As an orthopedic sports medicine specialist, Dr. Mariscalco completed a five year orthopedic surgery residency and an additional year of fellowship training in sports medicine. The fellowship year included extensive clinical office time, involvement in complex primary and revision surgical cases, as well as sideline coverage of multiple sports teams. The term sports medicine encompasses evaluation and treatment of acute or chronic sports related injuries in people of all ages.
Non-operative treatment may include rest, activity modification, anti-inflammatory medications, outpatient physical therapy modalities, corticosteroid injections, and platelet rich plasma or stem cell injections. Specific injury prevention programs can be combined with pre-season or in-season conditioning to help athletes minimize future injury risk. As a sports medicine specialist, the most common procedures performed are rotator cuff, labrum, and biceps injuries the shoulder, meniscus/cartilage surgery of the knee, and knee ligament reconstruction. A majority of these can be performed as outpatient cases using minimally invasive arthroscopic techniques. A structured physical therapy program is usually needed after surgery and is critical in achieving an optimal functional result after surgery.
Dr. Mariscalco also performs elective shoulder and knee joint replacement surgery in patients who have developed primary or post-traumatic arthritis later in life. These operations can be very successful in relieving pain and improving one’s quality of life.