Allegheny Health Network Orthopaedic-Sports Medicine Specialist Selected to Care for Team USA in Rugby World Cup

PITTSBURGH, Pa., Aug. 18, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — via PRWEB – Sam Akhavan, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist with Allegheny Health Network and a team physician for USA Rugby has been selected to accompany the national team to the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England.

The Rugby World Cup will take place in eleven cities across England and Cardiff from September 18 through October 31. The United States will play its first bout versus Samoa on Sunday, September 20. Dr. Akhavan will accompany the team to several important matches leading up to its World Cup campaign and then will travel to England for a number of the final matches of the World Cup.

“It’s an honor to be chosen by the team to care for these elite athletes as they face the toughest competition of their careers,” Dr. Akhavan said. “Internationally, the Rugby World Cup is the third most watched sporting event after the FIFA World Cup and Olympics. It’s exciting to be part of an event that connects so many people across the globe.”

Rugby demands the running and endurance of soccer combined with the contact and tackling that is similar to American football.

As team physician, Akhavan will treat overuse injuries caused by running such as tendinitis, shin splints and bursitis. More common, however, are traumatic injuries sustained during collisions with other players or the ground, from fractured bones, dislocated fingers and elbows, sprained ligaments and strained tendons to serious injuries of the knee and shoulder joints. Because players do not wear any type of protective body pads or masks, cuts on the face and concussions also are common among rugby players.

At Allegheny Health Network, Dr. Akhavan specializes in complex arthroscopic surgery for the treatment of knee and shoulder injuries and has led research studies related to concussion detection and anterior cruciate ligament injury prevention.

He directs both the Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship and Orthopaedic Research program at Allegheny General Hospital where he also serves as Associate Program Director for the Orthopaedic Residency and is an active member of the teaching staff. He is also the Medical Director for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds soccer training academy.

Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, USA Rugby is charged with developing the game of rugby on all levels and has over 115,000 active members. USA Rugby oversees four national teams, multiple collegiate and high school All-American sides, and an emerging Olympic development pathway for elite athletes.

Allegheny Health Network’s Sports Medicine Program is widely regarded as a leading source of preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic and rehabilitative care for professional and amateur athletes. The Network is one of seven healthcare providers in the country designated as a US Olympic Regional Medical Center by the United States Olympic Committee. It’s also the official medical provider of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Robert Morris University, Gannon University, the Community College of Allegheny County and 20 Pittsburgh area high schools.

– See more at: http://globenewswire.com/news-release/2015/08/18/761429/10146353/en/Allegheny-Health-Network-Orthopaedic-Sports-Medicine-Specialist-Selected-to-Care-for-Team-USA-in-Rugby-World-Cup.html#sthash.2qPegqQP.dpuf