Whether you’re a high-school, college or elite athlete — or just like to stay physically active — the Sports Medicine Program at Tufts Medical Center in downtown Boston can help you return to action following an injury. Our specialists are not only experienced orthopedic surgeons, they’re also team physicians and former college athletes.
Matthew Salzler, MD, our program chief, worked with professional athletes as a team physician for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Penguins and is currently a team physician for Tufts University, Emerson College, Fisher College, the Quincy Militia semi-pro football team, as well as Cathedral, Quincy, and North Quincy High Schools. A former collegiate rower and recent triathlete, he understands the mindset of athletes. He is actively engaged in advancing the field of sports medicine through research, teaching, and his involvement with the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine. He frequently teaches advanced arthroscopic techniques to surgeons from all over the globe through the Arthroscopy Association of North America. He specializes in sports medicine, including arthroscopy and reconstructive procedures of the knee, shoulder, and hip.
When you come to our program, you’ll get to know your sports medicine physicians well. Drs. Salzler will manage your care, and if you need surgery, perform your procedure personally.
We treat the complete range of athletic injuries
Our team has years of experience in diagnosing and treating the full range of injuries and chronic conditions affecting athletes and the physically active. Additionally, we help many people hurt at work return to their jobs, including firefighters, police officers and construction workers.
Drs. Salzler's extensive experience and training covers advanced surgical and non-surgical treatment, and every year we perform hundreds of minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery for knees, shoulders and ankles.
The spectrum of care we cover includes:
- Knee ligament injuries (ACL, LCL, MCL and PCL )
- Meniscus surgery, such as repairs
- Patellofemoral disorders, such as “runner’s knee”
- Achilles and other lower extremity tendon repairs
- Cartilage restoration and joint preservation
- Osteotomy for early onset of arthritis
- Rotator cuff repairs
- Shoulder dislocations and instability
- Shoulder arthritis and shoulder replacements
- Throwing injuries
We’ll help you to get back in the game — and stay there
Here is where our experience as athletes and team physicians comes into play: we’ll not only treat your injury but develop a personalized care plan to cover every aspect of your health needed to return to peak performance. Your plan will include rehabilitation at our nearby Physical Therapy Department, or we can contact your local physical therapist so you can follow your plan close to home.
Additionally, we’ll advise you about preventing injury and design a specialized program to help increase your performance in the sports you’re passionate about.
Best of all, it doesn't take weeks to make an appointment to see the same doctors who treat professional and Olympic athletes. For all sports-related problems, we see most patients within a week.
