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In this episode of The Sports Docs Podcast, Dr. Bassett & Dr. Logan sit down LIVE from the Arthrex Team Physician Controversies with shoulder instability expert Dr. Kevin Farmer to discuss the modern management of traumatic anterior shoulder instability in athletes. The conversation focuses on the instability continuum, including when to operate, how to evaluate bipolar bone loss, and when to add remplissage, with an emphasis on optimizing outcomes in young, high-risk athletes. Who Needs Surgery? Young athletes—especially males less than 20—have 70–80% recurrence rates with nonoperative care Higher risk populations: Collision athletes Overhead athletes Military/tactical athletes Key insight: Early surgical stabilization can be career-protective in high-risk athletes MRI evaluates: Bankart lesions Hill-Sachs size and orientation Capsulolabral quality Advanced assessment includes: Percent glenoid bone loss Hill-Sachs engagement On-track vs off-track lesions Arthroscopic Bankart Repair Remains the workhorse procedure in absence of critical bone loss Modern advances: Knotless anchors Improved efficiency and reproducibility Better capsular tensioning Anchor strategy: Typically 3–4 anchors Start low (5:30–6 o’clock) and work superiorly Fewer than 3 anchors associated with higher failure rates Capsular Management Capsular shift is critical in: Young patients Hyperlax athletes Goal: Restore anterior stability Re-tension IGHL complex Knotless technology allows fine-tuned tensioning Remplissage Traditionally used for off-track Hill-Sachs lesions Now increasingly used in: Subcritical glenoid bone loss (~10–15%) High-risk athletes Borderline “on-track” lesions Benefits: Decreases recurrence rates Reduces need for revision surgery Key insight: Low threshold in young, male contact athletes Remplissage Technique Two anchors placed in Hill-Sachs lesion Sutures passed through capsule and infraspinatus Secured in subdeltoid space Pearls: Use knotless anchors for low-profile fixation Visualize subacromial space to avoid soft tissue capture Motion vs Stability Concern: loss of external rotation Reality: Minimal, clinically insignificant loss with modern techniques Stability benefits outweigh small motion tradeoffs Postoperative Rehab Sling: 3–4 weeks Early passive motion Strengthening at 6 weeks Return to sport: ~5–6 months Return to Sport Testing Criteria-based return reduces recurrence (5% vs 22%) Key components: Full ROM Greater/equal to 90% strength vs contralateral side Functional testing (CKCUEST, shot-put, plank taps, etc.) Patient-reported outcomes (WOSI greater than 90%, KJOC greater than 88%) Featured Guest Dr. Kevin Farmer – University of Florida, Team Physician for the Florida Gators 🎤 Stay Connected If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, rate, and review on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Follow us on Instagram  Arthrex Team Physician Controversies 2026 Our Hosts: Ashley Bassett, MD & Catherine Logan, MD, MBA / www.cosportsmedicine.com 

Live from the Arthrex Team Physician Controversies Conference In this episode of The Sports Docs Podcast, Dr. Ashley Bassett and Dr. Catherine Logan sit down LIVE from the Arthrex Team Physician Controversies with two leading ACL experts—Dr. Pat Smith and Dr. Aaron Krych—to discuss strategies to reduce failure after ACL reconstruction. The conversation highlights the evolution of ACL surgery, focusing on graft selection, fixation, biologic augmentation, and mechanical protection, with an emphasis on optimizing outcomes in young, high-risk athletes. Graft: Autograft vs Allograft Strong evidence shows higher failure rates with allograft in young athletes  MOON data: ~4–6x increased risk of failure in patients 25 years   Allograft best for:  Older, lower-demand patients  Revision or multi-ligament cases Autograft Selection Graft choice depends on:  Age, sex, sport, and anatomy BTB:  Preferred for high-level pivoting athletes  Strong fixation, less graft elongation Quadriceps tendon:  Increasingly utilized  Larger graft diameter  Less donor-site morbidity vs BTB  Particularly useful in younger and female athletes Key insight:  Grafts 8 mm are associated with higher failure risk Internal Brace (IB) Indications:  Young athletes  Hyperlax patients  Revision ACL Benefits:  Decreased graft elongation and cyclic displacement  Reduced postoperative laxity  Lower rerupture rates (~1% at 5 years in some studies)  Faster return to sport and improved rehab confidence Lateral Extra-Articular Tenodesis (LET) Strong evidence supports reduced failure rates:  Primary ACLR: ~11% → 4% (high-risk patients)  Revision ACLR: ~21% → 5% Benefits:  Decreased pivot shift  Improved return to pre-injury sport  Cost-effective in high-risk populations Indications for LET  Age ≤25 years  High-grade pivot shift  Knee hyperextension  Return to cutting/pivoting sports  Revision ACL reconstruction LET Surgical Technique Pearls IT band graft (7–8 cm x 1 cm)  Passed under or near LCL depending on technique  Fixation near lateral epicondyle Pearls:  Fix in neutral rotation and ~30–60° flexion  Avoid overconstraint  Close IT band defect Featured Guests Dr. Pat Smith – Hospital for Special Surgery Naples Dr. Aaron Krych – Mayo Clinic, Team Physician for the Minnesota Timberwolves Stay Connected Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Follow us on Instagram for more insights on cutting-edge sports medicine, athlete recovery, and performance https://www.instagram.com/thesportsdocspod/ Our Hosts: Catherine Logan, MD, MBA https://www.cloganmd.com/ Ashley Bassett, MD https://orthopedicnj.com/physicians/ashley-bassett www.thesportsdocspod.com

