A Star HS Softball Pitcher’s Return to the Mound after ACL Surgery

From as far back as she can recall, Jordan Rossi has loved playing softball. She started pitching at age 9 and pitched all the way to her senior year.  Then the unimaginable happened… In October of 2020, Jordan was playing volleyball when she took a bad fall. During a jump, she landed badly. She heard an audible snap and immediately feared she’d torn her ACL. As a competitive athlete, she was well aware of the risk of ACL tears in young female athletes. Jordan also knew that her goal of becoming a softball pitcher in college the following year was threatened if her ACL was torn.  She was planning on attending Washington University in St. Louis for its academic reputation and for the opportunity to play for coach Michelle Venturella, a two-time Olympic catcher.

With her knee beginning to swell, Jordan and her mom, Stephanie Rossi headed for a well-known center for orthopedics that was open afterhours. There they learned that as feared, Jordan had a torn ACL. Jordan needed an MRI to get the full picture of damage but was told that the schedule was full for two weeks. So, the next day after doing some research, Jordan’s mom made an appointment with Dr. Sethi at ONS.

From the beginning of the visit with Dr. Sethi, they we both impressed by how specific his questions to Jordan were. He wanted to understand her individual muscle dynamics and he even asked to see videos of her playing. Both Jordan and her mother sensed they were in very good hands. Dr. Sethi ordered the MRI and surgery was scheduled.

Smooth Road to Recovery

The surgery went smoothly, and Jordan began her road to recovery, an aggressive physical therapy program supervised by Alicia Hirscht, DPT at ONS Physical Therapy in Stamford. Treatment involved a technique called BFRT, Blood Flow Restriction Therapy in order to speed the healing of muscles that were significantly weakened from her injury and the initial recovery process.  With her goal of pitching in her freshman year on her mind, Jordan approached therapy with determination. In just four months post op, Dr. Sethi gave Jordan permission to resume running, ahead of the usual ACL recovery timeline. Five and a half months out, she had regained much of the strength and mobility in the knee, and she felt ready to do the “return to sport testing”. She was elated when she passed with flying colors.

“I am so grateful for all the support ONS has given me over the past year,” said Jordan who is now studying Fine Arts and Environmental Studies and pitching softball at Washington University. “Dr. Sethi, Alicia, and the entire team took a personal interest in my recovery and helped me get back to the sport I love. I feel very fortunate. An injury was not something I thought I’d have to deal with in my senior year, but I learned that with hard work and patience I can do anything I put my mind to. It feels amazing to be back on the field again!”

Stephanie added, “Our entire experience at ONS was wonderful. From the efficient administrative staff to the caring medical team, we were happy with every aspect of Jordan’s care. And although I hope we never have to see Dr. Sethi for an injury again, we will miss him and the ONS team!”