Category Orthopedics
Orthopedic and sports medicine articles from Empire’s board-certified surgeons — knee, shoulder, hip, and joint conditions, arthroscopy, ACL and rotator cuff care, PRP, and injury recovery.
Chondromalacia Patella (Runner’s Knee): Symptoms and Treatment
Chondromalacia patella (runner's knee) causes aching at the front of the knee. Learn the symptoms, causes, and the exercises and treatments that settle it down.
Is a Knee Replacement Worth It? What to Consider
Is a knee replacement worth it? For the right person it's one of the most successful operations there is. Who benefits, who should wait, and what to try first.
Tennis Elbow vs. Golfer’s Elbow: What’s the Difference?
Tennis elbow hurts on the outer elbow; golfer's elbow on the inner elbow. Learn how to tell them apart, what causes each, and how both are treated.
Knee Osteoarthritis: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
Knee osteoarthritis causes pain with activity, stiffness, and grinding. Learn the symptoms, causes, and treatments — from weight management and injections to surgery.
Trigger Finger: Why It Locks and How to Fix It
Trigger finger makes a finger catch, click, or lock when you bend it. Learn why it happens and how to fix it — from rest and splinting to injections and a quick release.
Frozen Shoulder: Stages, Timeline, and Treatment
Frozen shoulder moves through three stages and can last a year or more. Learn the timeline, symptoms, and treatments — from stretching and injections to release surgery.
Carpal Tunnel at Night: Why It’s Worse and What Helps
Carpal tunnel is often worst at night. Learn why numb, tingling fingers wake you — and the splints, sleep positions, and treatments that bring relief.
Shoulder Arthritis: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment Options
Shoulder arthritis causes deep aching, stiffness, and grinding that worsen over time. Learn the symptoms, causes, and treatment options — from therapy and injections to surgery.
Does Meniscus Surgery Lead to Knee Replacement?
In this article The short answer Why meniscus surgery can raise arthritis risk Repair vs. removal: why it matters How to lower your long-term risk Who still benefits from surgery When to see a specialist Frequently asked questions If you’re…
Arthroscopic Knee Surgery Recovery Timeline
A week-by-week guide to knee arthroscopy recovery: the first days after surgery, when you can drive and return to work, and how to support healing.
Torn Meniscus: Exercises to Avoid and Recovery
A patient guide to torn meniscus recovery: which exercises and movements to avoid, conservative care, and realistic recovery timelines including after surgery.
Do You Need Surgery for a Torn Meniscus?
A torn meniscus doesn't always need surgery. Here's when rest and physical therapy are enough, when surgery is recommended, and how meniscus repair differs from a partial meniscectomy — including recovery times.
Rotator Cuff Strain vs. Tear vs. Frozen Shoulder: How to Tell the Difference
Rotator cuff strain, tear, or frozen shoulder? The quick tell is stiffness vs. weakness — and whether someone can move your arm for you. Here's how to spot the difference and when to see a specialist.
Rotator Cuff Surgery Recovery: What Actually Happens, Week by Week
The operation is the easy part. About 23% of patients are driving at one month, 70% by two, 99% by six — and the 12-week mark predicts your outcome a year out better than anything else. The real rotator cuff recovery timeline, week by week.
Why Your Shoulder Hurts More at Night — and What Helps
Night pain affects 91–93% of people with rotator cuff injuries — it's the symptom that finally brings people in. Here's why the shoulder gets worse at 2 a.m., what actually helps you sleep tonight, and when it's time to stop managing it yourself.
Can You Heal a Torn Rotator Cuff Without Surgery?
A torn rotator cuff tendon won't reattach on its own — but that isn't the same as needing surgery. In a 452-patient study, about 75% of people with full-thickness tears avoided surgery with physical therapy. Here's what the evidence says, and when repair is the better call.
Do You Actually Need Surgery for a Meniscus Tear?
Not every meniscus tear needs an operation. What separates a traumatic tear from a degenerative one, what the five-year ESCAPE trial found when it compared surgery against physical therapy, and the one symptom that changes the answer.
Knee Arthroscopy: What to Expect from Minimally Invasive Knee Surgery
What a knee arthroscopy actually looks like from the patient's side: the appointment before, surgery day start to finish, the first week, and a recovery timeline that depends almost entirely on whether your meniscus was trimmed or repaired.
Ski & Winter Sports Knee Injuries: ACL, MCL, and Meniscus
Medically reviewed by Jeffrey Guttman, MD — Orthopedic Surgeon, Sports Medicine Skiing and snowboarding put the knee in positions almost nothing else does: a fixed boot, a long lever arm, and a twisting fall at speed. That combination is why…
Returning to Sports After Knee Surgery: A Safe Timeline
Medically reviewed by Jeffrey Guttman, MD — Orthopedic Surgeon, Sports Medicine Nine months after knee surgery, most people feel fine. They can jog, squat, climb stairs, and go through a workout without thinking about it. That’s exactly when the temptation…
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