Kamryn spends most of her time on the volleyball court, a sport she has loved since high school. She makes an impact at the net as a server for her college’s volleyball team. The talented 19-year-old was recently recognized as an all-conference player, an honor voted on by her teammates and coaches to celebrate her standout performance and presence on the team. Kamryn reflects on her journey back to the sport, highlighting the support she received at Scottish Rite for Children as key to her healing.
During a volleyball game in high school, Kamryn felt a painful sensation in her left knee. Later, her knee began to swell, prompting Kamryn and her family to seek medical attention at a nearby facility in Fort Worth, Texas. Their family decided to seek a second opinion at Scottish Rite for Children Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Center in Frisco, Texas. Certified pediatric nurse practitioner Chuck Wyatt, M.S., CPNP, RNFA, evaluated Kamryn’s knee, unveiling her true diagnosis. “I was expecting an injury to my meniscus,” Kamryn says. “When the MRI showed that I had OCD, I remember saying, ‘OCD, what is that?’”
OCD, or Osteochondritis dissecans, is a condition that affects the joint, or the place where two bones meet. OCD in the knee occurs when a part of the bone and the cartilage covering it begins to soften, crack or even separate due to a lack of blood supply. This often causes knee pain, joint weakness and swelling. Though it can happen to anyone, OCD is seen frequently in children and teens who participate in sports that require a lot of running or jumping, like volleyball.
After learning the news, Kamryn and her parents discussed a treatment plan with Assistant Chief of Staff Philip L. Wilson, M.D., pediatric orthopedic surgeon and director of the Center for Excellence in Sports Medicine. Together, they decided that surgery was the best option to heal Kamryn’s knee. “I knew if anyone could help me get the best outcome, it would be with Dr. Wilson,” she says.
Dr. Wilson performed surgery to repair the damaged area of cartilage and bone in Kamryn’s knee. After surgery, Kamryn and her family drove from their home in Fort Worth to Frisco weekly for physical therapy. During her sessions with sports physical therapist Rushi Patel, P.T., D.P.T., SCCE, Kamryn did aquatic therapy to regain strength in her knee. She used the therapy pool to regain her range of motion and mobility, as well as completing at-home exercises.
After several months of healing, Kamryn returned to the court to finish her high school years of volleyball. Now, Kamryn majors in nursing with the goal of providing the same level of care that she received to patients in the future. “I never felt fearful that my injury would stop me because I had the best team at Scottish Rite,” Kamryn says. “They gave me the hope and chance to play the sport I love. Now, I hope I can pay it forward to others.”
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