EDUCATION

A one-year fellowship is offered for five Board-certified or -eligible orthopaedic surgeons. Fellows are involved with the director and ten other fellowship-trained sports medicine orthopaedic surgeons with a balance of office and operative experience. Academic productivity is mandatory. Our goal is to develop the next generation of sports medicine leaders.

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SPORTS MEDICINE FELLOWSHIPS

Our accredited program prepares fellows for dynamic careers in private practice, sports-based practices and academic affiliated positions.

Athlete Health Care

Our philosophy is that the health care of athletes will be improved by our continued educational efforts of our sports medicine fellows as well as other orthopedic surgeons and the orthopedic residents.  These efforts are conducted through our research, as well as our community efforts with local sports medicine coverage and instruction of a variety of health care workers who serve the injured athlete. Our underlying theme of education and research is continually emphasized to the fellows and it is expected that they will follow our example by teaching residents, health care workers and orthopedic surgeons.  The sports medicine fellow is expected to be involved with courses at the Orthopedic Learning Center in Rosemont, Illinois either with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine or the Arthroscopy Association of North America. These courses provide the fellow with the opportunity to work as an instructor at the knee and shoulder courses, advancing their educational experience as well as providing them the opportunity to share their education.

Sports Medicine-Related Prevention & Treatment

A broad exposure to sports medicine-related prevention and treatment is offered. The fellowship experience includes exposure to arthroscopy (primarily knee/shoulder), knee ligament reconstructions, and shoulder reconstructive procedures constitute the majority of cases. There is an excellent balance of knee operative procedures (50%) and shoulder procedures (50%). An active young adult hip arthroscopy experience also exists. Articular cartilage procedures, micro-fracture, and osteoarticular and meniscal transplants enhance training. The ten attendings perform over 4,500 procedures annually. Clinical and/or basic science research is required.

Nonsurgical Care of Musculoskeletal Conditions

An essential and unique aspect of sports medicine in comparison to many other aspects of orthopedics is the nonsurgical care of musculoskeletal conditions. The sports medicine fellow is expected to participate in on-the-field evaluation and locker room treatment of a variety of sports medicine conditions that do not require surgical management. They are expected to work closely with our athletic trainers who have developed a sophisticated network to care for a number of athletes in a variety of settings.  This experience is complemented by the opportunity to work with the sports medicine attendings on using and developing rehabilitation protocols for the treatment of surgical and non-surgical conditions. The sports medicine fellow is expected to understand the variety of rehabilitation protocols necessary to provide the injured athlete with the best opportunity of returning back to their preinjury level of function. This skill at non-surgical treatment is an essential part of the educational process and distinguishes the sports medicine fellow as truly an expert in all aspects of sports medicine.

OUR MISSION

To pass on the legacy of our teachers by educating others with the knowledge we have been privileged to receive.

CURRENT FELLOWS

SACHIN ALLAHABADI, MD
SACHIN ALLAHABADI, MDSports Medicine Fellow
Residency: University of San Francisco
COREY BEALS, MD
COREY BEALS, MDSports Medicine Fellow
Residency: Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
CHRISTOPHER BRUSALIS, MD
CHRISTOPHER BRUSALIS, MDSports Medicine Fellow
Residency: Hospital for Special Surgery
JIMMY CHAN, MD
JIMMY CHAN, MDSports Medicine Fellow
Residency: Mount Sinai Hospital / Icahn School of Medicine
DANIEL KAPLAN, MD
DANIEL KAPLAN, MDSports Medicine Fellow
Residency: New York University – Langone Health
JEREMY LOESCHER, DO
JEREMY LOESCHER, DOPrimary Care Sports Medicine Fellow
Residency: Advocate Illinois Masonic

FELLOWSHIP FACULTY

NIKHIL N. VERMA, MD - 2004
NIKHIL N. VERMA, MD - 2004
Professor and Director, Division of Sports Medicine
Department of Orthopedic Surgery Director, Division of Sports Medicine Research Department of Orthopedic Surgery Director, Rush Sports Medicine Fellowship Program Head Team Physician, Chicago White Sox

Dr. Verma’s practice is extremely busy and involves treatment of the shoulder, elbow and knee. Dr. Verma is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He then completed his orthopedic residency at Rush after which he completed his sports medicine and shoulder fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.

Dr. Verma maintains an active clinical practice performing over 700 procedures per year. HIs clinical team consists of 2 physician assistants, a research team as well as ancillary staff who assist in the care of his patients. Dr. Verma’s schedule consists of three clinical days at various sites and two full operative days.

In addition, he serves as the head team physician for the Chicago White Sox and team physician for the Chicago Bulls. Dr. Verma is also involved in orthopedic research and serves as the Director of Research for the Division of Sports Medicine with interests in basic science, biomechanics and clinical outcomes.

