Two world-class orthopaedists at the Mount Sinai Health System worked behind the scenes at the 2014 US Open, treating an array of health problems incurred by players at the popular tennis tournament, which ran from Monday, August 25, through Monday, September 8, in Flushing Meadows, Queens. The Mount Sinai Hospital is the official hospital of the US Open and the United States Tennis Association (USTA).
Strains and sprains were treated often by Alexis Chiang Colvin, MD, and James Gladstone, MD, both Associate Professors in the Leni and Peter W. May Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, where Dr. Gladstone is also Co-Chief of Sports Medicine.
The physicians also managed cases of dehydration and heat exhaustion that occurred during the second week of the tournament, when the sweltering late-summer temperatures rose into the 90s and had a significant impact on players’ health.
Dr. Colvin, who serves as Chief Medical Officer of the USTA and US Open, and as Medical Advisor to the U.S. Fed Cup team, says, “Most of the injuries I treated were tendinitis, strains, and sprains. Besides treating competitors from the United States, we also saw many international players, as well as juniors, and players who participated in the Wheelchair Division.”
“The most common injuries involved the shoulder, wrist, and ankle, which are usually related to overuse,” says Dr. Gladstone, who also is Medical Advisor to the U.S. Davis Cup Team. The Davis Cup took place in Chicago from Friday, September 12, through Sunday, September 14, following the US Open. “I also saw some unusual injuries that required more extensive workups—such as entrapment of nerve or blood vessels due to over-tight muscles, and chronic shoulder tightness due to repetitive use.”
During the US Open, Drs. Colvin and Gladstone were among several physicians who discussed health-related topics with Cablevision news reporter Shawna Ryan on Mount Sinai’s Video Health Desk. Tennis is a lifetime sport accessible to all ages, and a great way to combat childhood obesity, Dr. Colvin told Ms. Ryan. Dr. Gladstone said the best way to prevent common injuries was to maintain flexibility, and stay healthy.
To view these interviews, and learn more about preventing ankle sprains and keeping skin safe while exercising outdoors, go to www.mountsinai.org/patient-care/service-areas/orthopaedics/videos.