Allina Health

For every motion there is an emotion

What you should know about concussions in sports

A concussion is a blow to the head that affects how the brain works.

Concussions can happen in free play, recreational sports, youth leagues, or in high school and college sports.

ImPACT™, a 20-minute computer test, would help your child in the event of a future concussion.

At Sports and Orthopaedic Specialists, we understand how you feel when you're stuck, even temporarily, on the sidelines. Consequently, we use the most advanced sports medicine and orthopaedic practices, protocols and treatments to get you back in the game of life as fast as possible.

At Sports and Orthopaedic Specialists, every single doctor is a fellowship-trained subspecialist, focusing his or her work on just one or two joints of the body. Because each doctor at Sports and Orthopaedic Specialists concentrates his or her practice on one or two parts of the body, you can be sure your doctor has seen and treated hundreds of cases like yours every year. You can rest assured that your doctor's credentials are impeccable.

Our physicians have such an exceptional wealth of knowledge that they're frequently called upon to teach other doctors and to publish their cutting edge research nationwide. Much of the research done at our facility has been published, and is referenced by top orthopaedic surgeons all over the world. Consequently, we use the most advanced practices, protocols and treatments to get you back in the game of life as fast as possible.

In the news

Helping high school footballers deal with heat and humidity

Brent Millikin, sports medicine manager, wants to make sure players are not afraid to speak up if they're not feeling well. See the interview on allinanews.com.

Shoe dilemma: Heels versus flats

Lisa Wasserman, MD, joined KARE 11 Sunrise to sort out an ongoing dilemma in women's fashion. See the interview on allinanews.com.

Allina Health orthopaedic surgeon on women's sports injuries

Aimee Klapach, MD, explains why young women are more prone to sports-related injuries. See the interview on allinanews.com.

Four convenient locations

Our care team

	Daniel D. Buss, MD Dr. Buss is a board certified orthopaedic surgeon specializing in disorders of the shoulder and elbow. He is the founder of Sports and Orthopaedic Specialists. His past academic affiliations with the University of Minnesota include Associate Professor in the Department of Orthopaedics, Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine, and Director of Shoulder Services for the Department of Orthopaedics.
	Michael Q. Freehill, MD Dr. Freehill is a board certified orthoapedic surgeon specializing in disorders of the shoulder and elbow and sports medicine. His training includes extensive cutting-edge experience in adult-joint reconstruction and arthroscopic reconstructive techniques.
	Aimee S. Klapach, MD Dr. Klapach is an orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in sports knee medicine and treatment of injuries to the shoulder. Her expertise encompasses advanced arthroscopic techniques as well as complex reconstructive surgery.
	Brian LaBine, MD Dr. LaBine is an active member of the sports medicine community. He serves as a team physician for Providence Academy in Plymouth, and as a medical director for Macalester College in St. Paul. Dr. LaBine also works with Life Time Fitness, covering events like the Minneapolis Triathlon.
	L. Pearce McCarty III, MD Dr. McCarty is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in the treatment of injuries to the shoulder and elbow with an emphasis on advanced arthroscopic techniques and cartilage restoration procedures. His expertise encompasses complex reconstructive procedures, such as total shoulder replacement and treatment of the thrower's shoulder and elbow. Brent Millikin, MEd, ATC As a certified athletic trainer and our sports medicine manager, Mr. Millikin works with the physicians at Sports and Orthopaedic Specialists to make sure each patient recovers from injuries as soon as possible.
	Margarita Sevilla, MD A board certified sports medicine specialist, Dr. Sevilla has special interests in exercise in pregnancy, non-operative orthopedics, acute injury care, obesity prevention and weight loss.
	Lisa R. Wasserman, MD Dr. Wasserman is an orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in disorders of the foot and ankle as well as lower extremity alignment surgery. She completed the University of Iowa Foot and Ankle/ Sports Medicine Fellowship and went on to a second Fellowship in Limb Deformity Correction in the Twin Cities.
	Vinh K. Dang, MPAS, PA-C Mr. Dang is a board certified physician assistant (PA-C). He works alongside Dr. Daniel Buss, providing sub-specialized continuity of care for shoulder, elbow and sports related disorders. Mr. Dang earned his masters of physician assistant sciences (MPAS) degree from St. Francis University in Pennsylvania and completed a surgical residency program with Yale University and Norwalk Hospital in Connecticut.
	Noelle M Maze, NP, MA, C-ANP Ms. Maze is a licensed orthopaedic nurse practitioner providing sub-specialized care for disorders of the shoulder and elbow. She holds a master of arts degree in nursing from the College of St. Catherine and is a board certified adult nurse practitioner (NP), as well as board certified in orthopaedic nursing. Her expertise in musculoskeletal assessment and treatment is regionally recognized.

Patient services

A wide variety of patient services are provided by the physicians and staff of Sports & Orthopaedic Specialists. Each Sports & Orthopaedic Specialists physician works with a team of patient care professionals who coordinate all aspects of patient care. Patients undergoing treatment and/or surgery receive ongoing support from Nurse Clinicians, Physicians Assistants and other members of the care team.

Patients of Sports and Orthopaedic Specialists have access to the collective knowledge of some of the most experienced specialists available. A complete array of diagnostic and treatment and management resources are available, including:

• Outpatient evaluation and ongoing operative and/or non-operative treatments - for patients with shoulder, elbow, knee and hip diseases or trauma.
• Physician consultations - for medical professionals to review diagnoses and treatment options with Sports and Orthopaedic Specialists' Physicians.
• X-ray evaluations - for medical professionals to confer with Sports and Orthopaedic Specialists' Physicians.
• Referral to outside specialists and practitioners - medical consultants, radiologists, physical therapists.

Sports and Orthopaedic Specialists serves a large client base drawn from local, regional, national and international communities. Sports and Orthopaedic Specialists respects the individual needs of each patient, and emphasizes their education and personal involvement in the treatment process.

Sports medicine

Sports medicine physicians treat a variety of injuries include acute injuries (such as ankle sprains, muscle strains, knee and shoulder injuries, and fractures) and overuse injuries (such as tendonitis and stress fractures). They also have training in aspects of sports medicine that do not involve the skeletal frame and muscles.

Common examples include:

• Pre-participation physical exams
• Strength training and conditioning programs
• Injury prevention
• Injury assessments and management
• "Return to play" decisions
• Mild traumatic brain injury and other head injuries
• Chronic or acute illness (such as mononucleosis or asthma)
• Sports psychology issues
• Addressing banned-substance use