What's New

Drs. Tortland & Kozar Teach at National Sports Medicine Conference

March 2013 - Drs. Tortland & Kozar were among the core faculty teaching the pre-conference musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSKUS) course at the annual meeting of the American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine.  Dr. Tortland lectured on scanning techniques for the elbow, while Dr. Kozar spoke on wrist & hand ultrasound.  Both physicians also taught the ultrasound-guided injection portion of the program as well.  During the general conference Dr. Kozar conducted a workshop on Osteopathic treatment for concussions, while Dr. Tortland lectured on Testosterone Supplementation.


PRP More Effective for Knee Arthritis

January 2012 - A new study published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine shows that Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injections are more effective for treating knee arthritis than injections of hyaluronic acid. 

Link to study abstract:  http://ajs.sagepub.com/content/40/12/2822.abstract

PRP involves taking some of the patient's own blood, processing it to remove the red blood cells and concentrating the platelets, then re-injecting the platelet concentrate into the affected joint. HA is a synthetic lubricant (Synvisc, Orthovisc, Supartz, Hyalgan, to name just a few), approved for the symptomatic treatment of knee arthritis.

PRP can be effective for osteoarthritis in most joints, not just the knee. It is also excellent for rotator cuff, tennis elbow, and other chronic tendon conditions.

At our practice, we have been doing PRP injections longer than anyone in southern New England, and we are the leaders in PRP and stem cell injection therapies.

Drs. Tortland & Kozar Among First in U.S. to Become Certified in Musculoskeletal Ultrasound

December 2012 - Drs. Tortland & Kozar join an elite group of physicians as part of the first group of doctors in the country to become nationally certified in Musculoskeletal Ultrasound.  The first-ever national certifying exam was held on September 29, 2012.  Physicians were notified whether they passed on December 17.  Certification is granted via the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) and carries the moniker, "R-MSK."

Musculoskeletal Ultrasound (MSKUS) is rapidly becoming a cutting-edge tool for diagnosing soft tissue sports injuries and musculoskeletal problems, such as sprains & strains, rotator cuff problems, plantar fasciits, tennis elbow, nerve entrapments, etc.  In many cases, MSKUS avoids the need for costly and time-consuming MRIs.  MSKUS also is used for guiding injection procedures, markedly enhancing safety, accuracy, and patient comfort.

Drs. Tortland & Kozar are among the nation's leaders both in performing and in teaching MSKUS.

Enhanced Active Release Technique (ART) Treatments Available.

November 2012 - Karen Chase, ATC, Valley Sports Physician's Active Release Techniques® provider, recently added the Long Nerve Entrapment course to her ART certifications. She is now fully certified in Full Body, as well as Long Tract Nerve work and IronMan Provider certifications.  For more information on how Karen and ART can help with your pain, please visit our Active Release page.  Be sure to ask discounts and special promotions!


New Staff Members Join Valley Sports. 

August 2012 - Valley Sports Physicians is pleased to announce the addition of two new clinical staff members.

David Magnussen, PA comes on board as our first Physician Assistant.  David worked for the last 5 years as an orthopedic PA in the Virginia Beach area.  He brings with him not only excellent skills as a PA but also extensive experience as an EMT.  David will be seeing patients together with Drs. Tortland and Kozar.

Alison O'Connor, ATC becomes our newest Athletic Trainer.  Alison most recently was one of the Athletic Trainers at the University of Vermont.  She is also an EMT.  She will be spending the bulk of her time as the Athletic Trainer at Avon High School, but she will also help as a clinical physician extender in our office.


Drs. Tortland & Kozar are first to offer stem cell injections.

Spring 2010 -- Drs. Tortland and Kozar are the first in the state to begin using autologous adult stem cell injections for the treatment of joint arthritis and severe muscle and tendon injuries.  Unlike embryonic stem cells, which so far have failed to yield any useful therapies and actually can cause deadly tumor formation, adult stem cells are currently being used in over 200 successful therapies with minimal risk factors.

Adult stem cells are obtained from several sources, including bone marrow and fat tissue.  The harvested stem cells are then highly concentrated and injected into the damaged area.  Stem cells are undifferentiated cells--they have not become mature specialized cells.  This means they have the potential to become many different types of cells.  "Autologous" means the cells are taken from one part of the body and used in another part of the body of the same person.  Stem cells taken from one person are not used in another person.

