Hand
July 27, 2018
Sports medicine treats the injuries that come from staying active: torn ligaments, rotator cuff tears, meniscus tears, tendon injuries and broken bones. Orlando Hand Surgery Associates offers fellowship-trained orthopedic sports medicine care at our Orlando, Winter Garden and Kissimmee offices. Call (407) 841-2100 or request an appointment online to get evaluated. Whether you play competitively or you just want your knee to stop hurting on the stairs, the goal is the same: find out what is actually injured, treat it with the least invasive option that works, and get you back to what you were doing.
Meet Dr. Rogerio Ferreira Jr., MD
Dr. Rogerio Ferreira Jr., MD is a fellowship-trained sports medicine orthopaedic surgeon and the practice's primary sports medicine physician. He earned his biology degree at the University of Central Florida, went to medical school at Florida State University, and completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at Orlando Health. He then finished a sports medicine fellowship at Allegheny Health Network in Pittsburgh.
During that fellowship he served as an assistant team physician for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and the USA Rugby team, which means he has treated athletes at every level from professional rosters down to high school sidelines. Dr. Ferreira is fluent in English and Portuguese, and he sees patients at our Winter Garden, Kissimmee and Orlando offices.
What Does a Sports Medicine Doctor Treat?
A sports medicine orthopedic surgeon handles injuries to the joints, ligaments, tendons and bones that move you. Some happen in one bad moment. Some build over months of repetition. Both do better the earlier they are looked at.
Knee Injuries
Dr. Ferreira performs ligament reconstruction, meniscus repair, cartilage restoration and total knee replacement. Common reasons patients come in include:
- A pop, swelling and instability after a twist or a landing, which often points to an ACL tear
- Catching, locking or a knee that will not fully straighten, which often points to a meniscus tear
- Pain on stairs and after sitting, which often points to cartilage wear or early arthritis
- Knee pain that has not settled down after two or three weeks of rest
Shoulder Injuries
Shoulder work includes rotator cuff repair, treatment for shoulder instability and dislocation, and shoulder replacement. If your shoulder aches at night, feels weak overhead, or has come out of the socket before, that is worth an evaluation. You can read more about the full range of care on our shoulder page.
Elbow, Wrist and Hand Injuries
Throwing athletes, racquet players, climbers and lifters all put load through the elbow, wrist and hand. Dr. Ferreira works alongside our hand, wrist and elbow surgeons, so an athlete with a complicated upper extremity injury sees the right person the first time.
Fractures
Dr. Ferreira treats fractures throughout the upper and lower extremities, including the ones that happen in contact sports and in falls.
Do You Need Surgery for a Sports Injury?
Most sports injuries do not need surgery. A large share get better with rest, activity changes, bracing, a structured therapy program, or an injection. Our practice also offers PRP therapy, which uses a concentration of your own platelets to treat tendon, ligament and joint injuries, and which can be an option for patients who want to try something before considering an operation. Surgery becomes the right call when a structure is fully torn and will not heal on its own, when a joint keeps giving out, or when non-surgical treatment has not worked. The answer for any given injury depends on the imaging and the exam, which is why the first visit matters more than anything you can read online.
What Happens at Your First Visit
Plan on an exam, a conversation about how the injury happened and what you are trying to get back to, and imaging if it is needed. You leave with a working diagnosis and a plan. If therapy is the right first step, we will tell you that. If the injury needs surgery, we will walk you through the procedure and what recovery looks like week by week.
Where to See a Sports Medicine Doctor in Central Florida
Dr. Ferreira sees sports medicine patients at three of our four offices:
Common Questions About Sports Medicine
Request an Appointment
Do not wait out an injury that is not getting better. Call or text (407) 841-2100, or request an appointment online, and we will get you in front of a fellowship-trained sports medicine surgeon.