The Sports Docs Podcast
Sports medicine is a constantly evolving field, with hundreds of new articles published each month on the topic. This ever-growing wealth of information can make it challenging to stay updated on the newest approaches and techniques, and to know which data should actually change your practice. Join orthopedic surgeons, Dr. Catherine Logan and Dr. Ashley Bassett, as they chat about the most recent developments in sports medicine and dissect through all the noise.
On each episode of The Sports Docs podcast, the hosts will tackle a specific injury – from ACL tears to shoulder instability – and review the top research from various high-impact journals that month, including The American Journal of Sports Medicine, Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery, Sports Health, Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons, and more. The Sports Docs will also be joined by experts in the field of sports medicine – orthopedic surgeons, nonoperative sports medicine specialists, athletes, physical therapists, athletic trainers and others – to provide a fresh and well-rounded perspective based on their unique experiences.
The Sports Docs – Dr. Logan & Dr. Bassett – are friends & former co-residents from the Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program, who went onto esteemed sports medicine fellowships at The Steadman Clinic and The Rothman Institute, respectively. Dr. Logan practices in Denver, CO, and serves as Team Physician for Men's USA Lacrosse & as a Team Physician for U.S. Ski & Snowboard. Dr. Bassett is the director of the Women’s Sports Medicine Center at the Orthopedic Institute of New Jersey and practices across northern NJ, primarily in Morris and Sussex Counties.
Together, they will bring monthly conversations on how to care for athletes of all ages and levels of play, with a healthy mix of cutting-edge science and real-world application.
The Sports Docs Podcast
155: Injury Report: Meniscus Tears in the NFL
Today we’re breaking down a common but sometimes career-altering knee injury in professional football – the meniscus tear. We’ll cover how often these happen in the NFL, how players present, what treatment choices look like, timelines for returning to play, and critically – how meniscal injury affects performance and career length
But first, a quick refresher: The menisci are two C-shaped fibrocartilage discs in each knee (medial and lateral) that help distribute load, absorb shock, and stabilize the joint. Losing meniscal tissue – through a tear and subsequent meniscectomy – changes knee biomechanics and increases contact stresses on articular cartilage, which can lead to earlier degenerative change. This biomechanical role is why meniscal management matters so much for athletes.
So how common are meniscus tears in the NFL or NFL prospects? Well, that depends on what study you read and how that study chose to measure the prevalence of meniscus tears.
Listen to this episode to get the full scoop on how these athletes perform in the setting of meniscus injury.
Reference:
Dr. Jorge Chahla (friend of the show) in 2018 in AJSM used MR imaging data to determine the prevalence of prior meniscal injury. This study of approximately 2,000 NFL Scouting Combine participants from 2009–2015 found that 20% of players had a prior meniscus injury. So, this is the more frequently sided statistic.
This study also went on to discuss the impact of partial meniscectomy on player performance and career length