Dr. Sabrina Strickland

10/11/2025

I'm so excited to be in Chicago to cheer on my oldest daughter and her boyfriend at the Chicago marathon. The entire city seems to be running!

10/09/2025

People often wonder how to prepare for an MPFL reconstruction, and it really depends on which category you fall into. There are essentially two categories of patients who undergo an MPFL reconstruction.

There are patients who have an acute dislocation with an osteochondral fragment (a piece of cartilage off), and in these cases, it’s fairly urgent to take them to the operating room as often their knee is locked and they have difficulty weight-bearing. In these cases, it’s best to manage pain and swelling until you can get to the OR. If possible, you may do gentle quad sets and gentle range of motion activities.

In patients with chronic instability, preparation is key to a smoother surgery and recovery. Ideally, you prepare for surgery by:

> Finding a good physical therapist who you trust and enjoy working with.
> Familiarizing yourself with the planned rehab protocol.
> Doing a home exercise program to ensure that you have full range of motion and good quad and hip strength.

For more information about how to prepare for an MPFL construction, visit: https://sabrinastrickland.com/how-to-prepare-mpfl-reconstruction/
Photo by Imani Bahati on Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/photos/person-wearing-distressed-blue-denim-jeans-inside-room-L1kLSwdclYQ

Dr. Sabrina Strickland, Orthopedic Surgeon in New York specializing in sports medicine, with expertise in knees & shoulders to return you to an active lifestyle

10/03/2025

As an orthopaedic surgeon, I often hear from patients about that sharp, nagging pain when they tackle a flight of stairs. If you feel a twinge or an ache in the front of your knee when you climb, please know you are not alone—and it’s a clear sign your knee joint needs some focused attention.

Climbing stairs places significant pressure right on your kneecap, and that pain usually points to common issues like patellar tendinitis, patellar malalignment, or the early cartilage wear of chondromalacia. It can also be a symptom of developing arthritis.

The good news is that simple steps like rest, ice, and targeted strengthening of the quadriceps and hip muscles can often make a world of difference. However, if the pain is severe, persistent, or accompanied by swelling, early diagnosis is crucial for preventing long-term damage and getting you back to pain-free activity.

I’ve broken down the four main causes of knee pain during stair climbing, explained what’s happening in your joint, and provided guidance on when it’s time to consult an expert.

Read more on my blog: https://sabrinastrickland.com/why-does-knee-hurt-going-up-stairs/

Photo by George Van Gosh on Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/photos/man-wearing-white-crew-neck-shirt-and-black-pants-walking-upstairs-5vK7nSavAjk

Dr. Sabrina Strickland, Orthopedic Surgeon in New York specializing in sports medicine, with expertise in knees & shoulders to return you to an active lifestyle

09/26/2025

If you experience knee pain when squatting, you may have something wrong with your patella or meniscus. Squatting puts significant pressure on the knee joint, and pain during this movement can signal a variety of underlying issues.

I put together a number of common causes of knee pain when squatting, including:
* Knee Chondromalacia (Chondromalacia Patella)
* Meniscal Tear
* Tendinitis
* Muscle Imbalances or Weakness

In this post, I explore each of these causes, when to seek medical advice, and what you can do to minimize this pain:
https://sabrinastrickland.com/why-do-i-have-knee-pain-when-squatting/



Image generated with AI.

Dr. Sabrina Strickland, Orthopedic Surgeon in New York specializing in sports medicine, with expertise in knees & shoulders to return you to an active lifestyle

09/17/2025

Wondering when you’ll fully recover from medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction? You’re not alone.

Whether you’re an athlete, a parent of a young patient, or anyone eager to return to a pain-free, active lifestyle, understanding how long the MPFL recovery process will take is important. I wrote up a guide recently that draws on my expertise and provides direct links to detailed resources, so you can equip yourself with the information you need to help you recover with minimal confusion or stress.

http://sabrinastrickland.com/how-long-does-mpfl-recovery-really-take

-operativecare

Image created with AI.

