Athletic Injuries The term "sports medicine" has gained a tremendous amount of emphasis in recent years. Initially it was believed to be the treatment of high end profession athletes' injuries. A more modern approach is the application of scientific approaches to the recovery from injury. The great impetus for returning athletes to participation without endangering their bodies has been the use of rehabilitation starting with the injury. These same principles can apply to the recreational athlete or the injured worker. The other area of emphasis has been the realization that the prevention of injuries is an essential part of the treatment of the athlete. The use of proper training methods, including weight training combined with flexibility has been felt by many to not only enhance performance but also to decrease the rate of significant injuries. One of the great assets of physicians who practice sports medicine has been the use of arthroscopy to treat problems within various joints of the body. The beginnings of this procedure date to 1918 when Professor Kenji Takagi of Tokyo University performed the first successful arthroscopy of the human knee. This was performed on a cadaver knee. One year later Dr. Eugene Bircher became the first physician to use arthroscopy on live patients. The arthroscope became further improved by Dr. Masaki Watanabi, a student of Takagi made several improvements. Although the arthroscope was initially used in knees it now has applications in shoulders, elbows, ankles and other joints such as the hip. The great advantage of this technique is that there is less tissue damage allowing faster recovery and shorter or no hospital stays. In addition to skills with the arthroscope the modern sports medicine physician has a much more scientific understanding of the injuries particular to certain sports and the rehabilitation necessary to return to individual sports. His knowledge can also help you get back to the job and your own recreation more promptly.