BEACHWOOD, Ohio — When one thinks of an ACL tear, surgery is usually the very next thing that comes to mind. That's exactly what Olympic gold medal swimmer Diana Munz-DePetro, a Northeast Ohio native and resident, thought when she tore hers while skiing.
But her on-the-go lifestyle didn't have time for surgery.
"So I did a little bit of research and found out that there could be a possible way for me to rehab it," Diana said.
She met with Dr. James Voos, Chief of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at University Hospitals Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute and discussed her options.
His team was able to guide her through a conservative approach with intense physical therapy, but it's important to note, she's also a unique patient.
"In this circumstance, you have an athlete who is in remarkable shape, knows her body, knows the sport that she wants to participate in, and we made the decision to work through this together and treat this conservatively," Dr. Voos said.
"I worked extremely hard and it was a really long, long, long road of just really learning how to reuse my knee, relearning to walk down stairs and all of this became really difficult in my everyday life but I knew having surgery would be the exact same way," Diana said.
As a former elite athlete she understands dedication and training and yes, even managed to make it back onto skis.
"I have had a second MRI and it (ACL) has slightly reattached at this point. So the more I keep doing my exercises and keep building strength in my leg, I think I'll be good. I'm doing pretty much everything I wanna do," she said.
She knows she may have to continue rehabbing her knee for years to keep it strong and supported, but at this point, she has no plans for needing ACL surgery in her future.
It's important for patients to discuss their options with their healthcare providers.
Want to be among the first to know the most important local and national news? The latest sports updates We've got you covered! You can download the free WKYC app and get the latest updates sent to your phone: Android, Apple.