Sports Medicine in Butler, PA
Get Back in the Game With Sports Medicine
Getting hurt can be part of playing sports, but it doesn't have to mean the end of your season, or your weekend hobby. Dr. Anthony Mustovich treats sports injuries across ages and activity levels, whether it's a high school athlete with an ACL or meniscus tear, a competitive athlete with an unstable shoulder, or an active adult dealing with a stubborn tendon or overuse injury.
Treatment is tailored to the injury and what you want to get back to doing. That may mean physical therapy, activity modification, bracing, medications, or an injection, including PRP when appropriate. When surgery is the right treatment, Dr. Mustovich performs arthroscopic and reconstructive procedures for common knee and shoulder sports injuries. The goal isn't simply to get you back as quickly as possible; it's to get you back safely and with the strength, stability, and confidence your activity demands.
For Dr. Mustovich, sports medicine and joint replacement are two sides of the same mission: keeping people moving at every stage of life. His early orthopedic experience in the U.S. Army Medical Corps included treating sports injuries and other musculoskeletal conditions in a young, active, high-demand population, an experience that continues to shape the way he cares for active patients today.
Request an appointment below to have your injury evaluated and find the right path back to the activities that matter to you.
Knowing When to Get It Checked
Do You Need to See a Sports Medicine Doctor?
Pain after activity doesn't always mean something is seriously injured, and many minor aches and strains improve with rest and activity modification. But persistent pain, significant swelling, weakness, loss of motion, catching or locking, or a joint that feels unstable are good reasons to have an injury evaluated.
Some injuries deserve earlier attention, particularly after a significant twist, fall, collision, or other traumatic event. Difficulty bearing weight, rapid swelling, a noticeable loss of strength, a joint that gives way, or an inability to continue your usual activity may indicate more than a minor sprain or strain.
Getting evaluated doesn't necessarily mean you'll need surgery, or even an MRI. The first step is understanding what was injured, how severe it is, and what treatment gives you the best path back to your activity.
What Actually Happens When You Come In
What to Expect From Treatment
Evaluation and Diagnosis
Dr. Mustovich starts by understanding how the injury happened, what symptoms you're experiencing, and what you're trying to get back to doing. A physical examination can provide important information about strength, motion, stability, and which structures may be injured.
Imaging is used when it will help clarify the diagnosis or guide treatment. Depending on the injury, that may include X-rays to evaluate the bones and joint or an MRI to look more closely at structures such as ligaments, tendons, cartilage, or the meniscus. The goal is to put your symptoms, examination, and imaging together rather than treating an MRI finding by itself.
Nonsurgical Treatment First
Many sports injuries can be treated without surgery. Depending on the diagnosis, treatment may include activity modification, physical therapy, bracing, medications, or an injection. The goal is to reduce symptoms, restore strength and function, and help you return to activity without an operation when surgery isn't necessary.
PRP therapy may also be considered for certain musculoskeletal conditions when appropriate. PRP uses a concentrated portion of your own blood and is injected into the area being treated. Evidence and expected benefit vary depending on the condition, so Dr. Mustovich recommends it selectively rather than as a one-size-fits-all treatment for sports injuries.
When Surgery Is the Right Call
Some sports injuries are more likely to require surgery, particularly when they cause persistent instability, significant weakness or loss of function, or when the demands of your sport make returning safely without surgery less likely.
For example, ACL reconstruction may be appropriate for an athlete who wants to return to cutting and pivoting sports, while surgery may also be considered for certain meniscus tears, recurrent shoulder instability, or rotator cuff injuries based on the type of tear, symptoms, function, and activity goals.
When surgery is appropriate, Dr. Mustovich performs arthroscopic and reconstructive procedures for common knee and shoulder sports injuries. The decision is individualized to the injury and the athlete rather than based on the MRI alone.
Getting Back to Your Sport
What Recovery Looks Like
Recovery depends on what was injured, how severe the injury is, and how it's treated. A relatively minor sprain or overuse injury may improve quickly with activity modification and rehabilitation, while recovery after ligament reconstruction, rotator cuff repair, or other reconstructive surgery can take many months.
Dr. Mustovich builds return-to-sport decisions around the demands of the activity and your progress during rehabilitation, not simply a date on the calendar. A pitcher's shoulder has different demands than a lineman's, just as a distance runner's knee is tested differently than a soccer player's. Strength, motion, stability, control, and the ability to safely perform sport-specific movements all matter when deciding when you're ready to return.
For major injuries such as an ACL reconstruction, return to unrestricted cutting and pivoting sports commonly takes nine to twelve months or longer and should be based on recovery milestones rather than time alone. Other injuries and procedures have their own timelines based on what needs to heal and the activity you're returning to.
The goal isn't the fastest possible return. It's getting you back when your body is ready for what you're asking it to do.
What to Know About Coverage
Understanding the Cost of Sports Medicine Care
The cost of sports medicine care depends on the evaluation and treatment you need and your individual insurance coverage. Office visits, imaging, physical therapy, bracing, injections, and surgery may each be subject to different deductibles, copays, coinsurance, or other plan requirements.
