Richard Cunningham, MD

About Richard Cunningham, MD

Dr. Richard Cunningham is a knee surgeon, shoulder specialist, and sports medicine physician at Vail Summit Orthopedics & Neurosurgery. Dr. Cunningham is an expert at treating conditions to the

Back to Skiing 67,000 Vertical After Two Knee Replacements

Jeanne pictured here with her family.  Jeanne Nedrelow, originally from Minnesota, moved to Vail in 1979. Vail is the perfect place for this garden designer who has skied 67,000 vertical in a day as well as 2 million vertical in a year and averages 1,250,000 vertical annually. And, this is after having two knee [...]

Back to Skiing 67,000 Vertical After Two Knee Replacements2020-01-24T21:39:37+00:00

Tennis Elbow & Golfer’s Elbow: What’s the Difference?

Cooler late summer weather in the valley makes for perfect conditions to hit the links or local courts. This time of year is host to some of the most prestigious tennis and golf tournaments in the world including the US Open Tennis Championship, PGA Championship and Ryder Cup.  Golf and tennis enthusiasts will be [...]

Tennis Elbow & Golfer’s Elbow: What’s the Difference?2020-01-24T21:39:37+00:00

Shoulder Arthritis: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

Shoulder (glenohumeral joint) osteoarthritis is less common than arthritis affecting the knee or hip, which are weight bearing joints. Shoulder arthritis is classified as being either primary or secondary. What Causes Shoulder Arthritis?  Primary arthritis tends to be seen in adults over the age of 60 as a result of “wear and tear.” Patients [...]

Shoulder Arthritis: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment2020-01-24T21:39:37+00:00

Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUPing) Shoulder, Elbow and Back Injury Prevention

Stand up paddle boarding, or SUPing, has exploded in popularity recently, and more and more people in the Vail Valley are getting into it. SUPing can be a wonderful form of exercise that focuses on core and upper body strength, and it’s accessible to everyone from Class IV whitewater adrenaline junkies to those looking [...]

Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUPing) Shoulder, Elbow and Back Injury Prevention2020-01-24T21:39:37+00:00

Back to Sports after ACL Reconstruction Surgery: Maintain Your Knee Health through Strength, Flexibility, Balance and Agility Training

A year has passed since you underwent ACL reconstruction surgery on your knee and you are ready to return to sports. Whether you are an avid skier or ultrarunner or play on your high school soccer team, you will want to take good care in maintaining the quality of both your knee and the [...]

Back to Sports after ACL Reconstruction Surgery: Maintain Your Knee Health through Strength, Flexibility, Balance and Agility Training2020-01-30T01:26:42+00:00

What are Femoral Osteotomies & Why Do We Perform Them in Orthopedics?

Osteotomies, or bone cutting and realignment procedures, have been used by orthopedic surgeons long before joint replacements were being done. The main indication for an osteotomy is to change one’s alignment and unweight one side of the knee joint that may be arthritic and painful. Today, we still perform osteotomies in people who are [...]

What are Femoral Osteotomies & Why Do We Perform Them in Orthopedics?2020-01-24T21:39:37+00:00

Repeated Shoulder Dislocations Cause Increased Damage to the Shoulder

---------- --------- -------- ------- ------ ----- ---- --- -- - People who live here in the mountains tend to play hard. Injuries are not uncommon. It is not unusual for me to see young people in my office who have dislocated one or both of their shoulders. When someone dislocates their shoulder [...]

Repeated Shoulder Dislocations Cause Increased Damage to the Shoulder2020-01-24T21:39:38+00:00

Infection Control After Orthopedic Surgery

Both patients and surgeons worry about infections occurring after surgery. Fortunately, the risk of infection following orthopedic surgery performed in the Vail Valley is about 0.3%. This risk is about 1% in several Denver area hospitals. However, our hospitals, surgical centers and surgeons cannot take all the credit for achieving lower rates of surgical [...]

Infection Control After Orthopedic Surgery2020-01-24T21:39:38+00:00

Baseball Throwing Injuries and Orthopedics

The baseball pitch has been extensively studied and can be divided into several stages: windup, early cocking, late cocking, acceleration, deceleration and follow-through. During throwing, there is a transmission of forces from the lower extremities and core to the upper extremity. The transition point between the late cocking and acceleration phase is the most [...]

Baseball Throwing Injuries and Orthopedics2020-01-24T21:39:38+00:00

Motorcross Injuries & Orthopedics/Sports Medicine

The snow has already melted off many of the trails down valley, and with that comes motocross for some and mountain biking, hiking, and trail running for others. Motocross is a very strenuous sport. Motocross is gaining in popularity with more dirt tracks being made. Although motocross athletes wear protective gear, injuries are not [...]

Motorcross Injuries & Orthopedics/Sports Medicine2019-12-27T02:41:36+00:00

Golf Injuries and Orthopedics

Golf is a great sport and people of all ages play the game. In 2009, it is reported that around 25 million people participated in golf in the U.S.  In one study, there were 0.5 injuries per 1,000 hours of golf played per person. The most commonly injured site is the low back, followed [...]

Golf Injuries and Orthopedics2019-12-27T02:42:33+00:00

Celebrate Athletic Training Month

March is Athletic Training Month, a great time to focus on the important role of Athletic Trainers in an orthopedic practice. Our ATs are a vital part of our care team in helping our patients rehab and get back to doing what they love as soon as possible. [...]

Celebrate Athletic Training Month2019-12-27T02:21:46+00:00
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