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Dr. Josh Bell on Lindsey Vonn’s Knee Re-Injury and Olympic Withdrawal

TSAOG sports medicine specialist Dr. S. Josh Bell was interviewed by WOAI Radio regarding professional skiier Lindsey Vonn’s recent knee injury and her subsequent withdrawal from the upcoming Sochi Olympics.

Vonn had previously undergone surgery to reconstruct her right knee after an injury and recently re-injured the same knee, causing her to withdraw from next month’s games.

Re-injuries are fairly common in athletes.  According to Dr. Bell, “An athlete looking to avoid re-injury needs to maximize the physical therapy and work after surgery and prior to return to sport.  The return to sport is the ultimate goal but the rehabilitation process takes time and dedication.  The fact is that if the normal “off season” work is not done after an injury, it can lead to re-injury or another new injury.  It is difficult to underestimate the importance of time in addition to the therapy.  The biology of healing is related to the surgery, rehabilitation and time.  Just because an athlete is performing well in therapy does not always mean they can get back “faster” than the biology allows.  Having realistic goals and a team approach of doctors, therapists, trainers and coaches are the keys to success for the injured athlete to return and not suffer a re-injury.

If you missed the interview, check out the full version online here: https://woai.iheart.com/articles/woai-local-news-119078/vonns-withdrawal-from-olympics-doesnt-surprise-11953573/

 

Dr. S. Josh Bell is a board certified orthopaedic surgeon with The San Antonio Orthopaedic Group. He is has additional subspecialty certification in orthopaedic sports medicine and treats patients aged 11 years and up for conditions of the shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle as well as any sports-related injury. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Bell, please call 210.281.9595 or schedule online.

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