Perspectives on the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on the sports medicine surgeon – implications for current and future care

Abstract

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect countless lives globally, the current paradigm of medical and surgical treatment continues to rapidly evolve. This is especially true for the sports medicine surgeon, as treatment prior to the pandemic was considered predominantly elective. The purpose of the current perspective is to provide both subjective and objective data on the changes implicated by the COVID-19 pandemic with regards to the interactions and practices of the sports medicine surgeon. This perspective also considers the potential impact on the patients and athletes treated by sports medicine surgeons. It is our hope that this article provides a unique viewpoint on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the field of sports medicine and provides thoughts on how the landscape of the field may continue to change.