How Knee Surgery Helped Elizabeth Return to the Outdoors

Elizabeth describes herself as an outdoor junkie, eager to tackle activities like trail running, rock climbing, horseback riding, alpine touring, competitive sailing, and more. According to Elizabeth, the outdoors are where she finds peace, joy, restoration, and a whole lot of fun.

But in an unexpected twist on an unusual day – February 29th, 2024 – injury struck during an indoor activity.

On a visit to Boston for work, Elizabeth hurt her right knee in a fall while bouldering in a climbing gym. She received initial treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital, but as a Greenwich, CT native, Elizabeth felt it was important to be close to loved ones and knew she could get first-class care close to home.

Elizabeth returned to Connecticut and contacted Orthopaedic & Neurosurgery Specialists (ONS), where countless friends and family had received outstanding orthopedic care. She met with Dr. Marc Kowalsky, a sports medicine specialist and knee, shoulder, and elbow surgeon at ONS.

Dr. Kowalsky determined that Elizabeth had damaged her knee’s ACL, MCL, and meniscus. Working with Elizabeth, Dr. Kowalsky created a care plan that balanced a speedy return to the active lifestyle she loved with a conservative approach that avoided setbacks.

“It’s been really wonderful to have someone who understands that I want to go as fast as possible going forward, without going backwards,” Elizabeth said.

Elizabeth’s treatment began with a leg brace, crutches, and physical therapy to help heal her MCL, which had suffered an inoperable tear. Elizabeth worked with Carmen Bauer-Rowe, DPT, a physical therapist at ONS who provided the same valuable support Dr. Kowalsky offered.

“Carmen was the perfect balance of pushing me, but pushing me in the right ways,” Elizabeth explained.

By May, Elizabeth’s MCL had healed sufficiently, and Dr. Kowalsky operated on her ACL and meniscus. To repair her ACL, Dr. Kowalsky used a quadriceps tendon autograft, a technique Elizabeth credits with making her stronger in the long run.

 After surgery, Elizabeth returned to physical therapy with Carmen, with her sights set on a major recovery goal: to earn her Wilderness First Responder Certification in the last week of August, at a course in the Tetons in Idaho. It represented a return to the active, outdoor life she cherished.

“I’m not a professional athlete… but this is the thing that makes me whole,” Elizabeth said.

Dr. Kowalsky understood what this goal meant to Elizabeth, and he helped her safely reach a point where she was cleared to participate. In August, Elizabeth earned her certification without having to sit out any part of the course due to physical concerns.

“When I came back, he wanted to hear all about it,” Elizabeth said of Dr. Kowalsky. “I just felt so cared for as a whole person, not just like he operated on my leg one time.”

Now, with graduation from physical therapy and more recovery milestones ahead in 2025, Elizabeth’s view is sunny: “I’ve already clocked a few outdoor adventures, and may they continue!”