Soriyah Charles has spent almost as much time in surgery and rehabilitation as she has on the soccer field.
The Duluth High School student-athlete has needed four surgical procedures to reconstruct her anterior cruciate ligament. Dr. Mathew Pombo of the Northside Hospital Orthopedic Institute did the most recent, using a new procedure for patients with recurrent ACL tears.
“Initially I was devastated to face a fourth ACL surgery,” Soriyah said, noting that the recovery from surgery is both physically demanding and mentally taxing.
“The timing exacerbated my frustration, as this is my senior year – a period already brimming with responsibilities related to work, academics and family,” she said. “The prospect of managing yet another lengthy rehabilitation brought feelings of anxiety.”
But the new procedure, developed by Newclip Technics, is designed to address one of the risk factors that can lead to recurrent ACL tears. It uses computer engineering models to develop the posterior slope of the tibia. Dr. Pombo said the result is a procedure custom to each patient and his or her anatomy.
Reducing the slope at the time of the revision surgery eases the strain on the ACL graft, helping cut the risk of future tears.
Three weeks after surgery, Soriyah was on a light weight-bearing protocol. She said that was significantly different from her previous surgeries, where she was walking after three weeks. By four weeks, Soriyah was gradually ramping up weight-bearing activities on her surgical leg by 25%.
She also mixed in push-ups and core-strengthening exercises.
While she rehabs, Soriyah is starting her spring semester at home with online classes. That is giving her time to focus on college and scholarship applications.
And that next phase in life might well be shaped by what has happened in recent weeks.
“Being immersed in cutting-edge advancements in medical technology has inspired me to pursue a major in biomedical engineering, with aspirations of becoming a health or bioinformatics specialist,” Soriyah said. “This passion stems from a deep appreciation for innovation and the impact it can have on improving lives, as I’m very optimistic about this surgical procedure.”
Learn more about the Northside Hospital Orthopedic Institute.
*The health story shared here is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Patients should consult with their own physician before making medical decisions.
