Armando Vidal, MD

10/31/2025

After an ACL injury, the risk of tearing the other knee is ~3% in the first 2 years.

Preventive strategies? Focus on biomechanics, landing, pivoting safely, and muscle strength. Dr. Vidal ensures patients get the right therapy to protect both knees. Learn more 👇

Do I have an ACL Tear? It’s the phrase no athlete wants to hear: “You’ve torn your ACL.” Those dreaded three letters sends shivers down any athlete’s spine. In the recent past, a torn ACL meant a career-ending injury, early osteoarthritis and knee problems for the future. Thankfully, techn...

10/29/2025

Residency insight: Journal rejection isn’t failure. Keep submitting, revising, and learning. Every rejection is a step closer to publication.

One key: Don’t get discouraged by medical journal rejections. Keep plugging away, says AMA member Ricardo Correa, MD, EdD.

10/28/2025

Imagine your knee like a finely tuned machine. Over time, misalignment, instability, and bone health can all put extra stress on the cartilage. That’s where joint preservation treatments come in that target the root causes to keep your knee working smoothly for years to come.

What is knee arthritis? Arthritis is the leading cause of disability among adults in the US today. It is estimated that 70 million Americans will have some form of arthritis in the next 25 years. Arthritis is a degenerative joint condition, causing pain, swelling and limited movement. Osteoarthritis...

10/24/2025

Should a Child’s Meniscus Tear Be Left Alone?

Dr. Vidal says: “It depends.” Factors include:
· Tear size & location
· Blood supply to the tissue
· Pain & swelling levels

Why it matters: The lateral meniscus is highly sensitive. Severe damage or complete loss can lead to early arthritis. Early repair or transplantation protects the knee and supports healthy growth.

What is a Meniscus Tear? The knee is made up of three bones, the femur (thigh bone), tibia (shin) and patella (kneecap). The knee has soft tissue that connects these bones and holds them in place. Between the femur and the tibia are two C-shaped discs of cartilage called the meniscus. They act as sh...

10/22/2025

Think Colorado just added a new 14er? 🏔️
The data hints yes, but the summit isn’t officially classified yet. Would you hike it anyway?

While the data itself suggests a new peak designation nay be in order, the summit has not officially been declared a “new” 14er. So, technically, it’s not categorized yet as such. And experts don’t seem to be in a rush to do so.

10/21/2025

10/19/2025

Where do resident physicians end up after training? The latest American Medical Associationsurvey breaks it down by specialty and some surprises might change how you think about your next move.

Latest AMA survey data shows how many resident physicians plan to stay put after GME—and sheds light on the specialties most likely to do so.

10/17/2025

Kids aren’t just “small adults” when it comes to ACL surgery.

Their growth plates are still open, so surgery and rehab must protect those areas while rebuilding stability.

That’s why pediatric ACL reconstruction requires a specialist’s touch.

What causes an ACL tear in children? ACL injuries in children and teens are on the rise in the United States and are one of the most common injuries in pediatric sports medicine. Everyone’s perception is that these injuries result from a direct impact to the knee – but most of these

10/15/2025

A dislocated knee is a serious injury that often involves nerve damage up to 35% of cases.

Common symptoms include:
▪️Severe pain
▪️Numbness below the knee
▪️Crooked or deformed appearance
▪️Weak or absent pulse behind the knee

What is a dislocated knee? It sounds horrible and can be quite painful but luckily, knee dislocations are fairly uncommon. When they do happen, however, this complex knee injury is extremely serious. A dislocated knee occurs when the femur (thigh bone) and tibia (shin bone) are forced out of their c...

10/14/2025

Why does knee alignment matter?

Being bow-legged (varus) or knock-kneed (valgus) isn’t automatically bad news — it’s actually part of what makes us unique.

But alignment does affect how force travels through your knee. If that load line (from hip ➡️ ankle) passes more through one side, that compartment bears more stress and that’s where problems can start if you develop a meniscal or cartilage injury.

So it’s not about “perfect” alignment, it’s about how your knees handle load over time. https://armandovidalmd.com/malalignment-knock-knee-bow-legged-orthopedic-knee-specialist-vail-aspen-denver-colorado/

What is Malalignment of the knee? Malalignment is a complex topic and can occur in and of the three (X,Y Z) planes. For this section, we will focus on the most common malalignment – the coronal or frontal plane. In the ideal setting, if we drew a line from the center of your hip to the center

10/13/2025

From “traumatic experience” to transformation, Victor Wembanyama turned a health scare into his biggest summer of growth yet.

A "traumatic experience" with deep vein thrombosis prompted a summer of exploration for the Spurs star.