Dartmouth-Hitchcock

Hear Ben and his mom, Becky, describe their experience with the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Sports Concussion Program, what it was like to be tested, his results, and the hard decisions parents have to make to keep their kids' futures safe.

After practicing lacrosse for only one week, Gunnar went to cut during one of the scrimmages and his knee gave out – it was his ACL. After meeting with the Sports Medicine Team at DHMC, he knew surgery was the right option to get him back to sports. Hear what Gunnar and his mom, Kristin, have to say about the process involved in ACL reconstruction surgery.

Dr. Carr was the right surgeon for me. He described all possible treatment options, talked with me about outcomes and how many ACL surgeries he's performed. He also told me what to expect during the healing process. I credit Steve Vincente, my physical therapist, in getting me on the road to recovery. His positive energy made all the difference. I’m happy to say my knee is not only as good as it was before, it's better.

This feels like redemption. It's one of the first things we heard 23-year-old Olympic skier Hannah Kearney say about her near flawless gold medal run in the women's freestyle moguls at the 2010 Vancouver Games, after experiencing the bitter disappointment of failing to make the moguls final four years before in Torino, Italy. Though not one to make excuses, she could also have been thinking about a couple of other setbacks she had to overcome.

Dr. Sparks involved me in making decision from step one—whether or not to have surgery. During the next two meetings, Dr. Sparks answered my questions and explained my options for the treatment and the types of surgery. He listened to me and I was very reassured by the end of the third visit that most of my questions were answered and that the surgery would be beneficial.

In the middle of one of her most important soccer games against her school's biggest rival, Sarah's knee gave way after a hit from another player—she had a strained MCL, a torn ACL, and a partial tear of her meniscus. "Dr. Karlson knew it was really important to me to get back [to sports] as soon as I could. She understood because she was an athlete as well...but also the importance of making sure it all goes smoothly."

Susan is an athlete who thought she'd miss an entire season of skiing when she tore the ACL ligament in her knee. The Sports Medicine Center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene helped her get through the season and back into elite condition.