SUMMER 2023
NEWS
KNEE TREATMENT RESEARCH-BASED INSIGHTS THAT MAXIMIZE PATIENT OUTCOMES
RETURNING
RYAN JENSEN
On the second day of training camp in 2022, Tampa Bay Buccaneers center Ryan Jensen suffered six major knee injuries—ACL, PCL, MCL and meniscus tears, tibial head fracture and knee cartilage fracture—when another player fell on the outside of his left leg. The first five doctors he saw all recommended surgery. With treatment from well-known knee experts, including K. Donald Shelbourne, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Shelbourne Knee Center, and a lot of hard work by Jensen, the 31-year-old was able to return to play for the Bucs in 172 days— without a single surgery. “It was a pretty severe injury,” Jensen said in an interview with BucsGameday, a Tampa Bay Buccaneers newsletter. “I was fortunate that I didn’t have to have surgery.” Healing Without Surgery Mike McCartney, Jensen’s agent, knew that surgery could result in complications that would end Jensen’s NFL career. McCartney turned to orthopedic surgeon
Chad Prodromos, MD, who had treated McCartney with stem cells after failed back surgery. Dr. Prodromos told McCartney that surgery would likely result in scarring, a loss of range of motion, and overall poor results. He referred Jensen to Dr. Shelbourne, who has pioneered a research-backed, nonoperative approach to treating many knee injuries. Jensen first saw Dr. Shelbourne and Laura Bray-Prescott, PT/LATC/ CATC, a physical therapist/athletic trainer at Shelbourne Knee Center, on August 1, 2022, a few days after he was injured. “By having a surgeon and a physical therapist work together closely, we came up with the best treatment plan for Ryan,” says Bray-Prescott. After reviewing the diagnostic tests done in Florida and examining Jensen’s knee, Dr. Shelbourne agreed with Dr. Prodromos that Jensen could probably heal without surgery. Research conducted at Shelbourne Knee Center relevant to Jensen’s injuries shows that: • MCL and PCL tears can heal with immobilization and
DE.WIKIPEDIA.ORG
TO PLAY AFTER CAREER-THREATENING KNEE INJURIES
physical therapy • Many meniscus tears do not need surgery • The ACL only needs surgical repair if it has not healed after all the other injuries have been addressed “Most surgeons only know how to fix people with surgery,” says Dr. Shelbourne. “Not every knee injury requires surgery.”
First Step: Regain Knee Extension Before Dr. Shelbourne recommended that surgery could be delayed or possibly not needed, he wanted Jensen to achieve extension in his injured knee equal to his other knee. He did this in just one physical CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
Shelbourne Knee Center
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| FixKnee.com 1 6/14/23 1:27 PM