b'Getting Back in the GameWhen young gymnast Abby Stockton first complained of wrist pain,Building on this unique expertise, her mother Mary thought nothing of it. But then the pain becameDr. Abzug has been leading the unbearable, and Abby was soon sidelined. She wasnt the only one. Bydevelopment of an interdisciplinary the time they reach college, more than half of all competitive gymnastsUM Center of Excellence in and cheerleaders have undergone upper limb surgery due to a growthpediatric orthopaedics for plate injury, a problem specific to active teens. In Maryland, many ofgymnasts and cheerleaders. them, including Abby, visitJoshua Abzug, MD,Associate ProfessorIt brings together experts of Orthopaedics, the only fellowship-trained pediatric upper extremityin sports medicine, physical surgeon in the region who offers specialized care for these athletes.therapy, coaching, and pediatric Thanks to Dr. Abzugs expertise, Abby has gone on to become a stateorthopaedics to work on education, gymnastics champion. research, and care for beginners and elite athletes alike. Its a collaboration between UM College Park and UMB, says Dr. Abzug. We have a group of about 15 specialists, including a sports psychologist and nutritionist.Two of these specialists are husband and wife research team Masahiro Iwamoto, PhD, DDS, Professor of Orthopaedics, and Motomi Enomoto-Iwamoto, PhD, DDS, Professor of Orthopaedics. Their work on chondrocytes, the only cell present in cartilage, explores the role this cell plays in cartilage and skeletal formation. Were collaborating on basic research, says Dr. Abzug. The hope is to develop noninvasive treatment options for growth Dr. Abzug prepares to remove a patientsleg cast.20CONNECTING WITH QUALITY: A Renewed Focus on Value-Based Care'