Currently Drs. Tortland and Kozar are using stem cell injections either in patients who have seen some response to PRP injections, but want to try a more aggressive approach, or in cases of very large muscle injuries.

Stem cell injections are not covered by insurance.


Drs. Tortland & Kozar teach at ultrasound course.

Jan 15-16, 2010 -- Drs. Tortland and Kozar were among 7 featured faculty teaching at a musculoskeletal ultrasound course held at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.  The course was geared towards training physicians how to perform tendon, ligament and joint injections under ultrasound guidance.  Drs. Tortland and Kozar are on the front line of a growing number of physicians using ultrasound both to insure accuracy of injection and also to improve patient comfort.  The course also featured a demonstration of PRP, or Platelet-Rich Plasma, injections.  PRP is an exciting new treatment option for acute and chronic tendon & ligament injuries and joint arthritis.  Drs. Tortland and Kozar are among the few physicians in the country offering this treatment.


Dr. Tortland accompanies U.S. Figures Skaters to Dresden, Germany.

Sep 29-Oct 4, 2009 -- Dr. Tortland traveled as the Team Physician with the U.S. Figure Skating Team to Dresden, Germany for an international Junior Grand Prix event. The JGP series features each country's top 13-20 year old skaters.  In Germany the U.S. took Gold & Silver in Ladies, and Bronze in both Pairs and Ice Dance.  Dr. Tortland is the only U.S. Figure Skating Team physician in Connecticut, and one of only 2 in New England.


        Dr. Tortland with some members of Team USA


Dr. Tortland with Ice Dance Bronze winners                       Dr. Tortland with Gold & Silver medalists
           Piper Gilles & Zach Taylor                                                 Kiri Baga & Angela Maxwell


Dr. Tortland Featured on Radio Discussing Health Care Reform

8/31/09 -- Dr. Tortland was the featured in-studio guest with radio personality Jim Vicevich on Sound Off Connecticut, Vicevich's daily radio talk show on WTIC AM 1080.

Tortland and Vicevich in studioThe two discussed Health Care Reform for most of the 3-hour show, based in part on Tortland's op-ed article on the same subject that appeared recently in Investor's Business Daily. 

Click here to read Dr. Tortland's IBD op-ed article on Health Care Reform








Dr. Tortland to accompany U.S. Figure Skaters to Germany.

Fall 2009 -- Dr. Tortland, who is a team physician for U.S Figure Skating, has been selected to accompany the team to Dresden, Germany this fall for the international Junior Grand Prix event there.  Dr. Tortland has traveled in previous years with US Figure Skating to France, England, Japan, Croatia, and Hungary

Dr. Tortland teaches at ultrasound course.

June 5-7, 2009 -- Dr. Tortland was a member of the teaching faculty at a musculoskeletal ultrasound course in San Antonio, TX.  The course focused on teaching physicians how to perform ultrasound-guided injections for conditions such as rotator cuff tears and tennis elbow.

Drs. Tortland & Kozar become recertified in Family Practice

Spring 2009 -- Both Drs. Tortland and Kozar took their Family Practice board recertification exam and passed.  The certification is good for 10 years.  Both physicians are board certified in Sports Medicine, and in Family Practice.  Dr. Tortland is also certified in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM), while Dr. Kozar is also certified in Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine (NMM)

Dr. Tortland teaches at national sports medicine conference.

April 1-3, 2009 -- Dr. Tortland presented workshops on Ultrasound-Guided Injection Techniques at the annual meeting of the American Osteopathic Academy of Sports medicine in Snowbird, Utah. The worskhop was one of the most popular at the conference.

Dr. Tortland accompanies U.S. Figure Skating Team to France

August 2008 -- Dr. Tortland served as the team physician for the U.S. Figure Team at the Junior Grand Prix event in Courcheval, France.  Courcheval is a ski resort in the French alps.

Drs. Kozar and Tortland attend Ultrasound training course.