Live from the Arthrex Team Physician Controversies Conference 🎧 Episode Summary In this episode of The Sports Docs Podcast, Dr. Ashley Bassett and Dr. Catherine Logan sit down LIVE from the Arthrex Team Physician Controversies with cartilage restoration expert Dr. Travis Maak to discuss the modern surgical management of knee cartilage defects. The conversation focuses on diagnostic workup, surgical decision-making, and cutting-edge cartilage restoration techniques, including Autocart, BioCartilage, and Cartiform. Diagnostic Imaging - MRI is critical for:  Defect size and depth  Subchondral bone integrity and edema  Concomitant meniscal and ligament pathologySurgical Decision-Making  Patient age & activity level  Lesion size, location, & containment  Subchondral bone involvement  Prior surgical historyAutocart (Autologous Minced Cartilage) Single-stage autograft cartilage restoration technique Uses patient’s own cartilage with PRP or BMAC Key advantages:  Preserves native chondrocytes & extracellular matrix  Avoids staged procedures Ideal for small-to-medium contained lesions Outcomes:  Significant improvements in pain & function at ~5 years  ~75% achieve clinically meaningful outcomes  Low reoperation rates BioCartilage Micronized cartilage extracellular matrix allograft scaffold Used in combination with microfracture and biologics (PRP/BMAC) Functions as a biologic bridge to enhance cartilage repair Best for:  Small-to-medium, contained, full-thickness defects  Well-aligned, stable knees Outcomes:  Improved pain and function at 2 years  Better repair tissue quality compared to microfracture alone Cartiform Cryopreserved osteochondral allograft with viable chondrocytes  Maintains native cartilage architecture Indicated for:  Larger lesions (>2 cm²)  Defects with subchondral bone involvement Advantages:  Single-stage procedure  Conforms to irregular defects Key Takeaways Cartilage restoration success depends on correcting biomechanics first Procedure selection should be lesion-specific and patient-specific Autocart offers a promising autograft solution with strong midterm data BioCartilage fills the gap between microfracture and larger restoration procedures Cartiform is a valuable option for larger defects and requires careful patient selectionFeatured Guest Dr. Travis Maak – University of Utah, Head Team Physician for the Utah Jazz, cartilage restoration and joint preservation specialist 🎤 Stay Connected If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, rate, and review on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Follow us on Instagram 

Modern Surgical Management of Elbow UCL Tears Live from the Arthrex Team Physician Controversies   🎧 Episode Summary In this episode of The Sports Docs Podcast, Dr. Ashley Bassett and Dr. Catherine Logan sit down LIVE from the Arthrex Team Physician Controversies with two leaders in sports medicine—Dr. Neal ElAttrache and Dr. Jeffrey Dugas—to discuss the modern management of ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries in throwing athletes. Highlights Changing UCL Injury Landscape  Increasing incidence of UCL injuries and surgeries across all levels of play  Notable rise in adolescent and collegiate pitchers Contributing factors include year-round play and high pitch velocity Nonoperative Management & Role of PRP  Nonoperative treatment remains appropriate for select partial tears  Success varies based on tear grade and locationPRP discussed as an adjunct to rehabIndications for Surgery  Complete tears—especially in competitive throwers—often require surgical intervention  Tear characteristics (location, tissue quality, chronicity) are critical in decision-making UCL Repair with Internal Brace  Increasingly utilized in appropriately selected patients Ideal candidates:  Acute injuries  Proximal or distal avulsion tears  Good tissue quality  Advantages:  High return-to-play (~90%+) Accelerated recovery timelines (often several months faster) UCL Reconstruction (Tommy John Surgery)  Remains the gold standard for:  Chronic degeneration  Midsubstance tears  Revision cases  Techniques have evolved over time:  Docking technique  Figure-of-eight  Newer fixation methods (e.g., cortical button techniques)  Autograft (commonly palmaris longus) remains preferred in elite throwers Internal Brace Technology  Provides added stability and resistance to valgus stress  Supports early rehabilitation while protecting healing tissue  Increasing use in both repair and, selectively, reconstruction Key Takeaways  UCL injuries are increasing, particularly in younger athletes  Treatment decisions are increasingly personalized based on tear type and athlete profile UCL repair with Internal Brace is shifting the paradigm for select patients  Reconstruction remains essential for more complex or chronic injuries Featured Guests Dr. Neal ElAttrache – Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic, Head Team Physician for the LA Dodgers & LA Rams Dr. Jeffrey Dugas – Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center, leading expert in UCL repair and reconstruction 🎤 Stay Connected If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, rate, and review on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Follow us on Instagram 

