Dr. Sabrina Strickland

07/18/2025

Last week, the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) held its annual meeting in Nashville, TN. At the event, Dr. Brian Lau and Dr. Jocelyn Wittstein of Duke University presented the two-year results of the Bridge Registry on the BEAR® Implant for ACL injuries.

The following are some key Bridge Registry findings.

*Retear Rate (first 100 patients)*
> Overall: 5%
> Ages 19 and older: 4% (3 out of 74)
> Ages 18 and under: 8% (2 out of 26)

As of July 2025, 300 patients from leading U.S. orthopedic centers have enrolled at the following sites:
* AdventHealth (Florida) – Dr. Sean Keyes and Dr. Daryl Osbahr
* Boston Children’s Hospital (Massachusetts) – Dr. Dennis Kramer*
* Duke University (North Carolina) – Dr. Brian Lau, Dr. Dean Taylor and Dr. Jocelyn Wittstein
* Hospital for Special Surgery (New York) – Dr. Greg DiFelice, Dr. Andreas Gomoll and Dr. Sabrina Strickland
* Oregon Health and Science University (Oregon) – Dr. Jacqueline Brady
* Stanford University School of Medicine (California) – Dr. Seth Sherman
* Steamboat Orthopaedic & Spine Institute (Colorado) – Dr. Alex Meininger
* Victory in Motion / Auburn Community Hospital (New York) – Dr. Marc Pietropaoli
* Virtua Health (New Jersey) – Dr. Sean McMillan

Dr. Jacqueline Brady and Dr. Jocelyn Wittstein are co-principal investigators with me, assessing the real-world outcomes for the BEAR implant. Our data shows encouraging results with low re-tear rates and meaningful functional recovery.

Here's a link to Miach Orthopaedics press release about the findings: https://www.morningstar.com/news/business-wire/20250714209359/real-world-evidence-for-miach-orthopaedics-bear-implant-highlighted-at-aossm-2025

Photo of Nashville, Tennessee, where AOSSM was held, by mana5280 on Unsplash.

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

06/19/2025

A torn meniscus can cause knee pain, swelling, and instability, making it challenging to stay active. However, the right exercises can help you maintain strength and mobility while protecting your knee as it heals. It’s important to focus on gentle, controlled movements that do not place excessive stress on the meniscus. In my latest post, I shared six recommended exercises, based on guidance from me and my team at the Hospital for Special Surgery .

1. Quad Sets
2. Heel Slides
3. Ankle Pumps
4. Gravity-Assisted Knee Flexion
5. Patellar Mobilization
6. Stationary Bike (as approved by your doctor)

Open chain knee extension exercises (such as using a leg extension machine) and deep squats or lunges should be avoided, as they can put excessive strain on the meniscus and delay healing.

Read the full post (with information on how to do them) here:
https://sabrinastrickland.com/6-exercises-to-do-torn-meniscus/

The image was generated with AI.

Dr. Sabrina Strickland, an Orthopedic Surgeon in New York & specializes in sports medicine—focusing on knees & shoulders to return you to your active lifestyle.

06/12/2025

Medical tourism is an interesting concept. In the United States, we tend to think that we have a pretty amazing health care system, and therefore, why would we travel for healthcare?

I often hear about patients traveling to far-off destinations such as Turkey for hair transplants, Costa Rica for dental surgery, and Brazil or Korea for plastic surgery.

But what about non-cosmetic treatment? Health care costs are so high in the US and insurance coverage so spotty that for some patients, it may make sense to seek treatment abroad. I often see patients who bring in MRIs from China or India that they obtained while visiting family overseas.

The cash cost of these studies is far less than most patients' deductibles or co-pays here. The problem with invasive medical treatment is how to vet the doctor, the hospital, or the actual treatment being offered. I'm at a loss here and would advise significant caution prior to undergoing treatments such as "stem cell" injections or surgical procedures abroad.

Here's an article that explores the idea of medical tourism further: https://www.magazine.medicaltourism.com/article/the-best-centers-for-regenerative-cartilage-implants

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/photos/person-sitting-while-using-laptop-computer-and-green-stethoscope-near-NFvdKIhxYlU?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash

06/06/2025

Recently, my husband, Dr. Andreas Gomoll, Ava G. Neijna, BA, Hannah L. Terry, BS, and I were asked by the Hospital for Special Surgery and Orthopedics Today to write about our experience using bridge enhanced ACL restoration (BEAR) technique. I'm pleased to be able to share that article with you today.

In the article, we discuss the surgical technique and postoperative protocol, sharing technical tips based on our experience.

Read the article: https://www.healio.com/news/orthopedics/20250515/expert-insights-preferences-for-performing-bridge-enhanced-acl-restoration-technique

05/29/2025

A question I get asked a lot is how you can tell when you should have a torn meniscus surgically repaired. To clarify this, I wrote up some of the key indicators for meniscus surgery, including when it may not be necessary. The decision is based on a combination of your symptoms, the characteristics of the tear, age, activity level, and response to conservative treatment.

I have a lot of educational resources and patient information available on my site, but if you have additional questions or want to come in for a consult, please reach out!

https://sabrinastrickland.com/torn-meniscus-surgically-repaired/


(Image generated by AI)

Dr. Sabrina Strickland, an Orthopedic Surgeon in New York & specializes in sports medicine—focusing on knees & shoulders to return you to your active lifestyle.

