John is an exceptional guy in every way imaginable. As his X-ray demonstrates, one evening he walked into my clinic after he broke his arm in half in a nasty football accident. Most patients in his shoes are hollering in pain and tears when they come off the field with this injury. Not John. He was cool as a cucumber and took everything I said in stride. John is dedicated to his sports and could not afford to miss any time. With a bright future ahead of him, we determined we needed to get him back on the field as soon as possible. After a lengthy discussion involving him and his parents we elected to repair his fracture with metal plates and screws, also known as an open reduction, internal fixation. Remarkably, days after his surgery, he was moving his arm and elbow to get his motion back, minimizing any development of atrophy in the process.
Fast forward just a few months later and we are ready to cut him loose. Few teenagers have the tenacity or courage that John does. It is no surprise to me that University of Texas baseball has already committed to him pitching when he graduates! I look forward to watching him progress and continue earning the accolades!