Innovative Hip Procedure Allows Athlete a Quick Return to the Court
July 11, 2016
At Oberlin High School, Judie Lesesne was never far away from a sporting event. The four-sport athlete lettered in basketball, soccer, softball and track during her high school career and graduated as Oberlin High’s leading scorer in both basketball and soccer.
So when hip pain derailed her collegiate basketball career, the 19-year-old turned to UH Sports Medicine to get her back on the court. “I started noticing the hip pain my junior year of high school but it wasn’t until the following year that I went in to see Dr. Weiss-Kelly,’ said Judie.
Amanda Weiss-Kelly, MD, Division Chief of Pediatric Sports Medicine, diagnosed Judie with an acetabular labral tear, damage to the cartilage within the hip joint, and referred her to Michael Salata, MD, Director of the Joint Preservation and Cartilage Restoration Center and a team physician for the Cleveland Browns. Upon examining Judie, Dr. Salata also diagnosed the young athlete with hip dysplasia and coordinated her care with orthopedic trauma surgeon and hip preservation specialist, Robert Wetzel, MD.
Drs. Salata and Wetzel recommended a combined open/arthroscopic surgical treatment. The novel approach included a periacetabular osteotomy, cutting the hip socket and turning it to a more favorable position, performed by Dr. Wetzel and a hip arthroscopy with an acetabular labral repair performed by Dr. Salata. Judie was the first patient to receive this combination of procedures at UH. “UH is one of the few places in the country with the capacity for these combined procedures,” said Dr. Salata. “The operation helped Judie to return very quickly to a high-level of athletic activity and will decrease her risk for the development of hip arthritis.”
After just six weeks on crutches, Judie was back in the gym working out with a personal trainer and getting ready for her sophomore year at Notre Dame College. At her three-month follow up appointment, Judie was cleared for full participation in sports, including running and shooting baskets.
“Judie was a pleasure to take care of from the start,” said Dr. Wetzel. “She was incredibly motivated during her recovery and returned to her college campus only two weeks after surgery. At just three months following her procedure, she was able to fully rejoin her collegiate basketball team. I am incredibly proud to have her as a patient.”
Throughout the process, Judie credits the UH Sports Medicine team for helping her remain confident. “They reassured me that the surgery would allow me to come back even better than I was before,” said Judie. “I didn’t have any doubts about the procedure.”
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To schedule an appointment with a UH Sports Medicine specialist, please call 216-983-PLAY (7529).