How ONS Helped Christine Get Back on Her Skis after an Accident

The Injury 
In early 2022, Christine, an occupational therapist who loves to ski, hike and kickbox, suffered a serious leg injury during a skiing accident in Vermont, causing a shattered tibia, a torn patellar tendon, and a torn meniscus in her left knee.  
 
The impact on Christine’s daily life was nearly as devastating as the accident itself. Initially confined to a wheelchair and unable to live independently, Christine moved in with her parents, who helped her with simple tasks like getting dressed. As an occupational therapist in a physically demanding acute rehab setting, Christine was also unable to work. 
 
“It was a difficult time physically, but it was also a very emotional journey,” Christine explained. “It felt like losing my identity. I am an active person, and sitting around was isolating. As a clinician, it showed me that the emotional side of being a patient can be just as difficult.” 

The Solution 
To regain her independence, Christine turned to Dr. Demetris Delos, sports medicine surgeon at Orthopaedic & Neurosurgery Specialists. Though her injuries were severe, surgery had to wait a week; the extensive swelling around Christine’s knee needed to go down before Dr. Delos could operate. 
 
When surgery was appropriate, he performed two separate procedures. In the first, he implanted instrumentation to fix Christine’s tibia, and repaired her torn patellar tendon and meniscus. In the second, Dr. Delos removed the instrumentation on her tibia once the bone was sufficiently healed.  

The Results 
The surgeries were a success. Christine began a gradual and determined rehabilitation that brought milestones to celebrate: She was walking independently by June of 2022, and returned to work just nine months after her accident. She even took a role as a traveling occupational therapist in San Diego, where she hiked the local trails to test her leg as she grew stronger.