The Sports Medicine Center

The University Orthopedics Sports Medicine Center takes pride in supporting the many communities we serve. We serve as team physicians for many professional, collegiate and high school athletic teams in our area. High school teams served include the communities of Barrington, Rogers, Portsmouth, Middletown, Portsmouth Abbey and St. George's.

	Providence Bruins American Hockey League Affiliate of the Boston Bruins
	Newport Gulls New England Collegiate Baseball League
	Newport Rugby Newport Rugby Football Club
	Brown University Brown Bears
	Salve Regina University Salve Regina Athletics sponsors 19 NCAA Division III varsity sports for men and women. The Seahawks compete in CCC, NEFC, NEISA, ECAC Northeast, and ECAC East.
	Roger Williams University RWUHawks.com RWU includes 22 outstanding varsity athletic teams whose achievements speak for themselves.
	Barrington High School Athletics Supporting the Barrington Eagles High School Athletics
	ATP World Tour ATP Wold Tour Tournament
	Newport Tennis Newport Tennis Hall of Fame Tournament
	Volvo Ocean Race, Round the World A Volvo Ocean Race crew includes eight sailors plus one non-sailing multimedia reporter onboard the standard teams. All-women teams can race with 11 sailors plus one non-sailing multimedia reporter.
	USA Lacrosse Men's National Team (International)
	Festival Ballet Providence (Dance)

The Sports Medicine Center at University Orthopedics includes a team of physicians, physician assistants and therapists working together to treat orthopedic injury specific to sports, athletics and other activities where the patient is trying to return to a high level of activity. This can include a variety of specialists at University Orthopedics, including but not limited to, the following physicians:

About the Sports Medicine Center at University Orthopedics

At University Orthopedics, we want you to get back in the game, whether that means sports, work, or just everyday life. We provide specialized care for our surgery and rehab patients, as well as those suffering from work-related or sports injuries.

We specialize in providing comprehensive sports medicine services including the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of athletic injuries. Regardless of the level of the athlete — recreational, high school, college, or even professional — University Orthopedics strives to get every injured athlete back to their favorite sport or recreational activity. Rehab efforts are designed to relieve pain, strengthen the joints, muscles and tendons, and then simulate the activity required in the specific sport.

Our physicians, for example, are proficient in the latest minimally invasive surgery techniques that enable most patients to have surgery and to be home the next day.

Helping people return to their favorite sport with a team of physicians and therapists

We want you to get back in the game at University Orthopedics, whether that means sports, work or just everyday life. We provide specialized care for those people suffering from sports injuries.

The specialty of sports medicine involves evaluation, treatment and rehabilitation of the injury, as well as focusing on prevention of future re-injury. This emphasis on prevention ensures a positive recovery, an improved quality of life, a safe return to sports.

Our sports medicine physicians have worked with athletes who are expected to perform at peak performance in demanding sports like football, basketball, hockey, baseball, etc. This experience also helps us address the special needs of the weekend athlete who wants to recover from injury to perform at the same pre-injury level with sports like running, golf or tennis. We try to provide this attention to every patient who visits our practice and wants to get back to their favorite sport.

Regardless of the level of the athlete — recreational, high school, college, or even professional — our goal is to help the injured athlete back to their favorite sport or recreational activity. Rehab efforts are designed to relieve pain, strengthen the joints, muscles and tendons, and then simulate the activity required in the specific sport.

The University Orthopedics Sports Medicine Center includes board-certified orthopedic surgeons who are fellowship-trained in their specialty, the highest level of medical training in the U.S. The center includes diagnostics like X-ray and MRI, along with an exercise gym with physical therapists experienced in knee, foot/ankle, shoulder, elbow and hand injury. This rehab team takes a comprehensive approach to treating sports injuries all emphasizing an active approach to recovery. If surgery is necessary, the University Orthopedics physicians are trained in the latest minimally invasive surgery techniques that enable most patients to have surgery and to be home the next day.

Dealing with the young athlete

Sports medicine experts across the U.S. have noticed that there is an alarming trend in “professional-level” injuries among young athletes. The number of youth injuries is reaching epidemic proportions and young athletes are experiencing overuse injuries at a younger and younger age. The high rate of youth sports injuries is fueled by an increase in overuse and trauma injuries and a lack of attention by coaches to proper injury prevention.

Overuse injuries impact young athletes in the short term but often lead to long-term consequences. Having proper preventive measures such as pre-participation physicals, stretching, cross-training, hydration and open communication about pain among all participants (coaches, athletes, parents and healthcare providers) can help aid recovery and avoid long-term consequences.

Our objective is to help the teen athlete to mature into an adult without long-term sports ailments into adulthood.

Videos

UOI Treating the PBruins

The Providence Bruins are back on the ice — and so is the University Orthopedics team, starting another season of expert care for Rhode Island’s hometown pros. In this video, they explain how they work together to keep these elite hockey players on the ice.

UOI at Rhode Island's Governor's Cup

At the annual Governor’s Cup, the rivalry between Brown University and the University of Rhode Island takes center stage — but behind the scenes, two physicians from University Orthopedics work together to keep Rhode Island’s elite college athletes healthy and game-ready. Dr. Michael Hulstyn, Team Physician for Brown University Football, and Dr. Ramin Tabaddor, Team Physician for URI Football, may stand on opposite sidelines, but they share a common goal: protecting, treating, and supporting student-athletes so they can perform at their best. From pre-game preparation to on-field medical response, University Orthopedics is proud to power the teams that power Rhode Island.

Labral Tear Recovery: How UOI Helped Two Ballerinas Return to the Stage

For professional dancers, pain often comes with the territory—but sometimes it’s a warning sign. In this video, company dancers Lauren Difede and Margot Aknin of Newport Contemporary Ballet share their journeys through hip injuries that threatened not only their careers, but their daily lives. What began as typical soreness soon became something more alarming: sleepless nights, sharp pain, and the inability to sit or move without discomfort. Both dancers eventually discovered they were suffering from labral tears, a common but serious hip injury in ballet caused by extreme turnout, rotation, and high extension. Their paths led them to Dr. Ramin Tabaddor, sports medicine orthopedic surgeon and hip specialist at University Orthopedics, known for his expertise treating dancers and elite athletes. With a deep understanding of ballet’s unique physical demands, Dr. Tabaddor guided them through diagnosis, surgery, and the long road back to the stage. Through hip arthroscopy, a minimally invasive procedure, both dancers experienced transformative recoveries—regaining mobility, strength, and even a renewed sense of possibility. Beyond the physical healing, they open up about the emotional side of injury, resilience, and what it means to return to dance with more confidence than ever. Their story comes full circle when they invite Dr. Tabaddor to watch them perform The Nutcracker—a moment that highlights the impact of expert care, determination, and the powerful connection between dancers and the medical team who help keep them moving.

The Joint Replacement Center and Sports Medicine Center at University Orthopedics includes some of the best orthopedic surgeons in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. The specialists in joint replacement include fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeons who do knee replacement, mini-hip replacement, wrist joint replacement, shoulder replacement and reverse shoulder replacement. The joint replacement surgeons at University Orthopedics are at the forefront of technology with the use of robotic surgery that uses the power of the computer to improve joint replacement surgery by mapping out the precise and optimal fit of the artificial joint for each patient. Other orthopedic surgeons specialize in other joint problems and fractures, including carpal tunnel surgery, rotator cuff surgery, ankle surgery, bunion surgery, foot surgery, and knee surgeries like ACL, MCL, PCL, meniscus surgery.