Dr. Sabrina Strickland, Orthopedic Surgeon in New York specializing in sports medicine, with expertise in knees & shoulders to return you to an active lifestyle

09/10/2025

Medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction is a proven surgical solution for those experiencing recurrent kneecap (patellar) instability. While the vast majority of patients experience restored stability and a return to active lifestyles, a small number may face complications or failure after surgery.

But how can you tell if your MPFL reconstruction failed? I've written up information about what is considered a failed MPFL reconstruction, signs indicating failure, what to do next, and how to get help if you need it.

Learn more: https://sabrinastrickland.com/how-to-tell-if-your-mpfl-reconstruction-failed/

Photo by yury kirillov on Unsplash (https://unsplash.com/photos/a-man-getting-his-leg-examined-by-a-doctor-pbUWW-CBoqY)

09/05/2025

This is a general survey of the different ways that surgeons perform MPFL surgery. I don't think it will change the way surgeons do surgery, but it is interesting to see how different surgeons practice. The findings reinforce that, despite common goals and similar patient populations, specific surgical decisions remain highly individualized among experts.

Read the study in the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine: Variation in Surgical Technique for Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Reconstruction in Skeletally Immature Patients: Data From the JUPITER Prospective Multicenter Study Group: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/23259671241300516?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed



Photo by Resat Kuleli on Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/photos/a-group-of-young-children-playing-a-game-of-soccer-cDzsOaNY5Z0

Dr. Sabrina Strickland, Orthopedic Surgeon in New York specializing in sports medicine, with expertise in knees & shoulders to return you to an active lifestyle

08/29/2025

Our first study to come out of the Bridge-Enhanced ACL Restoration (BEAR): Registry on the first 100 Bridge enhanced ACL repair patients. Outcomes are promising but we still don't know who the best candidates are for this type of ACL repair.

This study was published this month in ESSKA - Knee Surgery Sports Traumatology Arthroscopy (KSSTA): Postcommercialisation outcomes of bridge-enhanced anterior cruciate ligament restoration: The first 100 Bridge registry patients
Link is available on my website.

The picture is a screenshot of the study!

08/21/2025

If you follow me, you probably already know that I love sharing patient stories.

Here's one from James Anagnostopoulos, who was 50 years old when he completed his first full Ironman triathlon. One month later, he injured his left knee. James was used to training pain, so at first he brushed it off, but the pain persisted. For months, he tried everything – physical therapy, electrotherapy, and countless knee-strengthening workouts he found on YouTube. Nothing worked.

James met with me and learned he had a torn meniscus. In June 2023, he had surgery, and the pain finally subsided. At age 52, James signed up for his first ultramarathon, completing 100 miles in 29 hours on May 17–18, 2025.

Read more about James’s story on the Hospital for Special Surgery’s Back in the Game page: https://backinthegame.hss.edu/story/james-anagnostopoulos/

The photo is from that story.

Dr. Sabrina Strickland, Orthopedic Surgeon in New York specializing in sports medicine, with expertise in knees & shoulders to return you to an active lifestyle

08/15/2025

Sometimes people ask me about what to do when you dislocate your kneecap, so I wrote this post to walk through my recommendations.

If your kneecap has dislocated, it’s understandable to feel alarmed and uncertain about what to do next. A dislocated patella, or kneecap, occurs when the patella slips out of its normal groove at the front of the knee, usually causing sudden pain, swelling, and difficulty moving the knee. So, what you should know and what steps should you take if you have a kneecap dislocation?

Read the post to learn what steps to take immediately, diagnosis and imaging, treatment options (surgical and non-surgical), recovery and prevention, and when to seek further help:
https://sabrinastrickland.com/my-kneecap-dislocated-what-should-i-do/

Photo by Keagan Henman on Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/photos/man-kneeling-down-2N54i7xrdrY

Dr. Sabrina Strickland, Orthopedic Surgeon in New York specializing in sports medicine, with expertise in knees & shoulders to return you to an active lifestyle

08/07/2025

As one of my mentors said during my training, “If I only did what I learned in residency, I wouldn’t be doing any surgery.”

