Millions of Americans undergo some type of orthopedic procedure each year, including hundreds of thousands of people who live in New York City. The majority of patients seek the most advanced, innovative procedures that address their concerns and offer the fastest recovery. At Maimonides Bone & Joint Center, our orthopedic surgery specialists are uniquely positioned to deliver leading-edge treatment options. For the past four years (2022-2025), Healthgrades has ranked our providers among the top 5 percent nationwide. And this year, Healthgrades named Maimonides the No. 2 hospital in New York state for orthopedic surgery. 

Our specialty-trained providers contribute significantly to these honors and rankings. Recently, we expanded our team, adding two sports medicine doctors who bring additional research-based expertise to patient care.  

Ultrasound-Guided Treatments for Musculoskeletal Disorders 

Philip Montana, MD, MFA, brings a distinctive background to his role as a Maimonides sports medicine physician. After working for several years as a professional dancer and fitness instructor, he pivoted to a career in medicine, where he pairs his expertise in movement with his commitment to healing injuries. He recently worked as one of the team physicians for the Boston Ballet, as well as several collegiate teams and performing arts schools throughout the greater Boston area. Today, he uses ultrasound-guided techniques to diagnose musculoskeletal conditions and perform nonsurgical procedures. 

“I love using ultrasound in my practice because it gives me the opportunity to see pathology that cannot be identified with physical exam alone. In real-time, I can identify a patient’s problem and deliver selective injections that can help control their pain while they rebuild their strength and stability,” he says. “It’s also nice to be able to show people their anatomy, explain their problems, and deliver treatments in the least invasive way.” 

Dr. Montana specializes in treating patients with conditions like hip micro-instability, hypermobility, arthritis, and overuse injuries. He also provides concussion management and return-to-play care. To address these conditions and help patients avoid surgery, Dr. Montana offers several advanced, leading-edge, ultrasound-guided treatments, including: 

• Nerve blocks and hydrodissections – minimally invasive injections that relieve pressure around nerves, targeted to alleviate pain and inflammation. 

• Orthobiologics – therapies that use the patient’s own cells, including platelet-rich plasma (PRP), to encourage healing.  

• Prolotherapy – a nonsurgical regenerative therapy that can be used to trigger healing or create joint stability. 

• Tenex – a minimally invasive procedure using a small needle to remove damaged tissue and treat chronic tendon pain.  

• Viscosupplementation – a minimally invasive procedure that injects hyaluronic acid into a joint to treat osteoarthritis.   

Dr. Montana’s research focuses on utilizing dynamic ultrasonography to better understand hip micro-instability, an understudied cause of hip pain. Additionally, he has worked extensively on various treatments for patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. This research has focused on developing interventions that utilize prolotherapy to provide stability for multi-directional shoulder and sacroiliac joint instability. 

Performing arts medicine is a particular area of interest for Dr. Montana and he is currently working to develop relationships with dance and theater companies throughout Brooklyn. His experience as a professional dancer allows him to understand, treat, and connect with this unique population of athletes.

“Primary care providers should refer patients to a sports medicine specialist, like me, if someone isn’t recovering the way they would expect after six to eight weeks of physical therapy,” he says. “This failure to improve may indicate an underlying issue that hasn’t been detected and requires further investigation.”   

Dr. Montana utilizes diagnostic and interventional ultrasound to treat these patients and help them on their path to recovery. 

Advanced Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Surgery 

Ron Gilat, MD, has also joined the Bone & Joint Center as a sports medicine orthopedic surgeon. With extensive experience treating professional athletes, including serving as a team physician for the NBA’s Chicago Bulls and MLB’s Chicago White Sox, he now serves patients in the Brooklyn area. Together with his Maimonides colleagues, he plans to build a practice that provides the most advanced treatments available. 

“My goal is to deliver top-notch sports medicine and orthopedic care to all patients, whether they’re professional athletes, semi-pro or recreational athletes, or those experiencing some type of orthopedic concern,” Dr. Gilat says. “I believe in employing a shared-decision process with my patients and integrating research and innovation to create the best possible care solutions tailored to each patient to help them achieve their goals.”

Dr. Gilat will always attempt least-invasive non-surgical management first whenever possible. If surgery is indicated, Dr. Gilat specializes in minimally invasive arthroscopic techniques to treat knee, shoulder, and hip problems. He also performs complex knee preservation procedures to repair and restore cartilage, meniscus, and ligamentous injuries, as well as osteotomies to realign bones. In addition, his expertise includes procedures to manage shoulder instability and pain including labral tears, rotator cuff tears, and bicep injuries.  

Dr. Gilat is an avid researcher who uses his investigations to improve the clinical care he provides. He specializes in meniscus and cartilage restoration techniques that promote knee preservation and longevity. Now, he’s looking to personalize that care.

“With my colleagues, we are looking into machine learning and artificial intelligence to try to customize cartilage restoration procedures, in an attempt to optimize treatment selection for each patient,” he says. “We’re striving to help providers choose the right treatment modality for the right patient taking all relevant patient-specific attributes into account.” 

In addition, he is expanding nonsurgical options for patients who prefer to avoid surgery. His approach includes exploring the benefits of multiple orthobiologic treatments, including BMAC, PRP, and cell therapies. Dr. Gilat is a renowned international expert in the field of orthobiologics and had published extensively on this topic including the recent NBA team physician consensus statement on orthobiologics.  

“We can use these orthobiologic treatments to augment surgical outcomes or serve as a standalone option for patients who aren’t ideal surgical candidates or simply prefer nonsurgical care,” he says. “When indicated, orthobiologics may help patients manage pain, return to daily activities faster and improve their overall rehabilitation experience.” 

Ultimately, Dr. Montana and Dr. Gilat are enthusiastic about providing care at Maimonides Bone & Joint Center, joining a growing team of providers offering complete, compassionate care that providers and patients can trust. 

“Maimonides offers the top facilities available in Brooklyn,” Dr. Gilat says. “It’s a place you want to go when you need care because the people who care for you are deeply rooted in the community.” 

Learn more about the orthopedic services available at Maimonides Bone & Joint Center at https://maimo.org/treatments-care/bone-and-joint-center/ or call (718) 283-7400 to make a referral.