[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/04\/deryks-acl-patient-story\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/04\/deryks-acl-patient-story\/","headline":"Deryk\u2019s Story: Back on the Pitch After Two ACL Surgeries","name":"Deryk\u2019s Story: Back on the Pitch After Two ACL Surgeries","description":"Deryk Jones Jr., 22, is passionate about soccer \u2014 a sport he has played since age 4. \u201cMy goal is someday to play soccer at the very highest level,\u201d he says. Double surgeries to reconstruct the ACLs in both knees could have jeopardized his career plans. But thanks to the expertise of the orthopaedic surgeons […]","datePublished":"2024-04-01","dateModified":"2024-03-29","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/sports-medicine-regions","name":"Sports Medicine","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/sports-medicine-regions","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/sports-medicine\/","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\/2024\/03\/Deryk_Jones_4.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Deryk_Jones_4.jpg","height":867,"width":2000},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/04\/deryks-acl-patient-story\/","about":["Health Topics A-Z","Sports Medicine"],"wordCount":783,"articleBody":"Deryk Jones Jr., 22, is passionate about soccer \u2014 a sport he has played since age 4. \u201cMy goal is someday to play soccer at the very highest level,\u201d he says.Double surgeries to reconstruct the ACLs in both knees could have jeopardized his career plans. But thanks to the expertise of the orthopaedic surgeons and physical therapists at UPMC Sports Medicine in Pittsburgh, Deryk returned to the soccer pitch.The Challenge: Sidelined by InjurySoccer has been the focus of Deryk Jones\u2019 life since he began playing the sport at age 4. After competing with elite club teams in his home state of Louisiana and Chicago, Deryk was invited to join U.S. Youth Soccer\u2019s Olympic Development Program. He finished high school in Minnesota at Shattuck-St. Mary\u2019s School \u2014 a highly regarded soccer program affiliated with Major League Soccer.After graduating in 2020, he accepted a scholarship from the University of Portland to play for the Pilots, its NCAA Division I soccer team. Deryk planned to fine-tune his soccer skills playing at the college level while earning a college degree. His dream is to eventually play professional soccer.Those plans appeared to be in doubt when Deryk tore the ACL and meniscus in his right knee during a training session on Jan. 21, 2021.The Path to UPMC: Father Knows BestDeryk immediately called one of his biggest supporters \u2014 his dad, Deryk Jones Sr., MD, a renowned and respected orthopaedic surgeon. \u201cMy dad played soccer, so he understands what it takes to become the best,\u201d says Deryk Jr. He also knows that an ACL injury can end a footballer\u2019s career before it begins.Dr. Jones is head of sports medicine at the Ochsner Andrews Sports Medicine Institute in New Orleans and a professor at the University of Queensland in Australia. He completed his orthopaedic training in Pittsburgh under the late Freddie Fu, MD, founder of UPMC\u2019s internationally acclaimed sports medicine program.\u201cMy dad called a colleague at UPMC, who said Dr. Musahl was the best at ACL reconstruction,\u201d says Deryk. Volker Musahl, MD, now medical director of UPMC Sports Medicine, also trained under Dr. Fu.\u201cThe individualized ACL procedure we use on our patients was developed by Dr. Fu,\u201d says Dr. Musahl. \u201cIn soccer \u2013 and many other sports \u2013 we have successfully developed a technique where we use a small strip of the patient\u2019s quadriceps tendon to fashion a strong, new ACL.\u201dJust 10 days after the injury, Dr. Musahl successfully reconstructed Deryk\u2019s ACL and repaired the torn meniscus using arthroscopy, a minimally invasive procedure that enables doctors to work through small incisions in the knee. For patients, it offers faster healing, and less scarring and blood loss. Deryk followed a months-long intense rehabilitation protocol crafted by Dr. Musahl and UPMC Rehabilitation Institute physical therapists. He returned to practice with the Pilots on a limited basis.A Return Trip to UPMCA year later \u2014 almost to the day \u2014\u00a0Deryk felt a pop in his other knee while playing in a Pilots squad game. \u201cI was pretty upset, so I called my dad,\u201d says Deryk. \u201cHe said, \u2018Buddy, I think it\u2019s your ACL.’\u201dThey were soon back in Pittsburgh where Dr. Musahl used the same arthroscopic procedure to successfully reconstruct the ACL in Deryk\u2019s left knee. \u201cThe nurses actually remembered me from a year before,\u201d says Deryk.Two days after surgery, Deryk flew home to Louisiana to recover. Once again, the physical therapists at UPMC Sports Medicine and his physical therapist in Portland created a rehabilitation program designed to get him back to playing soccer safely. At home, he followed the UPMC team\u2019s rigorous protocol under his father\u2019s watchful eye. Dr. Musahl and the team at UPMC Sports Medicine monitored his recovery and rehab progress via telemedicine.\u201cThat team at UPMC was awesome,\u201d he says. \u201cI had a long, hard road ahead of me, but they made sure I knew what I had to do. And I was ready.\u201dThe Outcome: Back on the PitchDeryk is back to practice with his teammates at the University of Portland. Because of back-to-back knee injuries, Deryk had been redshirted up until 2023. With three years of eligibility left, he plans to practice and play with the California State University Northridge Matadors while pursuing graduate studies.After the second surgery, many people asked Deryk if he would quit playing soccer. \u201cIt was harder the second time, and I had my doubts,\u201d he says. \u201cI had the best care at UPMC, and I\u2019m not going to stop playing because that\u2019s what I love to do.\u201dFor more information about\u00a0UPMC Sports Medicine\u00a0and its\u00a0ACL Program, or to schedule an appointment, please call\u00a01-855-937-7678."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2024","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"04","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/\/04\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Deryk\u2019s Story: Back on the Pitch After Two ACL Surgeries","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/04\/deryks-acl-patient-story\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]