[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2019\/10\/erins-story-multiple-injury-50ph\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2019\/10\/erins-story-multiple-injury-50ph\/","headline":"‘Stronger Than I Was Before:’ Erin’s Comeback After ACL, MCL, and Meniscus Injury","name":"‘Stronger Than I Was Before:’ Erin’s Comeback After ACL, MCL, and Meniscus Injury","description":"During the last ten seconds of a soccer game her sophomore year, Erin slipped and fell. \u201cI planted my foot and slipped. I was cutting with the ball when my knee went one way and my body the other,\u201d says Erin. \u201cI just knew something terrible had happened.\u201d Initially, Erin thought she tore her MCL […]","datePublished":"2019-10-01","dateModified":"2023-07-12","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/orthopaedics-regions","name":"UPMC Orthopaedic Care","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/orthopaedics-regions","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/orthopaedic-surgery\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/iStock-1054785138-scaled.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/iStock-1054785138-scaled.jpg","height":1366,"width":2048},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2019\/10\/erins-story-multiple-injury-50ph\/","about":["Orthopaedics","Sports Medicine"],"wordCount":633,"keywords":["back to school"],"articleBody":"During the last ten seconds of a soccer game her sophomore year, Erin slipped and fell.\u201cI planted my foot and slipped. I was cutting with the ball when my knee went one way and my body the other,\u201d says Erin. \u201cI just knew something terrible had happened.\u201dInitially, Erin thought she tore her MCL because she did not hear a popping sound that is often associated with an ACL tear. Erin scheduled appointments with a physical therapist as well as with orthopaedic surgeon Dharmesh Vyas, MD PhD, to determine the extent of her injury. After undergoing a clinical exam in Dr. Vyas\u2019 office and subsequent MRI, her fears were confirmed. Aside from tearing her ACL, Erin also had torn her MCL and meniscus. Despite the setback of her knee injury, Dr. Vyas was confident that Erin would be back on the soccer field to play during her junior year.\u201cDr. Vyas was fabulous from day one,\u201d says Erin\u2019s mother, Dawn. \u201cHe was calm and reassured us that Erin would be okay.\u201dTwo weeks prior to ACL and MCL reconstruction surgery, Erin participated in pre-rehabilitation to build up strength in her right knee.Recovery After Injury\u00a0Rehabilitation after ACL reconstruction surgery post-injury cannot be rushed, and as eager as Erin was to get back to playing soccer, she listened and followed the individualized recovery program that was created by Dr. Vyas and her physical therapist, Ashley Johnson PT, DPT, CKTP at CRS Eastgate. To get Erin back on to the field, there were three numbers that Dr. Vyas used to describe her recovery timeline: \u00a0three, six, and nine. At three months, Erin would be allowed to jog again; at six months, she would be fitted for a knee brace to wear while incorporating soccer-related exercises into her rehabilitation program; at nine months, if she followed her recovery program, she would be cleared by Dr. Vyas to return to play.In the beginning of her physical therapy, Ashley incorporated exercises that helped strengthen Erin\u2019s legs and core to benefit not only her knee but also her balance. She used free weight machines to perform leg presses, leg extensions, and hamstring curls. Ashley also had Erin perform leg lifts on a balance trainer. Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) therapy was used on Erin\u2019s right knee, limiting blood flow to the muscles which allowed her to increase her quadriceps strength by recruiting her body\u2019s own growth factors to help accelerate the process.Six months post-surgery, Erin, now fitted with a knee brace, was performing soccer-related exercises that incorporated, box jumps, lunges, and cutting drills to help reintroduce her body to the movements of her sport.\u201cWhen I first started wearing the brace, I would run a mile at the local track, just so I could get used to wearing it,\u201d remembers Erin. \u201cDr. Vyas recommended that I wear the brace for a full year after my surgery even while playing in games.\u201dAt nine months, and less than 10 days before the start of high school soccer practices, Erin was cleared by Dr. Vyas to return to practice. Her coach helped ease Erin back into soccer by having her participate as \u201cnon- contact\u201d while she began playing with her teammates again.\u201cMy first game back was a little nerve-racking because I tore my ACL cutting during a game, but I knew I was stronger than I was before.\u201dUltimately Erin\u2019s junior season of soccer was a memorable one that was highlighted with her high school team clinching the WPIAL title.\u201cWe can\u2019t say enough to everyone who was involved with helping Erin return to soccer,\u201d says Dawn, \u201cIt was a great experience for a very unfortunate event.\u201dEditor's Note: This video was originally published on October 1, 2019, and was last reviewed on July 12, 2023."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2019","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2019\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"10","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2019\/\/10\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"‘Stronger Than I Was Before:’ Erin’s Comeback After ACL, MCL, and Meniscus Injury","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2019\/10\/erins-story-multiple-injury-50ph\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]