Live from the 10th Annual Arthrex Team Physician Controversies Conference  🎧 Episode Overview In this episode of The Sports Docs Podcast, Dr. Ashley Bassett and Dr. Catherine Logan sit down LIVE from the Arthrex Team Physician Controversies Conference to explore how next-generation arthroscopic imaging is transforming the way orthopaedic surgeons diagnose and treat injuries. Joined by Dr. James Voos—Chairman of Orthopedics at University Hospitals and Head Team Physician for the Cleveland Browns—the conversation dives into the evolution of nano arthroscopy, panoramic visualization, and integrated imaging systems, and what these advancements mean for surgeons, athletes, and patient outcomes. What You’ll Learn 1. The Evolution of Nano Arthroscopy  From the original Arthrex NanoScope (2019) to NanoNeedle 2.0  Major leap in image resolution (400×400 → 720×720, near 4K)  Less invasive approach and improved patient experience 2. Seeing What Imaging Can Miss  How in-office diagnostic arthroscopy is reducing reliance on equivocal MRI findings  Identifying subtle pathology:  Partial-thickness rotator cuff tears  Meniscal ramp lesions  Early chondral defects 3. The Power of Panoramic Visualization (Panoscope)  Expanded field of view compared to traditional arthroscopy  Seamless transition between 30°, 70°, and ultra-wide 45° views  Reduced “blind spots” in complex anatomy4. Workflow & Efficiency in the OR  How the Synergy Vision System integrates NanoNeedle + Panoscope  Dual-view capability for enhanced intraoperative decision-making  Improved efficiency 5. Adoption & Learning Curve  Designed to be intuitive for surgeons  Importance of training and mentorship  Technology enhances decision-making without adding complexity Featured Guest Dr. James Voos  Chairman of Orthopedics, University Hospitals  Medical Director, UH Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute  Head Team Physician, Cleveland Browns Stay Connected If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, rate, and review on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Follow us on Instagram for more insights on cutting-edge sports medicine, athlete recovery, and performance.

Welcome to another episode of Ask The Sports Docs. We get a lot questions from our listeners each week and they’re great questions, so rather than responding individually we thought we’d do these mini episodes where highlight some of the best questions and our responses. So, let’s get started! Today, we’re tackling the question: “Should I have surgery for my type III AC joint separation?” If you are a sports medicine or shoulder surgeon, you’ve definitely had this conversation with your patients. And if you are an athlete, you’ve probably googled this after landing on your shoulder snowboarding, playing hockey, playing football etc. And the truth is – the answer isn’t black and white. But to try to answer that question, we’re going to review an article titled “Functional, Radiological, and Scapular Motion Evaluation of Surgical Versus Nonsurgical Treatment of Type 3 Acromioclavicular Dislocations.”  This level 1 RCT aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of surgical and nonoperative treatment of type 3 AC separations. So, let's dive in! www.cloganmd.com / www.cosportsmedicine.com / https://orthopedicnj.com/physicians/ashley-bassett

Welcome to Overtime with the Sports Docs. On each of these mini episodes, we chat about a new article or new surgical technique in the field of sports medicine. We’ll give you our quick take on the most recent data and how this data will impact our practice. Today, we’re chatting about recurrent patellar instability, and specifically the risk of progressive cartilage damage in the setting of repeat patella dislocation events. We’re going to review an article from the August 2024 issue of AJSM titled: “The Number of Patellar Dislocation Events Is Associated With Increased Chondral Damage of the Trochlea.” This study uses data from the JUPITER cohort — which stands for: Justifying Patellar Instability Treatment by Early Results. The authors ask a clinically critical question: Does the number of dislocations matter when it comes to cartilage damage? www.cloganmd.com / www.cosportsmedicine.com / https://orthopedicnj.com/physicians/ashley-bassett

