it is and why Letang needed a procedure to close it. We have previously discussed Letang coming back from two strokes, and now we know why. This is outlier sports medicine that you may not have ever learned about previously!

We welcome the newest member of the Virtua/Reconstructive sports team, Dr. David Webner, MD. Dr. Webner is currently the team physician for the Philadelphia Union MLS soccer team and joins us to discuss a fairly rare but potentially catastrophic issue for athletes, deep vein thrombosis. We discuss exactly what a DVT is and why it is so dangerous. Dr. Webner explains why people get these and why, in particular, athletes like Victor Wembanyama and Damian Lillard, can be predisposed. An exceedingly helpful and insightful discussion about an important topic for all sports related medical professionals.

Aaaaaannd we're back! After a little layoff, Brandon and Steve do a multi-injury show and cover a variety of injuries and 2025 expectations for multiple all-star players, coming back from injury shortened seasons in 2024 including Ohtani, Acuna, deGrom and many more!

It only took 117 episodes, but we welcome back Dr. Christopher Haydel, trauma specialist, to talk about two long bone fractures both on the Lions. We discuss some of the differences in treatment between upper extremity and lower extremity. What needs surgery and what doesn't. Will these guys be back, and just as good next year, for the Lions to make another run?

The Eagles are going back to the Super Bowl and the most tenured player in Eagles history, Brandon Graham, is trying to do the impossible! Why this might be possible? This area is buzzing! We do our Super Bowl preview and discuss all relevant injuries. Do YOU think Graham will play??

After our longest hiatus, we were return to talk about a potentially career altering injury to one the best line backers, the rest of the country doesn't know about, a patellar tendon tear for Nakobe Dean, linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles. Additionally, we cover multiple playoff significant injuries, going into the weekend!

McCaffrey is beginning to compete with Embiid for the most talked about athlete on the show! Which is not good news for him or McCaffrey owners.... We talk about PCL injuries and how they are different from ACL injuries. We discuss why his does not need surgery, and will we see him again this year, in addition to a sprinkling of some other topics and injuries.

A big hit to the Philadelphia Iggles, the most tenured player in their history sustains a triceps tendon tear. We discuss this injury and the outlook for this local star. Plus, our Brandon has a big announcement!

"Brian behind the bar" gets in front of the mic, and snaps a selfie! A fun round up show in which we cover Dak's hamstring injury and why he needs surgery, Trevor Lawrence's AC joint separation as well as iliac wing fractures, and more!

Too many great topics to just talk about one!! We are on the other side of some big injuries to Nick Chubb and Lonzo Ball, discussing their respective return to sports. We also cover a bunch of relevant new injuries, that you are going to need to know about.

Dr. Marc Harwood is already back on the show to discuss this life threatening condition. Rhabdomyolysis can be easily confused with much more benign issues such as dehydration and delayed onset muscle soreness, but rhabdo has a few key distinguishing features. We discuss this crazy situation with the Tufts lacrosse team and give some insight on how to recognize and treat this serious condition.

Rashee Rice has been one of the best wide receivers in the NFL this year, however, that may have just ended. We have some insight into what having surgery so early may indicate. Also, how might this impact his career? Isolated LCL injuries are not common, what will this mean for Rice?

We welcome our new doc, Marc Harwood, MD, to SMOT and Virtua to do an excellent and long overdue show on concussions. We all saw Tua take a moderately hard hit and wind up with another concussion and posturing. We discuss what this might mean for him as well as anticipated treatments and timelines. We review some of the preventative measures football has already taken including helmets, caps and collars and how effective these measures might be.

We welcome first time guest, Achilles tendinopathy specialist, Dr. Shawn Hanlon from Cal State Fullerton, to discuss the evolving injury which has kept one of the best players in the game sidelined. Learn everything you need to know about Christian McCaffery's injury, the first pick in just about every single fantasy football draft, from one of the premiere experts in the field.

It is that time of the year!! Get critical information for your fantasy football draft by learning about the injuries of multiple key players. Adjust draft stock accordingly for players such as Christian McCaffrey, Puca Nacua and many others!