What he meant was that there are so many new techniques and implants in orthopaedic surgery that we are constantly evolving how we do surgery, what implants and grafts we use, and how we treat injured joints. One clear example is anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) treatment.

When I trained, essentially everyone got a patellar tendon reconstruction. We did it the same way every time, fixing the graft to the femur and tibia with a metallic screw. This was followed by double bundle ACL surgery, the popularity of which faded quickly as the tunnels often converged, athletes weren’t doing better, and the surgery took longer.

Over 10 years ago, I started drilling the femoral tunnel from the anteromedial portal, which allowed me to place the ACL graft wherever the anatomic footprint was, rather than where I could reach doing it the old way and drilling through the tibial tunnel.

Our drills got better in that they became flexible and allowed us to curve around the front of the knee. We have evolved from titanium buttons to metallic screws to absorbable screws to plastic and back to titanium buttons. There have been pros and cons to each technique, and ultimately, I have settled on buttons for everyone. They are:

* small
* inert
* easy to get out if you need to go back and revise the surgery

Also, there is no bone reaction due to a dissolvable implant or bony defect if you have to take them out (which happens with a screw).

As far as graft choices go, my graft of choice initially changed from patellar tendon to allograft, but many grafts were irradiated to sterilize them. Some studies showed suboptimal results, perhaps because they used weak tendons (for example, the Achilles tendon).

I then went to an all-inside hamstring graft, which allowed me to quadruple one tendon instead of taking two grafts and gave me a larger graft. I have been very satisfied with the results of this procedure and can honestly say that I have had very few re-tears.

The recent trend in sports surgery has been to use the quad tendon, which is an easy graft to harvest with a scar just above the knee cap. The downside is weakness of the quad, and studies have shown that at six months post-operatively, patients only have about 60% of their strength.

What I do now is discuss the pros and cons of each graft option with patients, typically settling on hamstring or quad with lateral extra-articular tenodesis (LET) in young cutting athletes (typically under age 25) or for revisions. For patients who have somewhat lower demands on their knees, they most often choose a hamstring auto or allograft (donor graft).

To learn more about ACL and other knee surgery, visit my website: https://sabrinastrickland.com/

(Image generated with AI.)

Dr. Sabrina Strickland, Orthopedic Surgeon in New York specializing in sports medicine, with expertise in knees & shoulders to return you to an active lifestyle

07/01/2025

For athletes facing a primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), the decision of how to reconstruct the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a big one. Traditionally, ACLR alone has been the preferred method. But what if adding something could not only improve outcomes but also save money in the long run? I recently participated in a study (with Nathan H. Varady, MD, MBA, Jacob F. Oeding, PhD, Paul M. Inclan, MD, Anil S. Ranawat, MD, Andrew D. Pearle, MD, Scott A. Rodeo, MD, and Riley J. Williams, III, MD) that suggests a lateral extra-articular tenodesis (LET) augmentation is cost-effective in primary ACLR.

LET augmentation is an additional procedure done alongside the ACLR. "Extra-articular" means it's performed outside the knee joint capsule, unlike the ACLR, which is "intra-articular" (inside the joint). The main goal of LET is to provide additional rotational stability to the knee. It aims to prevent excessive internal rotation of the tibia (shin bone) relative to the femur (thigh bone), which can put stress on the newly reconstructed ACL graft and contribute to re-rupture.

I have more information on the study and the results on my website: https://sabrinastrickland.com/cost-effectiveness-aclr-let-augmentation/
Read the study abstract in The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery: https://www.arthroscopyjournal.org/article/S0749-8063(25)00427-X/abstract

Image generated by AI (the abstract includes some helpful figures, however).

Dr. Sabrina Strickland, Orthopedic Surgeon in New York specializing in sports medicine, with expertise in knees & shoulders to return you to an active lifestyle