An injury can derail months or years of training in a single moment. For competitive athletes, recreational athletes, and active patients of any age, the priority after a sports injury is the same: an accurate diagnosis, a treatment plan built around your sport and your goals, and a return-to-play decision made on objective criteria rather than a calendar.
Dr. Steven Chudik built the Sports Medicine Injury Clinic in Westmont, Illinois around that principle. He is a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist who treats athletes from peewee to professional. He has developed multiple arthroscopic surgical techniques now used internationally — including a growth-plate-sparing pediatric ACL reconstruction that allows skeletally immature athletes to be treated safely without waiting years for the growth plates to close.
Who Dr. Chudik Treats
- Competitive and recreational athletes of all ages
- Youth, adolescent, and adult patients
- Patients with acute sports injuries and chronic overuse conditions
- Active patients seeking return-to-sport evaluation after injury or surgery
Common Sports Injuries
Sports injuries cluster by mechanism: acute traumatic injuries from collisions, pivots, or falls; overuse injuries from repetitive loading; and growth-related injuries in young athletes whose skeletons are still developing. Dr. Chudik treats all three patterns across the shoulder, knee, elbow, ankle, and lower extremity.
Knee Sports Injuries
- Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury
- Pediatric ACL Injury
- Failed ACL Reconstruction
- Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) Injury
- Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) Injury
- Meniscus Tears
- Cartilage Injuries
- Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD)
- Patellar Dislocation and Instability
- Patellar Tendon Rupture
- Quadriceps Tendon Rupture
- Distal Hamstring Rupture
- Stress Fracture About the Knee
Shoulder Sports Injuries
- Rotator Cuff Tear
- Subscapularis Rotator Cuff Tear
- Superior Labrum (SLAP) Tear
- Anterior Bankart Tear
- Posterior Bankart Tear
- Shoulder Instability (Anterior, Posterior, Multidirectional, Micro-instability)
- Glenohumeral Dislocation
- Acromioclavicular Joint Sprain (Separated Shoulder)
- Proximal Biceps Tendon Rupture
- Pectoralis Major Tendon Rupture
- Shoulder Impingement and Internal Impingement
- Clavicle and Proximal Humerus Fractures
Throwing and Overhead Injuries
- Little League Shoulder (Growth Plate Stress Injury)
- Little League Elbow
- Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) Injury and Tommy John Surgery
- Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD) of the Elbow
- Valgus Extension Overload
- Internal Impingement of the Shoulder
Elbow and Upper Arm Sports Injuries
- Distal Biceps Tendon Rupture
- Triceps Tendon Rupture
- Medial Epicondylitis (Golfer’s Elbow)
- Lateral Epicondylitis (Tennis Elbow)
- Elbow Dislocation and Instability
- Olecranon Bursitis
- Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
Ankle and Lower Extremity Sports Injuries
- Achilles Tendon Rupture
- Ankle Sprains and Syndesmosis Injuries
- Ankle Instability
- Cartilage Injuries and Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Ankle
- Peroneal Tendon Injuries
- Stress Fractures of the Foot and Ankle
- Shin Splints and Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome
- Exertional Compartment Syndrome
Common Sports Injury Treatments and Procedures
Many sports injuries respond to non-surgical management: structured physical therapy, activity modification, targeted injections, bracing, and a progressive return-to-sport program. When surgery is needed, Dr. Chudik uses arthroscopic techniques whenever the clinical situation allows, because less soft-tissue disruption generally means a faster, more complete return to sport.
Featured procedures include:
- Arthroscopic ACL Reconstruction
- Pediatric Growth-Plate-Sparing ACL Reconstruction — developed by Dr. Chudik
- Revision ACL Reconstruction — developed by Dr. Chudik
- Arthroscopic Meniscus Repair and Transplant
- Arthroscopic Cartilage Repair and Restoration
- Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair
- Arthroscopic Bankart and SLAP Repair
- AC Joint Separation Repair and Reconstruction — developed by Dr. Chudik
- Tunnelless Distal Biceps Tendon Repair
- Achilles Tendon Repair
- Fracture Fixation for Sports-Related Trauma
Return to Play
A symptom-free knee or shoulder is not the same as a sport-ready one. Returning an athlete to competition before the tissue, strength, and neuromuscular control have caught up to subjective comfort is one of the most common causes of re-injury. Dr. Chudik’s return-to-play decisions are based on objective criteria: tissue healing on imaging, restored range of motion, strength symmetry compared to the uninjured side, functional movement testing, and sport-specific demands.
The goal is not only return to sport. It is durable return — avoiding the secondary injury, the re-tear, and the chronic changes that shorten an athletic career.
Why Athletes Choose Dr. Chudik
Dr. Chudik has treated athletes across every level of competition for more than twenty years. He has developed surgical techniques that specifically address the gaps in sports medicine for young athletes — including the growth-plate-sparing ACL reconstruction that allows pediatric athletes to be treated during the injury rather than waiting until skeletal maturity. He is a US News & World Report Top Doctor in orthopaedics and performs over 500 procedures annually.
Clinically, that translates to experience with the cases general orthopaedic practices refer out: pediatric ACL injuries, multi-ligament knee injuries, revision sports surgery, throwing-related shoulder and elbow injuries, and complex cartilage and meniscal reconstruction.
Sports Medicine Care in the Chicago Area
The Sports Medicine Injury Clinic is located in Westmont, Illinois, with additional offices in Western Springs, Hinsdale, and Downers Grove. The Westmont office has on-site high-field MRI and X-ray imaging, so athletes with acute injuries can often be diagnosed and imaged on the same visit. Dr. Chudik sees patients from across the Chicago metropolitan area, northwest Indiana, and the broader Midwest.
Request a Sports Injury Evaluation
If an acute injury, overuse pain, or a return-to-sport question is standing between you and your activity, schedule an evaluation. Call 630-324-0402 or request an appointment online.
Learn More About Sports Medicine
- Sports injury anatomy and injury mechanisms
- Frequently asked questions about sports injury treatment and return to play
- Patient stories