It is no fun to get hurt, but when you are an athlete, a single injury can spell disaster for an entire season. Or end a career. Dr. Jason Scopp has one goal—to keep athletes active. “As a lifelong athlete myself, I understand the importance of playing time. In the old days we were told to ‘just stay off it.’ Today, the challenge becomes using all we know to help people recover from injury as quickly as possible and prevent further trauma.”

Fellowship trained in Sports Medicine, Dr. Scopp serves as team physician for the United States Soccer Team, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Salisbury University and the Delmarva Shorebirds (a Baltimore Orioles organization). Dr. Scopp stresses the importance of being an orthopedic surgeon with a focused skill versus one who “takes care of everything.” “Sports Medicine is a focused discipline. I pride myself on staying current and knowing when to be conservative and when to be aggressive.”

In fact, Dr. Scopp is a pioneer in the field of cartilage restoration—both teaching and lecturing on this new procedure available in only a handful of medical centers across the country. This highly specialized surgical technique is an option for joint pain caused by cartilage. Frequently performed on an outpatient basis, it involves restoration, transplantation, realignment and reconstruction of the cartilage, menisci and ligaments respectively. “There is an amazing interaction and symphony of cartilage and ligaments that allow a complicated motion to be simple. Biotechnology research focused on joint preservation is exploding. I am one part of that change.” Dedicated to restoring joints to their highest level of functioning, Dr. Scopp is already working on the next generation of treatments. And while he is quick to point out there is no such thing as “instant healing”—no real “magic bullet,” his experience and expertise in the field of Sports Medicine is one even the weekend athlete needs to strongly consider if their intention is to stay viable on their own field of play.