Alex – Soccer – Knee Microfracture
When I was 13 years old and playing for Match Fit Academy at the FC Delco Players Cup Soccer Tournament, I was running after a ball at full speed and fell to the ground and landed hard on my knee. I fell on an extremely hard patch of dirt. I ended up winning the 50-50 challenge for the ball but I had a lot of difficulty getting up after I fell. I finished the tournament but was in a lot of pain where I hit my knee. For several weeks after the tournament, my knee continued to hurt in the exact area where I landed hard.
My parents were concerned that my knee was not healing and was still causing me pain. They chose Columbia University Medical Center because they believed that the orthopaedic department was the best in the nation. They were aware of Dr. Christopher Ahmad’s stellar reputation as a surgeon and the extensive experience he has in sports medicine and pediatric orthopedics. I went for a consultation, mri and xray. The mri and xray revealed a dime sized Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) lesion. I was told that the bone in the area of my knee had not healed after the fall and that the bone was soft. There was a danger that if the bone did not heal that it could break off and cause permanent damage. Dr. Ahmad recommended minimally invasive corrective surgery followed by 2 months where I was not allowed to put any pressure on the knee. I had to use crutches for the 2 month period. I rehabilitated my knee after the 2 month period passed through physical therapy. The area of the bone completely healed as a result of Dr. Ahmad’s surgery and follow up care. Dr. Ahmad is a great surgeon. He returned me to the soccer field and I was able to resume play at a high competitive level.
Thanks Dr. Ahmad.