After tearing the meniscus in her right knee twice, Cree Norris was no stranger to knee injuries.
But when she tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the same knee, the pain was much more severe.
“The meniscus tears were a breeze compared to this,” says Cree, 48, of Franklin, Pa.
Luckily, Cree knew where to go. She visited Donald Campbell, DO, orthopaedic sports medicine surgeon, Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Associates – UPMC (OSMA).
Dr. Campbell had performed both surgical repairs on Cree’s meniscus, and in February 2025, he surgically reconstructed Cree’s ACL.
Over a month after her surgery, Cree is progressing through her recovery and is thankful to Dr. Campbell for his care.
“Dr. Campbell’s a great doctor,” she says. “He’s gone in, fixed things, and made them right. I trust him.”
A Pair of Tears
Cree tore her right meniscus for the first time in 2023. The meniscus is a crescent-shaped piece of cartilage that provides cushioning in the knee joint. Cree’s sitting posture put stress on the meniscus, eventually leading to a tear.
“I sit on my feet a lot,” Cree says. “That eventually led to tearing my meniscus.”
The tear caused a popping sensation in Cree’s knee when she walked, and the knee often locked in an unnatural position.
“Everyday walking, just going up and down steps, I was having issues with the knee getting stuck,” she says.
Cree visited Dr. Campbell for an evaluation at OSMA’s location in Franklin. He ordered a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam, which confirmed the torn meniscus.
Dr. Campbell explained the tear would require surgery. But he also expected a short recovery time.
“He was very informative and told me exactly what he was going to be doing prior to the surgery,” Cree says. “He was clear about what was going to happen and what my estimated recovery time was going to be.”
Dr. Campbell repaired Cree’s meniscus tear in February 2023. Within a month, she felt well enough to resume her activities.
“I like to be outside doing yard work, lawn care, and stuff like that,” she says. “It was at two weeks that I didn’t need crutches. I did everything he asked me to do as far as laying low, keeping the leg elevated, and taking the meds as I was supposed to. The recovery time was a snap.”
In early 2024, however, Cree tore her meniscus again — also because of her sitting posture.
“I was feeling the same issues that I did the first time: the clicking, the stiffness,” she says. “My knee would get stuck in a certain position, and I would have to manipulate my leg to unstick.”
Another visit to Dr. Campbell and another MRI confirmed the torn meniscus. Dr. Campbell repaired Cree’s meniscus again in February 2024.
Once again, the recovery was quick. And Cree learned one thing from the experience.
“I don’t sit on my feet anymore, needless to say,” she says.
A Severe Tear
In August 2024, about six months after her second meniscus repair, Cree tore her ACL. She was standing on a wooden spindle trying to fix a garage light.
“I went to step down, and I looked through my bifocals, so it looked closer than what it (actually) was,” she says. “When I landed, it was immediate radiating pain, severe, up and down my leg.
“I immediately knew I did something wrong.”
Once again, Cree visited Dr. Campbell, and an MRI showed a torn ACL.
ACL tears are severe knee injuries that often require surgery and months of recovery time. Dr. Campbell told Cree her recovery could take a year.
Because she needed someone to stay with her during her recovery, Cree delayed her surgery until February 2025. Dr. Campbell recommended that Cree wear a brace to stabilize her knee until he could repair it.
“It made a huge difference,” she says. “I was able to get up and down the steps without feeling that wobble in my leg. Because it was just shifting — my knee was not stable at all, and we didn’t want to tear anything else.
“It was a blessing that he suggested those braces to me because it kept me going until I was able to have the surgery.”
Though the brace helped stabilize Cree’s knee, the injury hampered her ability to manage routine activities.
“I couldn’t mow the grass anymore,” Cree says. “I couldn’t bend down or kneel down to do any of the gardening work with my flowers or plants. I couldn’t walk my dog. She’s a big dog to be walking around, and I knew I couldn’t do it anymore.”
Dr. Campbell performed Cree’s ACL reconstruction on Feb. 12, 2025.
“He made me feel very assured that he was going to take care of me, and he did,” Cree says.
A Slow, Steady Recovery
Cree says she couldn’t do much in the first couple of weeks after her surgery. She spent a lot of time on the couch, icing her knee and keeping it elevated as Dr. Campbell recommended.
After a couple of weeks, Cree could get around without crutches — although she’s still wearing a brace for support. She has also started physical therapy, working to strengthen her knee.
Cree says she’s listening to Dr. Campbell’s recovery instructions to avoid setbacks.
“I don’t want to push anything because that’s where things happen, more tears and things like that,” Cree says. “So, I’m just following his guidelines.”
Cree says Dr. Campbell has helped her greatly. She describes him as laid-back, always willing to answer questions and listen to his patients.
“His bedside manner is great,” she says. “I would definitely recommend Dr. Campbell, which I have to a couple of other people I know who are possibly going in for reconstructive surgery or knee surgery.”