BERNARD R. BACH, JR, MD - 1988
BERNARD R. BACH, JR, MD - 1988
Professor and Director Emeritus, Division of Sports Medicine
Department of Orthopedic Surgery Founder and Director Emeritus
Rush Sports Medicine Fellowship

Dr. Bach is the founder of the Sports Medicine Fellowship at Rush. He started the fellowship program in 1988, which to date, has trained 95 sports medicine fellows to date. Dr. Bach has held numerous prestigious appointments including President of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, Member of the AOSSM Hall of Fame, AOSSM Mr. Sports Medicine to name a few.

Dr. Bach has now retired from practice but maintains a presence and is an invaluable resource in the fellowship he founded in 1988.

CHARLES A. BUSH-JOSEPH, MD - 1989
CHARLES A. BUSH-JOSEPH, MD - 1989
Professor, Division of Sports Medicine, Department of Orthopedic Surgery

Dr. Bush-Joseph’s practice is a “classic sports medicine/team physician” practice. He sees on average 1000 new patients per year with a variety of knee, shoulder, hip, and elbow injuries and conditions. The practice is 60% knee, 30% shoulder, and 10% hip/elbow/muscle injuries. He performs 120-150 ACL surgeries per year using a variety of graft options including patella tendon, hamstring, quad tendon, and allograft. He performs shoulder instability in the lateral position and the majority of rotator cuff procedures in the beach chair position. He perms 15-20 elbow procedures, including ulnar collateral ligament reconstructions. Dr. Bush-Joseph remains actively involved in the care of the Chicago White Sox and Bulls. Fellows are expected to participate in spring training activities in Arizona.

BRIAN J. COLE, MD, MBA - 1997
BRIAN J. COLE, MD, MBA - 1997
Associate Chairman, Department of Orthopedics
Rush University Professor, Division of Sports Medicine
Department of Orthopedic Surgery Section Head
Director, Rush Cartilage Restoration Center

On Dr. Cole’s rotation, you will experience the most advanced techniques and philosophies for treating complex shoulder, elbow, and knee pathology. Dr. Cole’s team consists of 3 PA-C’s, 3 research assistants, and multiple ancillary staff that assist with delivering clinical care. A typical week is comprised of 2-3 clinical days and/or 2-3 operative days. Clinic days consist of seeing approximately 90 patients, and encompass the full spectrum of operative and non-operative treatment of musculoskeletal injury, including the most advanced biologic strategies. Operative days are held at one of the 4 facilities, where 10-14 cases per day are divided across 2 rooms. On average, fellows will perform well over 200 cases with Dr. Cole during the 10-week rotation. As an international tertiary center for cartilage restoration, while on service you will gain exposure to 10-20 meniscal allograft transplants and 20-30 osteochondral allograft procedures, amongst other procedures such as MACI, biocartilage, bone marrow aspirate concentrate injections, and various periarticular osteotomies. This complexity is well balanced with primary and revision ligamentous reconstruction (30-40), arthroscopic shoulder stabilization (15-20), rotator cuff repair (30-40), and anatomic and reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (20-30). As the head team physician of the Chicago Bulls, your patient exposure includes athletes at every participation level. Finally, by working with the managing partner for Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, you will gain invaluable insight and mentorship on how to build and maintain an evidence-based practice that successfully manages social media, collects patient reported outcomes for clinical research, and utilizes the most current treatment algorithms to deliver outstanding patient outcomes.

ADAM B. YANKE, MD, PhD - 2014
ADAM B. YANKE, MD, PhD - 2014
Assistant Professor, Division of Sports Medicine
Department of Orthopedic Surgery Assistant Director, Rush Cartilage Restoration Center
Director, Sports Medicine Clinical Research.

Dr. Yanke’s practice involves knee and shoulder treatments that range from arthroscopy to arthroplasty. He trained at Rush for medical school, graduate school, residency, and sports medicine fellowship and afterwards went into practice at Rush. Dr. Yanke completed a Doctorate in Biochemistry, with a focus on cartilage metabolism in normal and diseased conditions at Rush University. Surgeries that will be observed include rotator cuff repairs including augmentation and SCRs, as well as RTSA, TSA and stabilization. Knee surgeries have a focus on cartilage restoration (DFO/HTO/AMZ, OA grafts, MACI, MAT), as well as patellofemoral instability (MPFL, Trochleoplasty, Distalization, LPFL), along with standard procedures such as ligament reconstruction and meniscus work. Clinical volume includes >500 cases per year including 40-50 MPFL reconstructions, >20 osteotomies, and >75 ACLs. Dr. Yanke is the head team physician for the Windy City Bulls and also covers a local highschool. Research interests have included work on patellofemoral biomechanics and finite element analysis as well as cartilage clinical outcomes and biochemistry. These studies range from cadaveric research to large animal in vivo models to clinical RCTs.

