Knee injury patient story

“Dr. Darr had it figured out right away – even without the MRI.”

At 67 years old, Richard Diedrich has devoted more than six decades of his life to sports. In high school and college, he triumphed at tennis. During retirement, he traveled with a senior league softball team to the World Senior Games in St. George, Utah. So when a tennis injury almost took him out of the game – permanently – Richard didn’t sit on the sidelines. Instead, he sought out customized orthopedic care that he could trust.

The injury happened when Richard was playing doubles tennis. He and his partner went for the ball and collided. Richard got up, shook it off and resumed playing. “I thought I was fine. Then I felt something wobble in my knee and my knee buckled,” Richard recalls.

Rest didn’t help. In the days after the injury, his knee would buckle unexpectedly. Knowing something was wrong, Richard decided to visit his primary care provider, Aurora doctor Richard Bunting, MD, who saw that Richard needed an orthopedic specialist.

A few days later, at the referral of Dr. Bunting, Richard met with Omar Darr, MD, a specialist in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery. He was immediately impressed.

“Dr. Darr had it figured out right away – even without the MRI,” says Richard.

Dr. Darr knew that Richard had suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and a torn meniscus. They discussed treatment options. Richard could have the torn meniscus partially removed, but he’d have to give up tennis and softball. Or, surgeons could also replace his ACL during his meniscus surgery, which would allow him to return to high-level physical activity.

Richard wasn’t ready to give up sports. He also wanted to continue enjoying retirement with his wife of 41 years, as well as spend time with his five active grandchildren. So, based on Richard’s good health, high activity level and desire to stay involved in sports, they decided to replace the ACL during the meniscus surgery.

The surgery went smoothly, and Richard’s rehabilitation process began almost immediately.

“The transition was seamless,” Richard says. “Dr. Darr’s staff actually scheduled my first physical therapy session before the surgery.

”Richard was thrilled when the equipment for his home exercises was delivered the day of the surgery. The setup and demonstration of the equipment were taken care of immediately.

In addition to having at-home rehab, Richard attended 30 physical therapy sessions at Aurora Medical Center in Grafton with the Aurora Sports Medicine Institute team.

By following his therapy routine, Richard recovered quickly. “It paid immediate benefits,” he says.

Richard was pleased with the care he received from Aurora’s physical therapy experts.“ The staff really knows their stuff,” Richard says. “If something’s not quite right, they’ll know right away.”

He also noted the excellent communication between his physical therapy team and physicians, saying, “I didn’t have to tell them my story every time. They knew – Dr. Darr would talk with the physical therapists. They would talk with Dr. Darr. Just great communication, and a great team.”

Today Richard is looking forward to many more years of sports – tennis, softball and more.

“That’s why I opted for this surgery and rehab,” he says. “I thought maybe it was time to quit. But Dr. Darr said I didn’t have to. He said with help, I could get back to it. And now, thanks to him and his team, I am.”