Sports injuries

Our orthopaedic teams diagnose and repair the injuries that sport and exercise cause, from a sprained ankle to a torn knee ligament. We run dedicated knee and upper limb services for the joints most often hurt in sport. Our sports surgeons use keyhole techniques and ligament reconstruction, backed by physiotherapy-led rehabilitation, and most injuries need no operation at all.

What are sports injuries?

Sports injuries are damage to the body's moving parts, its muscles, ligaments, tendons and bones, caused by sport or exercise. Some happen in a moment, like a twisted ankle or a torn knee ligament; others build up over time, such as tennis elbow or a stress fracture. Orthopaedic care handles the structural side, repairing what's torn or broken, while sport and exercise medicine leads the non-surgical side. Most injuries settle with rest and physiotherapy, with surgery only when it's needed.

When should you see a specialist about a sports injury?

Book an appointment if you notice:

• Joint or muscle pain that does not settle with rest
• Swelling or bruising after an injury
• A knee, ankle or shoulder that feels unstable or gives way
• Pain that returns every time you go back to sport
• Reduced movement or grip after an injury

If a joint or limb looks out of shape after an injury, or you heard a crack and cannot use it, go to your nearest emergency department.

You don't need to wait for the pain to become constant. An injury that keeps you out of training, or one that hasn't healed after a couple of weeks, is worth having checked. Even if the pain has eased, a joint that has felt unstable or given way before is worth reviewing. Catching a problem early often means simpler treatment and a quicker return to sport.

What to expect

At your first visit, the specialist asks how and when the injury happened, whether you could keep playing, and examines the area for movement, strength and stability. Many sports injuries are clear from this alone. When they aren't, imaging helps. An X-ray looks for a broken bone. An MRI or ultrasound scan shows the soft tissue, such as a ligament or tendon.

Most sports injuries are managed without surgery. Early care follows the RICE approach: rest, ice, compression and elevation. Physiotherapy then rebuilds strength and movement. Some injuries respond to a steroid injection. When a ligament is torn or a bone won't heal, keyhole surgery (arthroscopy), ligament reconstruction or fracture fixation may be advised. Your team then guides your return to sport and agrees each step with you.

Sports injury care at Mediclinic

Our orthopaedic teams care for sports injuries at hospitals in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. In Dubai, a dedicated knee service and a separate upper limb service treat ligament injuries such as ACL tears, cartilage and meniscus damage, and shoulder problems from sport. Our Dubai surgeons also treat hip injuries such as labral tears. In Al Ain, our team cares for sports injuries and offers arthroscopic surgery of the knee, shoulder and ankle. Where an injury needs an operation, our surgeons in Dubai and Abu Dhabi rebuild torn ligaments through ACL and PCL reconstruction, backed by physiotherapy-led rehabilitation. We treat people at every level, from weekend runners to competitive athletes.