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Orthopedic Surgeon Treats Amateurs and Pros at Florida Hospital Celebration Health

Reconstructive surgery for a knee injury, along with a hospital stay of nine days at the age of 17, influenced the career choice of Larry R. Padgett, Jr., MD, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon in central Florida. While in medical school at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Padgett vacillated on his choice of specialties, but ultimately opted for athletics and sports medicine because he enjoys working with his hands.

Following his surgical residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., Padgett was able to master his craft during a fellowship in arthroscopy and sports medicine at Orthopaedic Research of Virginia in Richmond under the tutelage of Richard B. Caspari, MD.

Referring to Caspari as "one of the founding physicians for arthroscopy worldwide," Padgett credited his mentor with setting the bar high. Caspari's credo, "Anything you can do through open surgery, you can do through arthroscopy. It's never stopped us before, why would it stop us now?" still resonates with Padgett.

With 95 percent of his practice devoted to sports-related injuries, Padgett performs between 550 and 600 surgeries annually at Florida Hospital Celebration Health and Heart of Florida Hospital in Davenport. The most common injuries treated by Padgett are tendon and ligament injuries in the shoulder such as rotator cuff and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries to the knee.

In addition to tending to his private patients, Padgett has served as team physician for the Cleveland Indians major and minor league teams for the past 10 years, and the Atlanta Braves major and minor league teams for the past four years.

He performs physicals for ballplayers checking into spring training camp and is on the scene when injuries occur. Working with the team's trainer, Padgett helps establish individual rehabilitation programs for injured athletes.

During the regular season, Padgett is on call whenever the teams play in Florida. However, his contact with the ballplayers extends well beyond spring training and subsequent games.

Aside from minor league team members who reside in Florida year-round, Padgett is available to major league players who come south to convalesce. This is especially so for members of the Atlanta Braves who have a specialized rehabilitation at the Disney Complex.

Padgett's interaction with professional athletes is not limited to the Cleveland Indians and Atlanta Braves. In 2006, Major League Baseball tapped Padgett to oversee medical care for athletes participating in the World Baseball Classic held in Orlando. In 1997, he served as assistant team physician to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and in 1998 provided medical care at the Women's World Pro Ski Tour in Timberline, W.V.

He consults with several colleges and high schools, including Lakeland's Florida Southern College; Webber International University, Babson Park; Polk Community College, Winter Haven; Warner Southern College, Lake Wales; Lake Region High School, Eagle Lake and Winter Haven High School.

Though he has seen and treated many sports related injuries, Padgett acknowledged his most memorable one involved a high school baseball player who, during a wakeboarding accident dislocated his knee, tore multiple ligaments and injured his peroneal nerve resulting in a foot drop. "I reconstructed the ligaments in the knee and decompressed the nerve. I felt he would be lucky to walk normally, even with an ankle orthosis (brace for the foot drop). The surgery went well, but the determination and drive of the young man was greater. He worked his way back and ultimately started in the state championship game and then went on to play college baseball."

When asked what advice he would give to coaches, players and parents to reduce the number of sports injuries, Padgett candidly said: "provide off season down time for athletes." According to the doctor, the number one cause of injury is due to year-round playing and training.

Though parents might have hopes of their child becoming an Olympian athlete, Padgett stressed they should listen to their children when they start complaining about pain.

On the subject of anabolic steroids, Padgett, the father of seven children ranging in age from 2 to 19 is adamant: "Though performance-enhancing drugs work, they have great risks and should never be given to children." Physical risks include diminished adult height, premature growth plate closure, acne and amenorrhea. Included among psychological risks are psychosis, heightened depression and aggression.

In his professional life, Padgett also wears the hat of consultant for BioMet Sports Medicine in Warsaw, Ind., manufacturer of shoulder, elbow and knee replacement devices. His responsibilities include product development, teaching, device testing and speaking engagements throughout the country.

As a consultant for BioMet Sports Medicine, he was the lead investigator and developer of a cannulated bone mulch screw fixation device for ACL reconstruction.

Fluent in English and French, Padgett's work has been published in several journals and he has written chapters for several medical books.

His memberships include the Arthroscopy Association of North America, American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, AOA Medical Honor Society, American Medical Association, Florida Medical Association and the Polk County Medical Association where he has served as a member of the executive board.

When not engaged in professional activities, Padgett enjoys photography and any sports he can get a handle on, such as basketball and baseball. He also enjoys traveling with his family.

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