Sports Medicine: What It Is and Who We Treat

Ryan Dopirak, MD, sports medicine orthopaedic surgeon, explains what sports medicine is and talks about the patients and conditions we treat. Dr. Dopirak also discusses the advantages of seeking treatment from the Froedtert & MCW sports medicine team.

Orthopaedic and sports injuries can happen any time of year. Whether you're staying active for your health, a dedicated athlete or simply taking care of yard work. Here to tell us more is Ryan Dopirak, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine physician with the Froedtert & MCW health network. 

What is sports medicine? 

Sports medicine is a specialty within orthopaedics that is focused on the care of athletes and active individuals of all ages. Our team provides care for competitive athletes at the high school, college and professional level as well as recreational athletes. Now, many of these same injuries that we see in athletes can also happen during everyday activities, work or exercise. Our team treats anyone who simply wants to get back to living a life without pain. 

What types of injuries and conditions does your team treat?

The most common conditions that we see include rotator cuff and labral injuries in the shoulder, ACL and meniscal tears in the knee and impingement and labral tears in the hip. As part of an academic health network, we have the resources and expertise to care for anything from the common to the highly complex. 

Why should someone choose the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin sports medicine team? 

Being part of an academic health network, our physicians are highly subspecialized. That means when you have an injury, we have a physician that specializes in that area. We also offer the full spectrum of treatment, ranging from operative to nonoperative options. We recognize that each patient is unique and treatment is always tailored to the individual. Our physicians are the team doctors for several professional sports teams, including the Milwaukee Bucks. We take that experience treating professional athletes, and we apply that expertise to every single patient. Doctor, thank you so much for being with us today.