Welcome to another episode of Ask The Sports Docs. We get a lot questions from our listeners each week and they’re great questions, so rather than responding individually we thought we’d do these mini episodes where highlight some of the best questions and our responses. So, let’s get started! Today’s Ask The Sports Docs focuses on a question that we get asked a lot on the sideline, in locker rooms and by parents of our young contact sport athletes: Do you recommend the use of Guardian Caps to decrease the risk of concussion? If you have watched NFL training camp over the last few years, you’ve seen them – Those padded shells over the helmets. They’re everywhere now in preseason practices. But are they actually preventing concussions? Or are we just seeing a visible symbol of safety without meaningful impact?  That is what we are going to tackle today. And to do that, we’re going to review a recent article published in the August 2025 issue of AJSM titled “An Analysis of Guardian Cap Use and Changes in the Concussion Rate in NFL Preseason Practices From 2018 to 2023.” Find us: www.thesportsdocspod.com / www.cloganmd.com https://orthopedicnj.com/physicians/ashley-bassett

Today, we’re diving into a paper that reviews the long-term outcomes following arthroscopic Bankart repair and challenges some of the historical narratives around this procedure. The study that we are reviewing today is titled “Long-term Outcomes of a Contemporary Arthroscopic Bankart Repair Technique in Patients With Traumatic Anterior Shoulder Instability: A Minimum 10-Year Follow-up.” This is a minimum 10-year follow-up study looking at modern arthroscopic Bankart techniques using at least three anchors — and it asks:  Are recurrence rates still as high as we’ve been taught?

Welcome to another episode of Game Plan! It has been a while since we have done one of these Game Plan episodes so to quickly review: These episodes are specifically designed for patients. They are designed to hopefully answer some of the questions you have about the most common sports medicine conditions, injury prevention and treatment options. Today we’re talking about pickleball – the fastest growing sport in the United States. From 2019- 2021, the number of pickleball players increased from 3.3 to 4.8 million. The reason for the growth of the sport is likely multifactorial, including that it encompasses a wide variety of age ranges, it is easy to understand and it is inexpensive to play. However, with this steady growth has come a corresponding linear rise in pickleball injuries. And these injuries are not inexpensive, costing between 250 to 500 million dollars in 2023 alone. Pickleball is a paddle sport that takes aspects from tennis, badminton, and ping-pong. Now, we were going to try to explain the pickleball rules here, and how it differs from other racquet sports. But, USA Pickleball has a really nice 5-minute video on their website (usapickleball.org) that quickly summarizes the basic rules. If you are interested in learning more about this game, definitely check out their website. It should be noted that the rules and scoring system are currently variable. But as more competitions arise, more standardization to the game will likely follow, as is the trend with most sports. Today, we’re reviewing an article published in the November 2024 issue of the yellow journal titled “Pickleball: A Standard Review of Injury Prevalence and Prevention in a Rapidly Growing Sport.” This study compiled data from retrospective studies containing emergency department data and case reports of specific injuries sustained while playing pickleball. The authors also utilized a customized survey to capture outpatient data of current pickleball players seen in outpatient orthopedic facilities and at local pickleball events. www.cloganmd.com / www.cosportsmedicine.com / https://orthopedicnj.com/physicians/ashley-bassett

We get a lot questions from our listeners each week and they’re great questions, so rather than responding individually we thought we’d do these mini episodes where highlight some of the best questions and our responses. So, let’s get started! Today’s Ask The Sports Docs focuses on timing of ACL reconstruction surgery.  Our patients, and their families, frequently ask… how long can I wait to have the surgery? To answer that question, we’re going to review an article, hot off the press in this month’s issue of AJSM titled “Early ACL Reconstruction Mitigates the Development of Posttraumatic Osteoarthritis in a Murine ACL Rupture Model.” Dr. Julia Retzky and colleagues at HSS sought to answer the question: Does the timing of ACL reconstruction actually matter for long-term joint health? This is a timely paper because posttraumatic osteoarthritis or “PTOA” after ACL injury remains a massive unsolved problem. Even with modern reconstruction techniques, we’re still seeing 23 to 60% rates of PTOA at 10 to 25 years post-op. Historically, the literature on timing is all over the place. Some studies suggest early ACLR may reduce PTOA risk, others show no difference. The problem is heterogeneity—different grafts, definitions of “early,” imaging versus radiographic OA, meniscal status, you name it. And that’s where this paper is interesting. It strips away a lot of clinical confounders by using a controlled murine model (or mouse model) with a noninvasive closed ACL rupture, followed by either immediate reconstruction, delayed reconstruction, or no reconstruction. And importantly, this is the first murine study using a true intra-articular ACL reconstruction model, rather than extra-articular stabilization. So this mirrors what we do clinically, with a true anatomic ACL reconstruction. So, let's dive in... www.cloganmd.com / www.cosportsmedicine.com / https://orthopedicnj.com/physicians/ashley-bassett