SHANE J. NHO, MD, MS - 2009
SHANE J. NHO, MD, MS - 2009
Associate Professor
Director, Hip Preservation Center
Associate Director, Sports Medicine Fellowship Program

Dr. Nho is a graduate of Rush Medical College.  He earned a Masters Degree in Anatomy from Graduate College of Rush University.  After completing his orthopedic surgery residency at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, he returned to Rush for his Sports Medicine Fellowship. Dr. Nho did specialized hip training with Dr. Michael Leunig in Zurich, Switzerland. He also completed an additional year of hip training, completing six months with Dr. Philippon at The Steadman Hawkins Clinic in Vail and with Dr. Byrd in Nashville. In addition, he was the recipient of the prestigious Herodicus Traveling Hip Arthroscopy Fellowship with Dr. Brian Kelly.

Dr. Nho’s practice is focused on hip arthroscopy and hip preservation surgery. On clinical days, Dr. Nho and his team see about 60 patients each day for 2 days every week. He operates 2-3 days each week and schedules about 6-8 cases each operative day and most cases are hip arthroscopy cases. He has weekly hip preservation research meetings on Tuesdays at 5pm after clinic. The fellow on his service covers Morton High School football, as well as the Chicago Steel ice hockey.

Dr. Nho’s practice is focused on hip arthroscopy and hip preservation surgery. On clinical days, Dr. Nho and his team see about 60 patients each day for 2 days every week. He operates 2-3 days each week and schedules about 6-8 cases each operative day and most cases are hip arthroscopy cases. He has weekly hip preservation research meetings on Tuesdays at 5pm after clinic. The fellow on his service covers Morton High School football, as well as the Chicago Steel ice hockey.

GREGORY P. NICHOLSON, MD - 2001
GREGORY P. NICHOLSON, MD - 2001
Professor
Director, Rush Shoulder and Elbow Fellowship Program

Dr. Nicholson’s clinical practice focuses on shoulder and elbow conditions. He received his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Indiana. He completed his residency at Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, followed by a shoulder fellowship at Columbia University in New York. Dr. Nicholson serves as Director of the Division of Shoulder Surgery and is also the Director of the Shoulder Fellowship at Rush. He also serves as a team physician for the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bulls.

Dr. Nicholson’s schedule consists of three clinical days and two surgical days. Dr. Nicholson, by the nature of many of the complex shoulder procedures he performs, uses the main OR at Rush and Oak Park Hospital for inpatient shoulder cases. On many days, he may “staircase” procedures, allowing for increased efficiency. The fellow will participate in 475 +/- 25 surgeries during the fellowship year. Dr. Nicholson’s clinical team consists of two physician assistants, a medical assistant as well as his administrative assistant.

GRANT GARRIGUES, MD - 2018
GRANT GARRIGUES, MD - 2018
Associate Professor

Dr. Garrigues’ clinical practice focuses on the management of shoulder and elbow conditions. He received his undergraduate and medical degrees from Harvard, a research degree from MIT, completed orthopaedic residency at Duke and fellowship at The Rothman Institute. Prior to his recruitment to Rush, he was the Head of Shoulder Reconstruction at Duke, Co-Director of the Duke Sports Medicine and Shoulder Surgery Fellowship, and the 2017 ASES European traveling fellow. On rotation with Dr. Garrigues you will be exposed to the entire breadth of shoulder and elbow pathology and treatment, including arthroscopic latarjet, complex and revision shoulder arthroplasty, arthroscopic nerve dissection, superior capsular reconstruction, and shoulder and elbow trauma.

BRIAN J. FORSYTHE, MD - 2012
BRIAN J. FORSYTHE, MD - 2012
Assistant Professor

Dr. Forsythe’s practice focus includes arthroscopic shoulder and knee surgery, along with shoulder arthroplasty. He performs approximately 150 knee ligament reconstructions per year, along with osteotomies, and cartilage procedures. His arthroscopic shoulder practice ranges from rotator cuff repairs to superior capsular reconstructions. He performs both arthroscopic labral and open bony stabilization procedures of the shoulder. His arthroplasty practice includes both reverse and anatomic shoulder replacements. He serves as the Head Orthopedic Officer for the Chicago Fire Soccer Club, and as a team physician for the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bulls. He is actively involved with our enrollment in clinical trials.

JORGE CHAHLA, MD, PhD - 2019
JORGE CHAHLA, MD, PhD - 2019
Assistant Professor
Director, Sports Medicine Biomechanics Research

Dr. Chahla joined our faculty upon completion of his sports medicine fellowship at Rush in August of 2019.  Dr. Chahla has also completed fellowships in Regenerative Sports Medicine at the Steadman Phillippon Research Institute and a Sports Fellowship with Dr. Mandelbaum at Cedars Sinai – Kerlan Jobe Institute.

JOURDAN CANCIENNE, MD, 2019
JOURDAN CANCIENNE, MD, 2019
Assistant Professor

Dr. Cancienne received joined our faculty in 2021 after completing a fellowship at Rush in August of 2019.  He briefly returned to his native Louisiana where he served as faculty at Tulane University before returning to Chicago.  He currently practices at the Joliet and Naperville locations.