Sports Medicine

Sports medicine is a division of medicine that focuses on athletic performance and the treatment and prevention of injuries related to these activities. While sports medicine has been traditionally practiced on athletes at the highest level, in recent years these treatments have become common for all types of patients, athletic or not.

As one of Richmond’s most prominent sports medicine physicians, Dr. Nordt is fellowship trained in sports medicine, knee and shoulder surgery. He has been the sports medicine physician for the Olympic training camp and traveled with the women’s Olympic ski team as the team physician as well as serving as the team doctor for many high school, college and professional sports teams in Richmond and beyond. Dr. Nordt has also lectured and researched in athletic injuries to the knee and shoulder for much of his career. Most recently, he has devoted his time to the understanding of the long term degenerative effects of sports injuries in the aging individual.

As athletes, we know that sports-related injuries can and do happen, but they don’t have to be your reason for giving up the activities that you’re passionate about. Dr. Nordt’s goal is to provide thorough and effective treatments that will allow you to return to the activities you love, while preventing future injuries from happening.

Whether it’s helping an experienced marathon runner return to exercising after a knee replacement, or helping a wrestler get back full-mobility after a rotator cuff injury, Dr. Nordt has a true passion for supporting and treating athletes of all kinds, and he is very proud to bring his extensive knowledge to the people of Richmond.

So if you’re looking for treatment for a sports-related injury, having one of the most knowledgeable and experienced sports medicine physicians in Richmond can make all the difference. Contact Dr. Nordt today, and we’ll do everything we can to get you on the road to recovery and back to the activities you love.

Do you suffer from joint pain in your knees, hips or shoulders?  You’re not alone. In fact, an estimated two million of all ages are affected by cartilage injuries each year. In the past, debilitating cartilage injuries were treated ineffectively, and standard surgery only offered unsatisfactory relief. This is why Dr. Nordt developed the Virginia Cartilage Center.

As founder and director of the Virginia Cartilage Center – a specialized program for the treatment of cartilage injuries of the knee – Dr. Nordt is on the cutting edge of cartilage restoration and regeneration treatments in Richmond, Virginia and beyond.

The program emphasizes a comprehensive approach to cartilage damage:

  • appropriate diet and weight management
  • the facts about nutritional supplementation
  • specialized exercise and rehabilitation
  • advanced surgical procedures

Cartilage damage comes in many forms and unfortunately, there is no “one-size-fits-all” treatment. In fact, there are many surgical procedures that can address damaged cartilage.  The specific procedure that your surgeon recommends is based on a variety of factors. As a leader in cartilage restoration, Dr. Nordt will carefully assess the many and complex factors when deciding on an individualized plan for the surgical treatment of your cartilage damage.

Who is Cartilage Regeneration For?

Regenerating cartilage is a difficult biological task.  The smaller the amount of surface damage, the greater the likelihood that a lesion can be restored.  Age also plays a role.  In younger patients, the body possesses greater natural healing capacity.  Therefore, younger patients with smaller lesions are more amenable to cartilage restoration procedures.  The opposite is true for larger lesions in older individuals.  In the most extreme situations where a joint has long been “bone-on-bone,” cartilage restoration procedures are generally not recommended.

What Patients Can Expect

Various cartilage repair procedures are now available and more are sure to come.  Certain procedures are suitable for specific types of cartilage damage.  One must be aware that there are two steps to a cartilage repair procedure. The first step is the process of surgically repairing the area of cartilage damage while the second involves nature healing and incorporating the area of repair.    It is this second step that is often the most critical and unpredictable.  Successful recovery from a cartilage procedure often requires a period of non-weight-bearing and rehabilitation to follow.  New cartilage takes several months to mature and establish itself.