Welcome to Overtime with the Sports Docs. On each of these mini episodes, Catherine and I chat about a new technique or treatment option in the field of sports medicine. We’ll give you our quick take on the most recent data and how this data will impact our practice. Today we’re tackling a topic that’s coming up more and more in clinic, locker rooms, and social media—injectable peptide therapy. Specifically, we’re going to walk through a recent AJSM narrative review by Mayfield and colleagues that serves as a primer for orthopaedic and sports medicine physicians. This is a great paper because it separates biologic plausibility from clinical reality. Patients are asking about BPC-157, TB-500, growth hormone–releasing peptides — often convinced these are regenerative breakthroughs — while the evidence base is still extremely limited. So, let's get started! Links: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41476424/ www.cloganmd.com  https://orthopedicnj.com/physicians/ashley-bassett

Welcome to Overtime with the Sports Docs. On each of these mini episodes, we chat about a new article or new surgical technique in the field of sports medicine. We’ll give you our quick take on the most recent data and how this data will impact our practice. Today, we’re talking about one of the hottest topics in sports medicine — platelet rich plasma for lateral epicondylitis. If you’ve ever wondered why PRP seems to work great for some patients… and not at all for others — this paper gives us a compelling answer. We’re reviewing an article from the January 2025 issue of AJSM titled “Platelet Concentration Explains Variability in Outcomes of Platelet-Rich Plasma for Lateral Epicondylitis.” The key takeaway from the systematic review and meta-analysis is that PRP isn’t one standard treatment. The dose matters and platelet concentration may explain most of the conflicting data we’ve seen over the years. www.cloganmd.com / www.cosportsmedicine.com / https://orthopedicnj.com/physicians/ashley-bassett

Today’s episode is going to focus on two common athletic shoulder injuries that we see in American football – traumatic anterior shoulder dislocations and acromioclavicular joint injuries. We’ll dive into the acute on-field management followed by treatment thereafter, including nonoperative and surgical treatment options.  We are joined today by Dr. Kevin Farmer, a Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Florida, a team physician for the University of Florida gators and the editor of the “In-Season Management of Football Injuries” textbook. He is also a past president of the Florida Orthopaedic Society and the Florida Alliance for Sports Medicine, and a board member for AAOS and the Southern Orthopaedic Association.  So, without further ado, let’s get to the Field House! www.cloganmd.com / www.cosportsmedicine.com / https://orthopedicnj.com/physicians/ashley-bassett

Our conversation picks back up with an article titled “Mental toughness in surgeons: Is there room for improvement?” This paper was published in the December 2019 issue of the Canadian Journal of Surgery and evaluates mental toughness among general surgery residents and staff surgeons using the Mental Toughness Index. The authors found that staff surgeons score significantly higher across all domains—including self-belief, attention and emotion regulation, optimism, buoyancy, and adversity capacity—than residents.  Survey data from three Canadian academic centers showed that although both groups use some techniques to manage stress, staff rely on these strategies more frequently, and both residents and staff express strong interest in further developing mental toughness skills. The study also identifies gender differences, with men scoring higher in attention and emotion regulation. The authors highlight the lack of formal mental toughness training in surgical education despite evidence from athletics and paramilitary fields supporting structured psychological skills training.  Then, from this month’s issue of the Journal of the Association for Surgical Education, we review an article titled “Do expert surgeons use mental skills to improve their surgical performance?” This study explores whether expert pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple) surgeons use mental skills during complex operations and how these strategies map onto known performance psychology frameworks. Through structured interviews with 15 internationally recognized high-volume surgeons, the authors found that all participants consistently employ cognitive techniques—including preoperative mental rehearsal, deep task focus, emotional regulation, maintaining situational awareness, and reframing unexpected events—to optimize performance under pressure.  Surgeons described entering a “flow-like” state during critical steps, relying on deliberate calmness, structured routines, and controlled breathing to manage stress and maintain precision. These mental skills closely parallel those used in elite athletes and high-stakes professions, suggesting that expert surgical performance is supported not only by technical mastery but also by refined psychological strategies. The authors argue that mental skills training could be formally integrated into surgical education to help trainees develop the cognitive tools that expert surgeons intuitively use. www.cloganmd.com / www.cosportsmedicine.com / https://orthopedicnj.com/physicians/ashley-bassett