Last June 25, Sarah was playing at a soccer camp in Wisconsin when she felt a pop in her knee. The camp trainer thought she had torn her ACL (anterior cruciate ligament). She shed some tears, not because of the pain but because she didn't want to miss her senior year of soccer at Defiance High School. The first match would be August 24, just under nine weeks away.
Once she got back to her room, she called her Dad, Dr. Nate Fogt, orthopedic surgeon at Defiance Clinic. "Talking with Dad, I realized that I would have to put other emotions behind me and concentrate on rehabilitation. I asked Dad how long the therapy would be, and he said, if I worked really hard, maybe 10 weeks. I knew it was my senior year and I had to do it now," Sarah said.
Dr. and Mrs. Fogt got her home, confirmed the nature of her injury, and scheduled reconstructive surgery wtih Dr. Kirk R. Davis, an orthopedic surgeon from Toledo who has regular office hours at the Clinic through the Centers of Excellence with St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center.
She had surgery on July 1 and started therapy in Pro Rehab, the physical therapy and sports medicine department at the Clinic, on July 3. From then on, it was therapy three times a week.
Explained Physical Therapist Eric Bowers, director of Pro Rehab at the Clinic, "The ACL is the major stabilizing ligament in the knee. An ACL injury alters the mechanics of the knee. One key to the healing process is strengthening the quadriceps and hamstring to assist the surgically repaired ligament until it is at full strength. We design a physical therapy program that is sport-specific for each individual. For soccer, we focus on exercises that enhance the ability to cut from side to side and to start and stop quickly."
"Usually, we would expect rehabilitation of 12 weeks, sometimes even 14, before an individual could return to soccer practice. In Sarah's case, her personal drive and willingness to do everything that we asked her helped her get back to her sport sooner. She was a good patient who followed every instruction to a T and did exactly what we recommended," Mr. Bowers said.
Her physician, Dr. Davis, agreed. "Sarah's determination to return for her senior year along with the help of the Pro Rehab staff allowed her to return in just a little over two months, and she would have done it even earlier if I would have let her," he said.
Sarah's father, Dr. Fogt, said, "Surgery is only half the battle. Rehabilitation and convalescence are just as, or even more, critical. Her experience shows what our rehabilitation folks are capable of doing. I'm proud of her determination. She also had the benefit of being young, healthy and motivated. If a patient is willing and able to push, we'll have a better result. I see it all the time."
Sarah, herself, is happy with the outcome. The hardest part for her was not being able to share the rehabilitation experience with her Dad. The day of her injury was the same day that he received orders to report for active duty with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan. While she was faithfully doing her physical therapy, he was doing orthopedic surgery at Kandahar Air Base in Afghanistan and out on humanitarian missions to surrounding Afghan villages.
"I would like to have shared the experience with him," Sarah said, "The good part has been knowing that the hard work paid off and that I can overcome obstacles if I put my mind to it."
After graduation, Sarah plans to attend college. She isn't ready to declare a major, but she's thinking about becoming a physical therapist.
"I need to work with people of all ages, and I like the sports aspect of physical therapy," she said. With a smile, she added, "I think I'd enjoy being able to give the orders."
Article reprinted with permission: Defiance Clinic. February 22, 2004. Photo credit: Pro Rehab at Defiance Clinic.