For June 2016 high school freshman Amanda was the Jersey PT Patient of the Month and gained #PTStar status.
Condition:
Amanda has had a history of recurrent dislocations of her patella for years. She first came to PT in May 2015 after sustaining a dislocation during track practice. She had PT for several weeks, but inevitably, suffered another dislocation when playing basketball. Surgery was recommended to reconstruct the medial patellofemoral ligament, one of the primary stabilizers of the patella.
Motivation:
Amanda is 14 years old, a freshman in high school. With her recurrent dislocations, she grew frustrated that she wasn’t able to participate in sports and gym activities. Post surgery, Amanda had to wear a knee immobilizer that prevented her from bending her knee and used crutches to avoid weight bearing through the leg. Her frustration eventually turned into motivation. She set goals for herself, and kept the motivation going after each milestone that was reached. Amanda is looking forward to being able to return back to track and basketball, and perform normal activities of daily living that we take for granted.
Attendance:
Amanda attended PT three times a week and diligently performed her home exercise program.
Improvements:
Once Amanda’s knee brace was removed, she began making significant progress. The weight-bearing component was what she needed to begin functioning again. She has been attending PT since February and has regained nearly all of her range of motion and her quad strength back. She is now at the point where she can jog, squat, and negotiate stairs with almost no pain and improved stability.
Quote:
“Three months ago, I came into Jersey Physical Therapy for the third time in my sports career. After all of the worrying following my surgery, I would have never imagined getting this far in such a short amount of time. Without everyone here, encouraging me to progress one day at a time, I do not know where I would be today. With the help of all of the staff, I was able to get back to where I once was and I give it all to them. My thanks goes out to everyone.“