05/23/2025

Earlier this week, Hyalex Orthopaedics received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to expand its clinical trial of the HYALEX® Freestyle Knee Implant (https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hyalex-orthopaedics-receives-fda-approval-of-ide-supplement-expanding-the-early-feasibility-study-to-a-pivotal-trial-of-cutting-edge-freestyle-knee-implant-302459465.html), moving from an early feasibility study to a pivotal clinical trial of its novel knee implant technology across the United States and Europe. This next-generation implant is designed for patients with cartilage damage and early osteoarthritis of the femoral condyle(s), offering new hope for those with limited treatment options who want to regain an active lifestyle.

As the study’s national principal investigator for the study, I shared the promising clinical results we’ve seen with Hyalex’s Early Feasibility Study (EFS) of the Freestyle Knee Implant:

“In our early clinical evaluations, the HYALEX Freestyle Knee Implant demonstrated exceptional promise in mimicking natural joint mechanics and helping patients return to their active lifestyle. The ability to help these patients, who have limited options today, could significantly impact the future treatment of chondral and osteochondral defects in the knee.”

The pivotal trial will enroll a diverse patient population and evaluate the device’s safety and effectiveness in restoring mobility and improving outcomes. This milestone shows the rigorous research and innovation behind the Freestyle Knee Implant and could reshape the future of knee preservation for those with cartilage damage and early arthritis, helping those patients regain an active lifestyle.

To learn more about the Freestyle EFS, please visit https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06368700.

Photo by Chander R on Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/photos/man-in-yellow-tank-top-running-near-shore-z4WH11FMfIQ

# cartilagedamage # chondraldefects # clinicaltrial # cutting-edge # earlyosteoarthritis # FDAapproval # femoralcondyle # FreestyleKneeImplant # HospitalforSpecialSurgery # HYALEX # HYALEXHYDROSURF # HyalexOrthopaedics # IDEsupplement # implanttechnology # jointpreservationtechnologies # kneeimplant # medicaldevice # orthopedic # orthopedicsolution # osteochondraldefects # patientoutcomes # pivotaltrial

Dr. Sabrina Strickland, an Orthopedic Surgeon in New York & specializes in sports medicine—focusing on knees & shoulders to return you to your active lifestyle.

05/16/2025

Recently, Triston Casas was released from Mass General following a surgery to repair his patellar tendon. I was asked to contribute to a Boston Globe article in their Red Sox Notebook. In the article, manager Alex Cora said that Casas was, “In pain, a lot of pain. It’s been a challenge to sleep.”

Casas is likely to be in a brace for six weeks and unable to run for 5-6 months. This is a pretty devastating injury, and it’s not a 100-percent recovery rate like tearing a meniscus. He's expected to be ready for the start of spring training next year.

Read the full article, which is titled, "Masataka Yoshida won’t return to Red Sox until he can throw pain free" on the Boston Globe website: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/05/06/sports/red-sox-masataka-yoshida-shoulder-injury-rehab/.


Photo by Osman Rana on Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/photos/grayscale-photography-of-baseball-field-with-people-on-bleachers-Lz2AIrw6y1A

05/13/2025

This is a little unusual for me - I'm sharing the link to a blog one of my patients published. Hilary Topper is a triathlete and has been my patient for at least ten years. Her post poses a common question: "Will I Need a Knee Replacement?"
"For athletes like runners and triathletes, knee health is crucial to their performance and overall quality of life. Knee pain and injuries can be frustrating setbacks, making it hard to keep up with training and pushing your body to the limit. You’re not alone if you’ve wondered whether a knee replacement might be in your future."
Here's the full post link: https://www.atriathletesdiary.com/will-i-need-a-knee-replacement/

05/09/2025

I'm at the Arthroscopy Association of North America. It's awesome that I get to see my friends and lecture on my favorite topics at the same time.

05/07/2025

If symptomatic defects are not addressed in knee cartilage repair, how can patient outcomes ever be improved?

Smith+Nephew posted this clip of me sharing why we use the CARTIHEAL AGILI-C Implant.
If you want to see it, check out their post on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/smith-nephew_orthopaedics-sportsmedicine-kneesurgery-activity-7323315356926676992-yXtR

05/02/2025

Historically, hamstring autografts for ACL reconstruction have been thought to be inferior to the patellar tendon or quad. Despite this fact, they continue to be used in a high percentage of ACL surgeries around the world. The reason for this is that we do see excellent outcomes using hamstring tendons.

In this large study (nearly 6,000 patients) from the Kaiser Permanente registry, they were able to show that patients whose graft was less than or equal to 8mm had a 32 percent higher failure rate. Large studies, such as this one, help us understand surgical failures and educate our patients on the optimal graft for their ACL surgery.

It is very rare that I see a hamstring graft that is 8 mm, as we can add the gracilis (a second hamstring) to the graft if need be. Every graft has a downside; weakening the hamstrings, patella, or quad is not without morbidity.

Read the article on ResearchGate to learn more about this study: Is There a Hamstring Autograft Diameter Threshold for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction? https://www.researchgate.net/publication/389187653_Is_There_a_Hamstring_Autograft_Diameter_Threshold_for_Anterior_Cruciate_Ligament_Reconstruction

Image source: Wikimedia (edited slightly for size and content). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Opgespannen_hamstrings.jpg

Dr. Sabrina Strickland, an Orthopedic Surgeon in New York & specializes in sports medicine—focusing on knees & shoulders to return you to your active lifestyle.