Armando Vidal, MD

02/25/2026

AFC West teams have big offseason decisions ahead:
▪️Chiefs need offensive reinforcements to reclaim the top spot.
▪️Broncos need to build around Bo Nix to stay in the fight.
If you were a GM, which team would you invest in first? 🏈

The Chiefs need to make offensive investments to regain their spot atop the division, while the Broncos need to add weapons around Bo Nix.

02/24/2026

Articular cartilage protects the ends of bones inside the knee joint. When injury or trauma occurs, this smooth surface can become damaged.

Over time, natural wear and tear may also break down cartilage, progressing from softening to fissures, and finally to full-thickness loss. When cartilage wears away completely, exposed bone can lead to osteoarthritis.

What is Articular Cartilage? Articular cartilage is the tough, smooth white tissue that covers the ends of the bones where they come together to form joints. It is one of the most highly specialized tissues in the human body and facilitates almost frictionless movement of your joints. In fact, the c...

02/19/2026

02/18/2026

Thinking about joint preservation? Key procedures include:
🔹 Cartilage repair: tailored to lesion size, location, and bone involvement
🔹 Osteotomy: realigns tibia or femur to shift load
🔹 Meniscus transplant: restores load distribution
🔹 Ligament reconstruction: stabilizes knee for lasting repair

Here is what else you should know ⬇️

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...

02/17/2026

Partial meniscectomy = targeted knee relief.
✅ Removes only frayed/rough meniscus
✅ Repairs viable tissue
✅ Preserves shock-absorbing function
Over 750,000 procedures/year in the U.S.

More info ⬇️

What is the anatomy of a meniscus? Each knee has two menisci which are wedge-shaped fibrocartilage discs that act as shock absorbers. The peripheral third of each meniscus has a blood supply which facilitates healing and influences our decision on whether to repair or resect the torn portion. The in...

02/12/2026

In kids, the bone gives way.
In adults, the ligament does.

That’s why tibial spine fractures are common in adolescents but rare in skeletally mature adults. After growth plate fusion, only high-energy trauma, like severe car accidents or extreme sports injuries, can cause this type of fracture.

What is a Tibial Eminence (Tibial Spine) Fracture? Also called the tibial spine, the tibial eminence is the attachment site of the anterior cruciate ligament in the knee. This bony attachment at the top of the tibia (shin bone) can fracture or break if a child falls from a bicycle or is injured whil...

02/11/2026

Who qualifies for a meniscus transplant?
✅ Symptomatic meniscal deficiency without arthritis
✅ Part of a joint preservation strategy
✅ Rarely, revision ACL surgery if meniscus deficiency contributed

Candidates must meet strict criteria: intact cartilage,

What is a meniscus? The knee joint is made up three bones that meet and form the knee joint. These bones are the femur (thigh bone), tibia (shinbone) and the patella (kneecap). The patella sits in front of the joint to provide protection. The ends of the bones are covered with a slippery substance c...

02/10/2026

You could feel it in training camp, this group was special. Not hype, not luck, but belief. That’s what made the Seahawks more than contenders…it made them champions.

Those inside Seattle saw the potential of Mike Macdonald’s group well before the team was labeled as title contenders.

02/08/2026

We don’t all watch the Super Bowl for the same reason…
🏈 Football
🍕 Food
📺 Commercials
🎤 Halftime show

Which one are you here for?

02/06/2026

Want to lower your risk of an ACL tear? Focus on what you can control 👇
✔️ Proper landing mechanics after jumping
✔️ Bend at hips and knees during pivoting or cutting
✔️ Strengthen quads and hamstrings which work together to protect the knee
✔️ Train and condition year-round for your sport

Prevention starts with movement quality.

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...

02/04/2026

Articular cartilage injuries may look similar on imaging—but biology tells a different story.

Children have improved intrinsic cartilage healing, while adults often sustain degenerative injuries associated with osteoarthritis, making treatment more challenging.

Personalized care starts with understanding age-related differences.

What is the Articular Cartilage? Articular cartilage is a complex, living tissue that lines the bony surface at the end of a joint. Its job is to make the bones glide smoothly against each other while moving or bearing weight. In children, articular cartilage injuries are usually caused from trauma....

01/30/2026

Myth or Fact? Women are more likely to tear their ACL than men.

✅ Fact. Female athletes are 3–5x more likely to sustain an ACL injury.
Why? Not because of effort or toughness—but largely due to biomechanics: how the body moves, lands, and decelerates.

The good news? Biomechanics are modifiable, and that matters for both recovery and prevention. https://armandovidalmd.com/acl-reconstruction-orthopedic-surgeon-vail-aspen-denver-colorado/

What is an ACL? Those 3 dreaded letters….ACL. Every athlete fears hearing them but regrettably ACL injury is part of sporting activities. Thankfully techniques to repair and reconstruct the ACL have advanced considerably in the past few years and as such, our ability to return an athlete to sport ...