Returning to Sports Stronger Than Before: Thomas' Story

Thomas, a 17-year-old boy from Hatfield, Pennsylvania, has had a tumultuous medical journey, experiencing tears to his anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) in both his right and left legs.

The first time he tore his ACL, he was playing soccer and pivoted in a way that was unnatural, tearing the ligament in his left knee along with both the medial and lateral meniscus. He underwent ACL and meniscus repair at another local hospital in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, despite a challenging recovery, he still had problems fully extending his knee.

Nine months after that surgery, he was playing basketball when he landed awkwardly on his right leg while trying to keep the ball in bounds, resulting in a tear of the ACL in his right knee. His primary care physician referred Thomas to Sean Waldron, M.D. He visited Dr. Waldron at our outpatient clinic in Doylestown, and after his evaluation, it was determined that Thomas would need surgery to fix his torn right ACL. Thomas visited Shriners Children’s Philadelphia for his surgery.

Thomas underwent the BEAR® Implant surgery, which stands for Bridge Enhanced ACL Repair. This innovative procedure uses an implant injected with the patient’s own blood to heal and mend the two torn ends of the ACL. The procedure is less invasive than other ACL reconstructive surgeries.

Dr. Waldron said, “Thomas was a great candidate for a BEAR implant surgery. His MRI showed a significant amount of ACL remaining for repair. More importantly, he was motivated to get better and had already been through the rehab for his other knee, so he knew what to expect. He went through a lot over the two years from his first injury until when he was fully recovered, but he always kept a positive attitude and worked hard. He’s a really tough guy.”

As Thomas received both types of surgeries to fix his ACLs, it was an interesting comparison during the healing and recovery process. After the BEAR implant surgery, Thomas explained that recovery was much easier and faster than the ACL reconstruction surgery recovery on his other leg. After undergoing the BEAR Implant procedure, he was able to fully bend and straighten his leg.

However, the same was not true of his left leg, which had ACL reconstructive surgery at a different hospital nine months previously. He was still not able to properly bend his knee, which is problematic when returning to sports, and could cause further injury to his healing knee. After examining his left knee, Dr. Waldron performed a scar tissue removal surgery to aid in flexion and extension for Thomas. Two weeks after this surgery, Thomas regained full extension of his left leg. Now, he is completely recovered from all his surgeries and said, “Today I feel amazing, both my knees.” He wears a brace on his right knee, as that is a typical step during recovery from any ACL surgery, but he will soon no longer need it.

His mother, Randa, said, “What surprised me was when he did the BEAR surgery for his ACL, he was cleared to go up stairs very quickly. Dr. Waldron also gave us more clarity. He ensured that no extension after nine months is not normal, and gave proactive care. I’m really glad Thomas’ family doctor showed us here. Dr. Waldron was really great, and he came after surgery and talked with us and before discharge he checked on him. That didn’t happen at the other hospital we went to.”

Sports medicine is a core specialty at Shriners Children’s, led by physicians who treat injuries of this complexity every day. Our specialized care allows each child to be assessed for their specific injuries, and recognizes that all injuries do not look the same for each child. Our sports medicine clinics prioritize the patient’s healing and ability to return to the sports they love, as we recognize return to play is a major personal goal of our patients.

In addition to sports, Thomas enjoys playing video and board games. Soon, he will be cleared to return to sports without wearing his brace, and we are excited to see him back on the court and field, playing at high levels.