Dr. Sabrina Strickland

Dr. Sabrina Strickland Dr. Sabrina Strickland, Orthopedic Sports Surgeon My goal as an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine is to return you to your active lifestyle.

For some this might mean an Ironman competition, while for others it is a walk around New York City. I co-founded the HSS Patellofemoral Center to help you heal and regain mobility, and focus on helping you with pain and injuries related to the patella, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and cartilage. Although many patients come to me for surgery, I may recommend other options, such as stem cell injections, cortisone shots, hyaluronic acid, or platelet rich plasma along with physical therapy.

04/13/2026

We are both knee surgeons, and one of the most important conversations we have with patients is about what we can do before talking seriously about surgery.

Injections are a big part of that. The two we use most often are cortisone and hyaluronic acid, also called gel shots.

Cortisone has a bad reputation because it has been overused, and repeated injections can weaken tissues that are not designed to see that much steroid in the joint. When we use it sparingly and in the right situation, though, it is a very effective, fast‑acting anti‑inflammatory for a painful, inflamed knee.

The downside is that cortisone usually does not last very long, which is why we talk with patients about other options. Hyaluronic acid gel injections act more like a lubricant. HA is something your body naturally makes inside the joint, but once inflammation or early arthritis sets in, you do not make as much or as good a quality. Carefully adding it back can help with more chronic pain and stiffness and support longer‑term comfort.

If you are dealing with:
* A big flare of knee pain
* Day‑to‑day knee pain or early arthritis
* A desire to avoid or delay surgery

it's worth asking at your next visit whether cortisone, HA gel, or another injection makes sense for your knee. The right plan is always based on an examination and review of imaging.

04/09/2026

The static lunge with a row is a great way to challenge your legs and core without putting too much pressure on your knees.

The rowing motion engages your core muscles, giving you extra stability that helps support almost every other movement in your workout.

For people dealing with knee pain, avoiding the “walking” version of lunges can make a huge difference — the static variation tends to be far better tolerated.

Watch the short video to see proper form and how to incorporate this into your routine!

We had a great turnout yesterday at the Stamford Chelsea Piers discussing Women's wellness. I was lucky to share the spo...
04/03/2026

We had a great turnout yesterday at the Stamford Chelsea Piers discussing Women's wellness. I was lucky to share the spotlight with Elizabeth Brown, MD a physiatrist at HSS. We fielded a lot of questions ranging from bone health to workout tips to injury prevention.

One of the most common questions I get in clinic is which graft to choose for an ACL reconstruction. Thanks to the incre...
04/02/2026

One of the most common questions I get in clinic is which graft to choose for an ACL reconstruction. Thanks to the increasing use of AI tools, many of my patients come in much more informed than they used to. The question of ACL graft choice has been debated for over 25 years, and every month new studies are published comparing one graft type to another or assessing outcomes among different surgical techniques. The fact that this discussion continues is a clear sign that there’s still no single right answer.

A recent systematic review in the American Journal of Sports Medicine Medicine (one of
the two main sport journals in the United States) analyzed multiple studies to identify risk factors for developing arthritis after ACL reconstruction. Six factors were found to be associated with higher arthritis risk:
* older age
* male s*x
* higher body mass index
* bone–patellar tendon–bone graft
* meniscectomy
* and a longer time between injury and surgery.

Some of these risk factors are beyond our control—we can’t change our age at injury, s*x, body weight at the time, or whether a meniscal tear occurred with the ACL injury. However, we can take proactive steps in choosing the type of graft and surgical timing. Selecting a graft with lower donor site morbidity, such as a hamstring or quadriceps tendon, and having surgery relatively soon after injury may help reduce the risk of developing arthritis later on.

Read the study in AJSM: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/03635465251380285

03/27/2026

The single-leg leg press is one of my favorite ways to build knee-friendly strength at the gym.

Aim for:
> 20–30 reps
> 2–3 sets

Stop when you reach exhaustion, there's no magic number of reps.

Use both legs only if your strength is even side to side. Watch the video for form tips before your next workout.

03/20/2026

Too many patients with pain in the front of the knee are told they have runner’s knee or patellofemoral pain syndrome and are then dismissed with a simple instruction: do more physical therapy. Some have followed that advice for years without real relief.

The issue is that these terms are not specific diagnoses. Anterior knee pain can be caused by several distinct problems—patellar tendonitis, cartilage damage, or patellar instability—and each one requires a different treatment approach.

Patellar tendonitis, often seen in runners and jumpers, responds best to targeted physical therapy and sometimes advanced options like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) or shockwave therapy. Cartilage pathology inside the knee may need a different strategy altogether, often involving surgery tailored to the damaged area. When patellar instability is the main issue, stabilizing the kneecap can provide excellent outcomes.

You should not be dismissed based on a vague label or a quick look at an X-ray. With an accurate diagnosis, we can choose treatments that are specific to your problem and give you a much better chance of returning to the activities you enjoy. If your anterior knee pain hasn’t improved despite runner’s knee treatments, it may be time for a more thorough evaluation.

