October 23, 2008
It was the 8th inning in a fall league game and I was rounding third to score, the catcher came across the path with the ball and I slowed down when I hit him, which turned out to be a big mistake. I jammed my left knee either into the plate or into his shinguards, and the pain was immediate. I figured if I slowed down it would soften the blow, but if I had just kept sprinting through him he would have taken the hit and not my knee. I kept catching and dealt with the pain, nothing popped and swelling was minimal. The game went 14 innings and ended just after midnight, I went home and iced and went to bed. When I woke up in the morning my knee was tight, no swelling, and pain index of 6 from 1-10. I rested for a week with no action at all, and tried to get it ready for a Florida tournament the second week of November. I caught 2 games in 4 days, which was not out of the ordinary, and while my knee was sore it was not in any real pain. Rounding third as the winning run in the second game my knee gave out, snapping backwards. I went from full sprint to 0 in one step, and knew it wasn’t good. I caught one game after this and went home to see my doctor. After an MRI the diagnosis was a grade 1 sprained PCL and ACL, as well as a deep contusion on my patella. I was instructed to take it easy for 6 weeks and then try a running program. Step 1 of the running program was January 1st, and my knee again buckled and I ate it. I went back to another doctor, who had previously taken care of a SLAP Labrum tear. He diagnosed my knee as a grade 2 PCL tear, and informed me if I wanted to keep playing at a high level, I would need surgery.
March 9, 2009
Two weeks after seeing my doctor (Richard Levine) I had surgery. He used a 20 cm strip of my hamstring to repair the PCL and that was bolted down by 2 large bolts, he shaved a lot of bone as well because they had been rubbing from the knee slipping. The surgery lasted 90 minutes, and I was in an immobilizer with my leg locked at full extension for the first two weeks. I started therapy and I progressed well, my recovery was expected to be 9 to 12 months. I did therapy three times a day on my own and met my therapist 2 to 3 times a week, and after 3 months I was able to run on a treadmill. At 6 months I was cleared to begin playing. My hard work and dedication to my knee made it all possible. However, I am almost 8 months post surgery and still have hamstring issues. I can squat, my left knee is still slightly more tight than my right and the power in my left leg is still lower than that of my right. I cannot fully sprint because of the lack of ability to push off, my hamstring cramps if I push off with my left leg at maximal effort. My doctor expects a full strength recovery by this coming March, I feel like I am at 90-95% now but my hamstring has been a problem for 2 years so hopefully this does not continue. Overall, my knee surgery was the right decision, the result was better than expected, and my recovery was extraordinary minus the hamstring issues.
My recommendations for anyone undergoing a knee surgery are to find a great surgeon who is comfortable working with you and understanding your needs. Also, make sure you push yourself. My trainers did not like the pace at which I wanted to work but they also don’t know my body or what it was capable of. I am not saying to disobey your therapist, but find a healthy balance of what your body can handle. Recovery should never cause more pain, and if so you are likely doing too much. A healthy diet definitely played a role, as well as dedicating my time to my knee.
For now, I am still playing and have played for the last few months, I began by DHing and then playing first, I pitched a few innings, and then began catching at 6 and a half months. I started with half games, and am now catching full games. The only complaint remains the knee tightness and weak hamstring. My hamstring is really not responding well as it cramps when it exerts force, making recovery hard. I feel if I keep working and doing my therapy exercises and strengthening exercises I will be 100% by the end of the year.

By Jon Hart, Assistant Coach Harford Community College Baseball