Understanding what might be going on in a painful joint is the first step toward getting better. This guide explains the conditions Dr. Hendel evaluates and treats most often. Click or tap a highlighted region — or use the Tab key and press Enter — to explore each joint.
Tap a gold circle to explore that joint
Select the shoulder, elbow, knee, or ankle on the figure to see the conditions Dr. Hendel most commonly evaluates there.
The Shoulder
The most mobile joint in the body — a ball-and-socket held together by the rotator cuff, labrum, and capsule.
Rotator Cuff Tear
The rotator cuff is a group of four tendons that lift and rotate the arm. Tears can happen suddenly with an injury or develop gradually with age and wear. Small tears sometimes respond to therapy; larger or full-thickness tears often need arthroscopic repair to restore strength.
Typical symptoms: pain reaching overhead or behind the back, night pain lying on that side, weakness lifting the arm.
Learn more about rotator cuff repairShoulder Instability & Dislocation
When the ball slips partly or fully out of the socket, the labrum — the cartilage rim that deepens the socket — often tears. Especially in younger athletes, a first dislocation carries a high chance of happening again, so early evaluation matters.
Typical symptoms: the shoulder feeling loose or "slipping," apprehension with the arm overhead, repeat dislocations.
Learn more about shoulder instabilityShoulder Arthritis
Arthritis means the smooth cartilage covering the ball and socket has worn away, so bone rubs on bone. It usually develops slowly over years. When medications, injections, and therapy no longer control symptoms, shoulder replacement is an established option that relieves pain and improves motion for most patients.
Typical symptoms: deep aching pain, grinding or clicking, progressive stiffness and loss of motion.
Learn more about shoulder replacementThe Elbow
A hinge joint where three bones meet, surrounded by the tendons and ligaments that power the wrist and hand.
Tennis Elbow & Golfer's Elbow
These are overuse injuries of the tendons that anchor the forearm muscles to the elbow — on the outside (tennis elbow) or the inside (golfer's elbow). Despite the names, most cases come from repetitive gripping at work or home, not sports. The large majority improve without surgery through activity modification, therapy, and bracing.
Typical symptoms: pain on the bony outer or inner elbow, worse with gripping, lifting, or twisting motions.
Learn more about sports medicine careThrowing Injuries of the Elbow
Repetitive throwing — especially pitching — stresses the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) on the inner elbow and can also irritate cartilage and growth areas in young athletes. Many throwing injuries respond to rest and a structured throwing program; ligament injuries in high-level throwers sometimes require reconstruction.
Typical symptoms: inner elbow pain during throwing, loss of velocity or control, tingling into the ring and small fingers.
Learn more about sports medicine careThe Knee
The body's largest joint — stabilized by four main ligaments and cushioned by two menisci and a layer of smooth cartilage.
ACL Tear
The anterior cruciate ligament keeps the knee stable during pivoting and cutting. It usually tears with a sudden twist or awkward landing, often with a "pop." Athletes returning to pivoting sports typically benefit from reconstruction, while lower-demand knees can sometimes be managed with rehabilitation.
Typical symptoms: a pop at injury, rapid swelling within hours, and the knee giving way with turns or pivots.
Learn more about ACL reconstructionMeniscus Tear
Each knee has two menisci — C-shaped shock absorbers between the thigh and shin bones. They can tear with a twist in younger patients or through gradual wear in older ones. When the tear pattern allows, repairing the meniscus rather than removing it helps protect the knee from arthritis later.
Typical symptoms: pain along the joint line, catching or clicking, swelling after activity, sometimes locking.
Learn more about meniscus tearsCartilage Injury
The articular cartilage lining the knee is smooth, glassy tissue that lets the joint glide — and it has very little ability to heal itself. Focal cartilage defects from injury can cause pain and swelling in otherwise healthy knees, and modern restoration techniques can fill or resurface these defects.
Typical symptoms: activity-related pain and swelling, catching sensations, discomfort with stairs or squatting.
Learn more about cartilage restorationPatellar Instability
The kneecap (patella) normally glides in a groove on the thigh bone. In some knees it slips partly or fully out of that groove — often toward the outside — tearing the ligament that holds it in place. First-time dislocations are often treated with bracing and therapy; repeat episodes may need surgical stabilization.
Typical symptoms: the kneecap visibly shifting or dislocating, pain in the front of the knee, apprehension with twisting.
Learn more about patellar instabilityThe Ankle
A tightly fitted hinge formed by the tibia, fibula, and talus, stabilized by strong ligament complexes on each side.
Ankle Sprain
A sprain stretches or tears the ligaments that stabilize the ankle — most often the ones on the outside after the foot rolls inward. Most sprains heal well with protection, early motion, and balance retraining, but repeated sprains can leave the ankle chronically unstable and deserve evaluation.
Typical symptoms: swelling and bruising on the outside of the ankle, tenderness, pain with weight-bearing that improves over days.
Learn more about sports medicine careAnkle Fracture
An ankle fracture is a break in one or more of the bones that form the joint. Because the ankle bears the body's full weight on a small surface, even millimeters of misalignment matter. Stable, well-aligned fractures can heal in a boot or cast; displaced fractures usually need surgery to restore the joint precisely.
Typical symptoms: immediate severe pain, inability to put weight on the leg, visible swelling or deformity.
Learn more about ankle fracture careWhen to Seek Care Promptly
Most aches and strains can wait for a routine appointment. See a doctor promptly — or go to urgent care or the emergency department — if you notice any of the following after an injury:
- Obvious deformity — the limb or joint looks bent, crooked, or out of place.
- Inability to bear weight — you cannot take four steps on the injured leg.
- A locked joint — the knee or elbow is stuck and will not fully straighten or bend.
- Numbness, tingling, or a cold, pale limb — possible nerve or circulation involvement.
- Rapid, severe swelling — especially swelling that develops within the first hour or two of injury.
What Patients Can Expect
Your imaging reviewed with you, every option explained, and time for all of your questions.
Surgery is recommended only when it is the right answer — most conditions start with conservative care.
Every surgical patient leaves with a written, milestone-based rehabilitation protocol.