Insurance plans commonly provide coverage for medically necessary evaluation and treatment of sports injuries when applicable coverage requirements are met. Some treatments, including PRP therapy, may have limited or no insurance coverage depending on your plan and the condition being treated.
If you have questions about your coverage or expected costs, please contact our office. You can also visit our insurance page for information about plans accepted through West Virginia University.
Sports Medicine for an Active Life
You Don't Have to Be a Professional Athlete to Need Sports Medicine
Sports medicine isn't just for competitive athletes. It's for anyone whose injury is keeping them from doing something physically important to them, whether that's competing on a field, running a race, skiing, lifting weights, playing a round of golf, or simply staying active on the weekend.
Dr. Mustovich treats athletes and active patients across ages and activity levels, from teenagers with ACL and meniscus injuries to adults dealing with shoulder problems, tendon injuries, and the wear and tear that can come with years of staying active.
The activity may be different, but the goal is the same: understand what your body needs to do, treat the injury appropriately, and build a safe path back to doing it.
The Surgeon Who Keeps You in the Game
Dr. Anthony Mustovich, Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon
Dr. Anthony Mustovich is a board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. His background includes more than a decade of service in the U.S. Army Medical Corps, where much of his early orthopedic experience involved treating sports injuries and other musculoskeletal conditions in a young, active, high-demand population.
That experience continues to shape his sports medicine practice today. Dr. Mustovich treats athletic injuries both nonsurgically and surgically, including ACL and meniscus injuries, rotator cuff tears, shoulder instability, and other knee and shoulder conditions. When surgery is appropriate, his practice includes arthroscopic and reconstructive procedures designed to restore function and help patients return safely to the activities that matter to them.
Whether the goal is returning to competition, getting back to a favorite sport, or simply staying active without an injury getting in the way, Dr. Mustovich approaches treatment with the same question: what does this patient need their body to do, and what is the best path to getting them there?
Frequently Asked Questions
Many minor aches, strains, and overuse injuries improve with rest and activity modification. An evaluation is worthwhile when pain persists, keeps returning, or begins limiting your ability to train, compete, work, or stay active. You should also consider being evaluated sooner after an injury if you develop significant swelling, weakness, loss of motion, difficulty bearing weight, catching or locking, or a joint that feels unstable or gives way. Seeing an orthopedic surgeon doesn't necessarily mean you need surgery. The first step is determining what was injured and what treatment gives you the best path back to your activity.
No. Many sports injuries can be treated successfully without surgery using activity modification, physical therapy, bracing, medications, or injections when appropriate. The right treatment depends on what was injured, how severe the injury is, your symptoms, and the activities you want to return to. Surgery may be appropriate when an injury causes persistent instability, significant weakness or loss of function, or when the demands of your sport make successful return without surgery less likely. Certain ACL tears, meniscus injuries, recurrent shoulder instability, and rotator cuff tears are examples where surgery may be considered depending on the individual situation. Dr. Mustovich's goal is not to operate on every sports injury. It's to determine which treatment gives you the best opportunity to recover and safely return to the activities that matter to you.
Recovery after ACL reconstruction is a progression rather than a single return-to-sport date. Rehabilitation begins with restoring motion, controlling swelling, rebuilding strength, and normalizing walking, followed by progressive running, jumping, cutting, and sport-specific training. For athletes returning to unrestricted cutting and pivoting sports, recovery commonly takes nine to twelve months or longer. The exact timeline depends on the individual athlete, the demands of the sport, and whether other injuries, such as a meniscus or cartilage injury, were treated at the same time. Dr. Mustovich and your rehabilitation team use recovery milestones such as strength, stability, movement control, and sport-specific function to help determine when you're ready to return. The goal is not simply to reach a certain month after surgery, but to make sure the knee is prepared for the demands of your sport.
PRP, or platelet-rich plasma, may be an option for certain sports-related and overuse conditions, particularly some tendon problems and other musculoskeletal conditions where evidence suggests it may help reduce pain and improve function. PRP is prepared from a small sample of your own blood, which is processed to concentrate the platelets before being injected into the area being treated. Results vary depending on the diagnosis, and PRP isn't appropriate for every injury or a substitute for surgery when an injury truly requires surgical treatment. Dr. Mustovich recommends PRP selectively based on the condition, available evidence, previous treatment, and your individual goals.
Not every sports injury requires an MRI. Many injuries can be diagnosed or initially treated based on how the injury happened, your symptoms, a physical examination, and X-rays when appropriate. An MRI may be helpful when Dr. Mustovich needs a closer look at structures such as ligaments, tendons, cartilage, or the meniscus, or when the results could change the treatment plan. For injuries such as an ACL tear, rotator cuff tear, or certain meniscus and labral injuries, MRI can provide important information about the extent of the injury and other structures that may also be involved. The goal is to order advanced imaging when it will provide useful information—not simply because you've been injured.
Request an appointment online or call our office to schedule an evaluation with Dr. Mustovich. He'll evaluate your injury, activity level, and goals to determine the diagnosis and whether nonsurgical treatment or surgery offers the best path back to the activities that matter to you.