Drs. Kozar and Tortland attended a training course on diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Musculoskeletal ultrasound is quickly emerging as a preferred method for diagnosing damage to soft tissue structures, such as tendons and ligaments. Injuries such as rotator cuff tears, tennis elbow, Achilles tendinitis, and plantar fasciitis can be quickly and accurately diagnosed with ultrasound right in the doctor’s office. Ultrasound can also be used to guide injections since the doctor can “see” exactly where the needle is going and guide it to the specific injury site.

Dr. Tortland travels to England with U.S. Figure Skaters

Dr. Tortland traveled with a contingent of the U.S. Figure Skating Team to Sheffield, England on October 16-22, 2007 where he served as the team physician. The event was the Sheffield Junior Grand Prix, one of eight international Junior Grand Prix competitions.

Dr. Tortland recently accompanied the U.S. Figure Skating Team to an international figure skating competition in Budapest, Hungary.

Valley Sports Physicians’ Dr. Tortland recently accompanied the U.S. Figure Skating Team to an international figure skating competition in Budapest, Hungary. The competition, held August 31 through September 3, was a Junior Grand Prix event, one of eight events in the International Skating Union’s Junior Grand Prix series.
 

High-Dose Vitamin D therapy for musculoskeletal pain.

A recent article in the medical journal Cortland Forum indicated that most doctors do not properly test for vitamin D levels. They mistakenly order 1,25(OH)2D levels, as this is the active form of the vitamin. But this level can be normal or even elevated in vitamin D deficiency. The request must specify “Serum 25(OH) Vitamin D.” This is the best measure of vitamin D activity. The normal range is 20-100, but the authors indicated that anything less than 30 needs to be treated. Calcium absorption rises with increasing 25(OH)D levels. They recommended 50,000 IU of vitamin D3 orally once a week for 8 weeks, after which you may return to a “maintenance” dose of 1200-2000 IU/day. (D3 is the most important form of D.) To put this in perspective, most vitamin D supplements available over the counter contain between 400-1000 IU of D. 50,000 IU Vitamin D3 pills are available by prescription. Improvement is usually noted within 3-6 months. 

Magnesium Intake Increases Bone Density

In a study published in the November 2005 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, researchers found that intake of magnesium through diet and supplements is associated with increased bone density throughout the whole body. Results were most pronounced in older white adults. Over 2,000 black and white men and women, aged 70-79 years old participated. For every 100 mg per day increase in magnesium intake, there was a 1% increase in bone density. Recommended daily amounts of magnesium is 320 mg/day for women and 420 mg/day for men in this age group.

Drs. Kozar and Tortland attend national sports medicine conference.

May 2-6, 2006. Drs. Kozar and Tortland will be attending the annual meeting of the American Osteopathic Association of Sports Medicine (www.aoasm.org) in Scottsdale, AZ. Dr. Kozar will be conducting a workshop, assisted by Dr. Tortland, on Kinetic Chain Considerations in Lower Extremity Sports Injuries. The AOASM is one of the country’s premier sports medicine organizations. Drs. Tortland and Kozar are long-time members.

Drs. Tortland and Kozar attend national orthopedic medicine conference.

April 26-29, 2006. Drs. Tortland and Kozar attended the annual meeting of the American Association of Orthopedic Medicine (www.aaomed.org) in Washington, DC. The theme for the conference was “New Treatments for Sports Injuries.” Dr. Tortland gave a lecture and then a workshop on “Lower Extremity Sports Injuries Response to Prolotherapy.” The AAOM is a professional medical society dedicated to the non-surgical treatment of musculoskeletal injuries and pain. Drs. Tortland and Kozar both are members.

Dr. Tortland travels to Japan with U.S. Figure Skaters

Oct. 17-24, 2005. Dr. Tortland traveled with the U.S. Figure Skating Team to Okaya City, Japan for a Junior Grand Prix figure skating competition. Dr. Tortland is a team physician for USFSA.

Dr. Kozar and Chris Matan travel to Scotland

Sept. 19-26, 2005. Dr. Kozar and one of Valley Sports Physicians’ physical therapists, Chris Matan, attended an international course in Scotland on motor control and musculoskeletal pain. The course focused on muscle firing pattern abnormalities as they relate to chronic pain conditions.