We brought back Dr. Brad Bernardini to talk about the fairly rare, and potentially fatal injury, sternoclavicular dislocation. The mood is light and fun although we are talking about a serious injury. Learn the difference and significance of anterior vs posterior dislocations. What does this mean for Hollywood Brown?

We welcome a new guest, physical therapist, Samantha Arnold, specialist in treating gymnasts, to discuss some of the events of the Olympics, especially the gymnastic injuries. Naturally, the majority of the conversation surrounds the greatest there ever was, Simone Biles, but we discuss gymnastic specific injuries as well.

We welcome back Matthew Puc, MD, a thoracic surgeon for Virtua Hospital System, to discuss the incredibly serious and unusual injury which ended Dustin May's season. We also dabble in another weird "injury", Christian Barmore, a good young defensive tackle for the Patriots also had his season end, before it began, just after signing a huge contract because of blood clots...

Brandon and Steve do a little recap on the Argentina/Colombia finals and Messi's ankle injury. We then delve into multiple NFL injuries from last year, and what impact they may have on key players going into this season. Our first football round up of the season!

We welcome to the show, the head athletic trainer for Temple University Football, Dr. Zac White, to discuss many of the responsibilities of being a head athletic trainer for a division I, college football programing. Most interesting we discuss implications of the recent dramatic rule change from the NCAA to remove cannabis from the banned substance list.

We take advantage of the opportunity to discuss a pretty unusual injury to Kristaps Porzingis, a dislocation of the posterior tibial tendon due to a medial retinacular tear. We discuss the symptoms, the mechanism, the treatment, and future outlook for his career. We also touch on multiple other current injuries impacting the sporting world.

We welcome Dr. JoAnne Bullard, practicing psychologist and Assistant Professor at Rowan University in the Department of Health and Exercise Science. We discuss the very difficult topic of Grayson Murray, a successful PGA golfer who suffered from mental health disease and recently took his own life. We try to identify thought processes, warning signs, ways to offer help and resources for those sports professionals who may have a chance to intervene and help a struggling athlete. We also take an early look at the upcoming olympics and how athletes deal with those pressures!

A really interesting show about the some of the dynamics and inner workings of a sports medicine program and what happens when those lines get blurred and those relationships break down, even in a place like Happy Valley. How common and widespread is this. What are some of the unintended consequences, the collateral damage?

We open by recapping some Memorial Day adventures, then get into our topic, Ronald Acuna Jr and a torn ACL. What is interesting here, other than one of the best players on the planet getting injured, is that he tore his ACL in his other knee in 2021. Additionally, he "sprained" the ACL in this knee 2018. Can these all be related....

We welcome back, hand specialist Dr. Brian George, to talk about some impactful injuries. How might the forearm fracture Wilson Contreras suffered during catcher interference, change baseball? Will Joe Burrow ever be he same and what is this weird injury? What happened to Christian Encarnacion-Strand's wrist?

As we crest the century club, we welcome back Dr. Bob Greenleaf, spine surgeon to discuss some recent cervical spine injuries including an uplifting story about Laiatu Latu who was just drafted #15 in the NFL draft. Dr. Greenleaf sits on the board of the Adam Taliaferro foundation and discusses some of great things this amazing organization does.

We welcome a new face, Dr. Antonio Loccisano, to our milestone episode to talk about Joel Embiid (again) and Bell's Palsy. We also bring back many of our regular docs to celebrate episode 100 and review multiple impactful injuries for the remaining NBA playoffs!

Our 99th episode corresponds perfectly with the beginning of the NBA playoffs! The obvious approach was to cover the injuries of the most impactful players and give some insight on when they may be back and what to expect. Embiid, Giannis, Harden, Kawhi and many others. Who gets back, who doesn't. Also, the best team you don't even know about OKC!

After a short hiatus, Brandon and Steve return for an informal show focusing on multiple topics including the current rash of UCL injuries in MLB and they explore some possible causes including pitch clock. They do a little NCAA wrap up and discuss the new NFL kickoff format as well as the ironic timing of a serious injury in the UFL.