Shane’s sophomore season as the kicker at Uxbridge High School was as close to perfect as a high school athlete could hope for – he’d missed just one kick since becoming a starter on the varsity football team – until injury struck during a game last September.
When Shane planted his left leg to kick, he buckled and collapsed to the field. Athletic trainers evaluated Shane’s knee and believed it was likely a soft tissue injury that didn’t require immediate attention in the emergency room. But when Shane returned home after the game that weekend, the pain in his knee grew more and more excruciating.
But finding the right sports medicine team to treat Shane’s injury, which made it difficult to stand and kept him wheelchair-bound and out of school for two weeks, turned out to be a challenge. Shane’s mother and father, Nanci and Greg, tried to contact an orthopedist who had worked with their son in the past, but couldn’t reach anyone through the practice’s emergency line. Several parents of Shane’s teammates encouraged Nanci and Greg to call Ortho Rhode Island, where their sons had been treated by Dr. Matthew Plante, an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist. When Nanci reached out, Ortho Rhode Island scheduled Shane for an appointment with Dr. Plante the very next day.
After x-rays and a thorough examination, Dr. Plante determined Shane had suffered a rare fracture of his left tibial tubercle, the knob at the upper end of the shin bone where the patellar tendon attaches. The fracture was displaced, meaning that the two ends where the bone had broken were no longer in alignment.
To add to the list of concerns, Shane’s fracture also put him at elevated risk of compartment syndrome, which occurs when pressure in and around muscles increases, causing pain and restricting blood flow to the muscles and nerves. In severe cases, compartment syndrome can lead to permanent muscle damage.
Dr. Plante recognized the difficult nature of Shane’s injury, and communicated clearly why acting quickly was vital to his successful recovery.
“The way Dr. plante engaged with Shane, he spoke to him the same way he spoke to me,” Nanci said. “He talked to him like an adult. He explained how serious his injury was, the risk of compartment syndrome, and why it was imperative to get in [to the OR] quickly.”
So Dr. Plante cleared his schedule to perform Shane’s surgery as early as possible, and completed a successful repair of the fracture. Nanci, who also happens to work in orthopedics, couldn’t believe the results.
“[Dr. Plante] came out of the OR and showed me the x-rays of the repair. He did an internal fixation – I wanted to frame his work. I have never seen a knee repair that was that flawless,” she said. “I knew as soon as I saw the pictures from the OR that my son’s knee was going to be perfect.”
And sure enough, Shane’s knee responded positively to the procedure. By Thanksgiving he was practicing kicking out in his yard. And by the end of the year, he was back on the field training again after being cleared to return to play.
“He was way ahead of schedule for his recovery. All he wanted for Christmas was footballs to kick, so we got him four footballs, and he’s been back on the field practicing.”
A crucial element of Shane’s speedy recovery was actually what took place after his surgery – the rehabilitation he completed at Ortho Rhode Island. As part of their comprehensive sports medicine care, Ortho Rhode Island’s physical therapists collaborate with surgeons to offer coordinated care, ensuring patients’ programs are individualized to their unique needs and objectives.
“Shane went to PT there [at Ortho Rhode Island.] He had Max – he loved him,” Nanci said. Max Fokin, PT, DPT is a member of the Physical Therapy team at Ortho Rhode Island that helps young athletes like Shane get back to playing the sports they love. He worked with Shane to ensure that the strength, flexibility, and range of motion he needed to support his surgically repaired tibia were all optimized.
“PT was fantastic. They clicked really well, [Max] gave Shane really good motivation, so the rehabilitation piece was also there.”
From timely appointments with experts like Dr. Plante, to physical therapy tailored to Shane’s injury, symptoms, and goals, Ortho Rhode Island’s sports medicine has provided the highest quality comprehensive care throughout Shane’s experience. And as Shane hits the gym this summer in preparation for his junior football season, he and his family are grateful for the second chance Ortho Rhode Island has helped make happen.
“The whole experience at Ortho Rhode Island was pleasant from beginning to end. Every step of the process was the best you can hope for,” Nanci said. And it’s not just Shane’s family who will benefit from Ortho Rhode Island’s great care. “Now everyone on the team knows where to go if something happens.”
Learn more about sports medicine at Ortho Rhode Island. To schedule an appointment, call 401-777-7000.
