Conditions + Treatments
Hip Dysplasia
Hip Labral Tear
Periacetabular Osteotomy (PAO)
I am from Birmingham, Alabama and I grew up dancing and playing tennis. I am currently a freshman at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss).
My first patient experience at Andrews Sports Medicine was in 2015. As an 11-year old, I was treated for an ankle injury by Dr. Cherie Miner, who is now retired.
In September of 2018, when I was 14-years old, I started experiencing hip pain. I lived with the pain for more than a year and the pain became more constant, affecting my daily life. My parents and I decided to schedule an appointment with Dr. Ricardo Colberg in December of 2019.
Dr. Colberg ordered an x-ray and evaluated my hip. Throughout the next few months, I participated in physical therapy, received some ultrasound-guided injections, and had an MRI performed. I continued playing tennis through periodic pain and discomfort. In February of 2020, I was playing tennis when my leg adducted, and I fell. My leg went numb, and I felt sharp pain throughout my entire leg.
After this incident, Dr. Colberg referred me to orthopaedic surgeon and hip preservation specialist, Dr. Michael Ryan. Dr. Ryan and his team performed an extensive exam and ordered a hip MRI with contrast and a CT pelvis with 3-D reconstruction.
Soon after, Dr. Ryan notified us that my official diagnosis was borderline hip dysplasia and a labrum tear. He thoroughly explained that the combination of some genetic disorders and years of dancing were factors in my condition and diagnosis.
Dr. Ryan explained that due to me being so young, the goal of surgical treatment was hip preservation, a type of intervention that delays or prevents the onset of arthritis and possible later need for a hip replacement. Because I did not have overt dysplasia, his recommendation was to begin with just a hip scope. He discussed with us that there was a chance due to my borderline dysplasia that I may need a periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) in the future, but we were hoping to avoid it if possible since it is such a big procedure. He explained that the process was going to be a long-term commitment for all of us.
Dr. Ryan performed my initial hip surgery soon after the COVID-19 pandemic started. My timeline of surgeries is:
- May, 2020 - I had my right labrum repaired.
- October, 2020 - I had my left labrum repaired.
- June, 2021 - I had my right PAO.
- June, 2022 - I had my left labrum reconstruction.
The most challenging surgery to overcome was the PAO surgery. It was very tough, and I still feel like I am battling it every day. The challenging part is twofold, having to physically heal from the surgery while also dealing with the reality of no longer being able to play the sports I loved. It became an emotional battle as well. Towards the end as I was physically healing, it became more mental than anything. There are definitely setbacks, but I am grateful to have overcome this in general.
I am still recovering from my left labrum reconstruction; however, during the past couple of weeks, I am starting to feel better than I have in years. I am slowly getting back to normal and the pain free life I remembered. Physically, I know I will completely heal, but I think it will be a mental game for years to come. My pelvis was broken in 3 places and it is hard to wrap my mind around that.
In addition, I would also like to thank Dr. Monte Ketchum. Leading up to my left labrum reconstruction this summer I was experiencing lots of pain in my hip. To alleviate the pain short term, Dr. Ryan referred me to Dr. Ketchum, who performed an ultrasound-guided hip injection to alleviate my short-term pain. This provided me 2+ months of relief prior to my June, 2022 surgery.
I am finally pain-free, and I am so thankful to Dr. Ryan and his staff for helping me get back to a normal life! Dr. Ryan and his staff were phenomenal! They are so great and basically like family to me now. I would definitely recommend Andrews Sports Medicine to friends and family, and I already have! I’ve had 5 friends go see Dr. Ryan, and my grandmother saw him too. Thank you, Dr. Ryan and Andrews Sports Medicine, for helping me regain my strength and get back to a pain-free life!