A recent press release from Stanford Medicine stated that scientists have discovered a treatment that can reverse cartil...
03/12/2026

A recent press release from Stanford Medicine stated that scientists have discovered a treatment that can reverse cartilage loss in aging joints and prevent arthritis after knee injuries. If this is as good as it sounds, it may indeed be akin to finding the holy grail.

As we age, our bodies make more of a protein that leads to the breakdown of cartilage, which is the covering of the bones in our joints. In this mouse study, they showed that they could block the function of this protein and therefore prevent the development of arthritis and even reverse it.

In their research, they were able to show that mice who injured their ACL and were given this injection into the knee did not develop arthritis. While this research is very exciting, there is no data on the use of this drug in human joints, and therefore we do not know the possible effects on humans or the potential side effects.

Unfortunately, we aren’t close to simply getting a knee injection and reversing arthritis, but I hope this will be possible in the future.

If you want to learn more about this research, check out these articles:
https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2025/11/joint-cartilage-aging.html
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260120000333.htm



The image shows healthy joint cartilage under the microscope — this smooth, purple-stained tissue is the hyaline cartilage that normally cushions the ends of the bones in your knee.

Photo by Bioscience Image Library by Fayette Reynolds on Unsplash

03/09/2026

Stronger knees don’t always require heavy weights or complicated equipment.

This is an awesome exercise, and what makes it so great is the TheraBand around the back of the knees. That band position makes you lean back and keeps your weight back, which helps reduce stress on your kneecaps.

The second part that makes this exercise special is the chest press. You’re challenging your legs and adding upper body work at the same time. Just make sure the weight isn’t so heavy that you have to lean forward.

You can also do this with TRX bands. It changes the feel a little bit, but it still helps keep your weight back.

Watch the video, try a few reps, and see how your knees feel with the weight shifted away from the front of the joint.

03/05/2026

Joint preservation is all about helping you keep your own knee for as long as possible by preventing arthritis from getting worse and addressing cartilage damage before it progresses.

In this video, my husband, Dr. Andreas Gomoll, and I walk through the spectrum of options—from minor procedures like gel injections and arthroscopic chondroplasty for small cartilage flaps to more advanced treatments for larger defects, including cell-based therapies (MACI, de novo), osteochondral plugs using your tissue or a donor, and new coral-based implants like CartiHeal that act as a scaffold so your body can heal itself.

If you have knee pain, swelling, or cartilage damage and have been told you are too young for a knee replacement, joint preservation may offer a path forward that matches the size and location of your defect.

03/02/2026

Patients often ask about the best strengthening exercises for their legs, so I created a few videos with my friends to show examples you can easily follow.

In this one, you’ll see a Romanian deadlift combined with a row, a movement that builds strength through the glutes, hamstrings, and core while improving balance.

It’s often easier to learn an exercise by seeing how it’s done rather than just hearing about it. Try following along at your own pace and if the row feels tricky, start with the deadlift alone. Progress gradually and keep your form strong.

If your kneecap has ever felt like it shifted out of place for a moment and then settled back in, it may not be just a r...
02/26/2026

If your kneecap has ever felt like it shifted out of place for a moment and then settled back in, it may not be just a random fluke. In everyday language, a slight knee dislocation usually means the kneecap (patella) has partially slipped out of its groove, a condition doctors call a subluxation, rather than a true dislocation of the entire knee joint.

You might notice a brief sharp pain at the front of the knee, tenderness along the inner or outer edge of the kneecap, mild or more obvious swelling, or a feeling that the knee might give way when you squat, go down stairs, pivot, or get up from a chair. Some people are more prone to this because of looser joints, hypermobility, or alignment differences in the hip, knee, or kneecap, and repeated episodes can lead to cartilage damage or early arthritis if not addressed.

In my latest post, I explain how to tell if what you felt could be a patellar subluxation, what to watch for afterward, and when it is time to see an orthopaedic specialist.

Read more: https://sabrinastrickland.com/how-to-tell-your-kneecap-slightly-dislocated/


Photo by Miri Mina on Unsplash

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523 East 72nd Street, 2nd Floor
New York, NY
10021

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Wednesday 8am - 5pm
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Why I Love Orthopedics

I hear this question quite frequently. Whether it be from my medical student mentees or from the residents and fellows I teach. The answer is that I love orthopedics for many reasons.

For one, the fact I help improve a patient’s quality of life is immeasurable. Patient’s goals always vary from returning to sports, to being able to walk pain free. The important thing for me to focus on is helping people achieve these goals and to get back to a more active lifestyle.

Another reason is that I have autonomy. I can work when I want and take time off when I want. Many of my friends have high powered jobs, but their time at work is not within their control. With that being said, if my patients need me, I don’t like spending too much time away. If a patient is injured, they should be seen within a few days. Third, I really like using my hands. Surgery is technically demanding at times and it’s rewarding to get the job done just right. Finally, I like the variety within my patient population. It’s great meeting a wide range of individuals and I have even taken care of families before where I helped three generations, each varying in different orthopedic needs.

Every patient has a different story, but that’s what keeps my job so interesting. I am happy with what I do and enjoy spreading my knowledge and experiences.