The 5 Worst Athlete ACL Injuries of All Time: Recovery (Part II)

Injured professional athletes have some of the most incredible recoveries from the most devastating injuries. In our last blog post we talked about the 5 worst ACL injuries in recent sports history, but how did they recover? In this blog post we’ll cover how the recovery went for these five athletes and highlight some of the amazing recoveries modern sports therapy has achieved.

Tom Brady’s “Unprecedented” Recovery

Tom Brady’s ACL tear in 2008 marked the first time the star quarterback missed games in 15 years of his career. The doctor who oversaw his surgery and recovery said, “With regard to his recovery of strength, I’ve never seen anything quite like it. With an average person, it would have taken probably twice as long.” Even after getting an infection after the procedure, Brady was still able to keep his rehab on track. Brady went on to play the entire following season with a knee brace, was named the 2009 NFL Comeback Player of the Year and won the AFC East title.

Robert Griffin III’s “Superhuman” ACL Recovery

Robert Griffin III’s season ending ACL injury was heartbreaking for Redskins fans after the team rallied to win 7 games at the end of the season, winning the NFC East title. Dr. James Andrews has called RG3’s recovery “superhuman,” leading many to believe he will be ready for Week One of the 2013 season. It’s still too early to tell, as RG3 is still in recovering, but his appearance at a draft party in early May, complete with jumping jacks, suggests that he is well ahead of schedule.  (We hope he’s wearing an ACL brace under those jeans for support!)

Tiger Woods “Double Bundle” ACL Surgery

As a professional athlete you typically have access to the newest and most innovative procedures in the medical community. When Tiger Woods tore his ACL in 2008, he underwent ACL surgery that consisted of repairing both parts of the ACL, which isn’t done with conventional ACL surgery. Though studies have to gauge performance over time to determine if this is a superior surgery, the thought is that it establishes a more natural motion post-surgery. With a win at the 2013 World Golf Championship, if looks like Tiger is doing just fine.

Adrian Peterson’s Incredible Return After ACL Tear

Adrian Peterson wasn’t expected to return until the middle of the 2012 season following an ACL tear in 2011. Eight months after his surgery (which was done a risky 6 days after it was injured), Peterson was on the field for Week One of the 2012 NFL season. He went on to have the best season of his career, finishing with 2,097 rushing yards, the second most in NFL history. Orthopedic surgeon Leon Popovitz notes Peterson is the exception for this kind of recovery stating, “Adrian is so special. Not only is he physically, just exceptionally gifted, he has the mental makeup that will give him confidence and extreme concentration.”

Derrick Rose’s Slow Recovery

Derrick Rose spent the NBA playoffs on the Bulls’ bench, despite being cleared to play. Rose was injured in the 2012 playoffs, and sat out the entire 2012-2013 season during his recovery process. Even as the Bulls entered the playoffs, Rose displayed extreme patience in his recovery saying, “I'm not coming back until I'm 110%. Who knows when that can be? It can be within a couple of weeks. It could be next year.”

MMAR Medical supplies orthopedic braces for a range of injuries, including ACL and MCL injuries and for a range of sports including basketball, football, and golf.

Have you had ACL surgery? How did your recovery go?  Which one of these recoveries is most impressive to you?  Comment!