Back to Basketball After Knee Surgery

Then-eighth grader Gianna was on the basketball court looking forward to the summer ahead and the start of high school, where she hoped to play basketball at the varsity level.

Then she felt a snap: another player's knee had collided with hers, tearing her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). "It felt like there was nothing holding my leg together," she says.

Especially disappointing for Gianna was that she had been playing above her age level, facing off against athletes three and four years her senior on an AAU 17U (17-and-under) team; college coaches were already taking notice.

Expert Care Close To Home

Thankfully, expert orthopedic care was available close to home, and Gianna saw Dr. Anthony Maddalo, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in knee and shoulder surgery.

"These types of knee injuries are common in athletes, especially in sports with action that starts and stops suddenly," Dr. Maddalo, a former assistant team physician for the New York Rangers, explains. In addition, Gianna had a bone bruise and a partial injury to the lateral meniscus, or cartilage that connects the shin and thigh bones.

During the resulting 90-minute procedure, Dr. Maddalo he and his team performed a reconstruction using a portion of her patellar tendon, which connects the kneecap to the shin bone. Gianna was able to go home the same day and soon began physical therapy. Within five months, Gianna was able to reduce her physical therapy to just one session per week and undergo sports physical therapy.

"Right now, I can shoot and do simple stuff. I was cleared to run, but I can't practice yet," Gianna explains. While she was disappointed to miss a season of basketball, she aims to be back on the court soon.