WLM | health
he started center for 17 games,
including 15 of the final 16 games
of the season.
Gem City), to help him get back
in the game. Premier has a long
history of supporting UW athletes
by providing team physicians
who attend all athletes. Under
the guidance of then head team
physician Dr. Jay Carson, an MRI
scan revealed a torn meniscus, one
of two C-shaped pieces of cartilage
that cushion your shinbone and
thighbone. When functioning
correctly, menisci protect the
knee joint from the stresses of
movements like walking, running,
and bending—critical activities for a
basketball player.
Adam was faced with two choices: to
repair the tear, or to simply remove
it. Since repairing the tear would
mean a longer recovery time, Adam
opted for the partial removal of his
meniscus. The process would be
done via an arthroscopy, a routine
minimally invasive surgery that
allows orthopedic surgeons to
examine and treat joints through a
small incision. With reassurances
from Dr. Carson that everything
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would be done to get his knee back
in tip-top shape, Adam went into
surgery with the full confidence that
he would rejoin his teammates soon.
The arthroscopy was scheduled for
late October, and Adam was on the
court in mid-November, missing
only two games. It was a quick
turnaround, but surgery isn’t the
end of an injury—it’s only a step
along the way.
The next step is recovery, a process
that is often more painful than the
injury. “You find yourself doing
things you never thought about,”
explains Adam. “Recovery is
when the real work begins.” He
was in the training room twice a
day, strengthening his quads and
re-developing his knee’s range of
motion. His most vivid memories of
the experience are the pain of the
weights on his knees and the endless
rotations of ice. Adam describes the
agony of a slow recovery process,
“My knee felt so good, it was hard
to hold back.” His patience and
persistence paid off—that season
Wyoming Lifestyle Magazine | Spring 2015
His last season as a Cowboy, the
swelling in his knee returned.
Worried about his ability to go
professional, Adam went to Premier
with the faith that they could fix him
again. Another MRI scan revealed
floating cartilage, and once again
Adam successfully underwent
arthroscopic surgery. This time, his
surgeon was team physician Dr.
Mark McKenna, whose confidence
inspired Adam’s trust—a feeling
that continues even today, over four
years later, as they work together
professionally. Adam jokes, “I’d
trust Dr. McKenna to open my knee
anytime.” The second recovery was
longer than the first, but Adam’s
knee gradually returned to normal
thanks to Dr. McKenna and the
phenomenal training team at UW.
These days, he says his knee
feels like it was never injured. As
a Development Officer for the
Cowboy Joe Club—the fundraising
arm of the athletics program at
UW—he is passionate as ever about
UW athletics, traveling the state
and reaching out to Cowboy fans
and former athletes. The money he
helps raise goes to scholarships and
resources for the next generation of
brown and gold. Proud to support
his alma mater, Adam says, “It’s my
turn to give back.”
Premier Bone and Joint Centers has
been serving UW and Wyoming’s
orthopedic needs for over 40 years, with
12 locations across the state. To schedule
an appointment with Premier, call 307745-8851 or visit our website at www.
premierboneandjoint.com. WL M