Arthrex Innovation Helps Motocross Racer Get Back on the Track

01/19/2023

Arthrex Innovation Helps Motocross Racer Get Back on the Track

Motocross racer Trevor Bollinger is no stranger to injury.

Having ridden since he was a toddler, Trevor had several knee surgeries before he turned pro at 18. But during an endurance race at the beginning of 2020, Trevor stuck out his foot to catch himself to help ensure he wouldn't fall over.

"I always stick my feet out to balance myself. I stuck my foot out, I heard a pop and I thought I tore my meniscus. I wanted to tough it out and finish the race," he said.

Following the race, surgeons told Trevor he had torn his ACL again and the injuries meant he was looking at a two-stage surgery, a knee replacement with a lengthy recovery.

A friend recommended Trevor see Chad D. Lavender, MD (Scott Depot, WV), to discuss treatment options.

"Trevor is a world-class athlete," Dr. Lavender said. "He had torn his left ACL for the third time and had been told it might be time to give up his career. And that was a major thing to him. This case was unique and I wanted to help him keep racing."

Trevor said Dr. Lavender gave him hope; he was 25 at the time and didn't want his career to be over.

"I only have so many years to do this," Trevor said. "Talking to Dr. Lavender and feeling like I had a solid plan to fix my knee, it gave me confidence."

Dr. Lavender performed an Arthrex quadriceps tendon BioACL™ reconstruction procedure with the help of the QuadPro™ tendon harvester, which allowed him to harvest a portion of Trevor's own tendon to create a graft that would serve as a new ACL. He also took bone marrow from Trevor's shin and, using the Angel® system, spun the bone marrow to create concentrated platelet-rich plasma (cPRP) from bone marrow aspirate (BMA). Dr. Lavender mixed the cPRP_BMA with bone recovered using the GraftNet™ collector, creating a putty that helped backfill the surgically created bone voids where the graft was inserted. Dr. Lavender then secured the ACL graft in place using the FiberTag® TightRope® implant and performed an InternalBrace™ technique for added support.

"The InternalBrace technique augments primary ligament repair and provides additional protection during the healing phase[1][2]. Additionally, we are using Trevor's own cells (bone marrow) to help healing and recovery. When you use your own cells, that can create a more robust healing response,[3]" Dr. Lavender said.

Trevor was soon on the mend and determined to get back on his bike.

"My range of motion was back in six weeks," he said. "At 10 months, I was feeling 100 percent. It was really hard not being able to touch a dirt bike for that period of time."

"Trevor did excellent. At 12 weeks, he was back to racing. But unfortunately, he went and tore his other ACL, which happens about 25 percent of the time when you have an ACL reconstruction. He came right back into the office, and we did the same procedure on his opposite knee," Dr. Lavender said.

Trevor said it was unfortunate to have the same injury in such a short time span, but he was very optimistic about the recovery process.

"2021 was one of the hardest years for me. I had my reconstruction surgery on December 9, 2020, and I started riding again two months after that surgery and raced three weeks after that. After missing the entire 2020 season, I knew it would be a struggle, knowing when to take it easy and when to push with my recovery. It taught me a lot about myself and it has ultimately made me better and learn to love this sport much more," Trevor said.

He managed to make the podium twice during the 2021 Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series, texting Dr. Lavender about his progress.

"To be able to have these procedures and get back to an elite level, to be top five in the world in what you do, it goes to show how these products are making a difference in patients' lives," Dr. Lavender said. "To see patients improving, doing well and getting back to sport, those are great things."

Unfortunately, Trevor had an accident during practice, getting pinned underneath his bike and sustaining a tibial plateau fracture. He had three surgeries in eight days but received some good news - his ACL reconstruction remained intact.

"At first when I was hurt, I thought I had messed up my ACL again. I couldn't believe it when they told me it was intact," he said.

Dr. Lavender said Trevor's extraordinary story proves the benefits of ACL reconstruction and biologic augmentation with cells from the patient's own body to support healing.

"His latest injury was a high-velocity, major knee injury. For a graft to hold up against that type of injury speaks volumes about the technique and products involved," he said.

References:

1. Coetzee JC, Ellington JK, Ronan JA, Stone RM. Functional results of open Broström ankle ligament repair augmented with a suture tape. I. 2018;39.107110071774236. doi:10.1177/1071100717742363.

2. Kulwin R, Watson TS, Rigby R, Coetzee JC, Vora A. Traditional modified Broström vs suture tape ligament augmentation. Foot Ankle Int. 2021;1071100720976071. doi:10.1177/1071100720976071.

3. Lavender C, Singh V, Berdis G, Fravel W, Lamba C, Patel T. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction augmented with bone marrow concentrate, demineralized bone matrix, autograft Bone, and a Suture Tape (the fertilized ACL). Arthrosc Sports Med Rehabil. 2021;3(6):e1719-e1722. doi:10.1016/j.asmr.2021.07.030

The InternalBrace surgical technique is intended only to augment the primary repair/reconstruction by expanding the area of tissue approximation during the healing period and is not intended as a replacement for the native ligament. The InternalBrace technique is for use during soft tissue-to-bone fixation procedures and is not cleared for bone-to-bone fixation.

This is not medical advice and is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by a surgeon or other qualified medical professional on the use of these products. You should talk with your physician or health care provider for more information about your health condition and whether Arthrex products might be appropriate for you. The surgeon who performs any surgical procedure is responsible for determining and using the appropriate techniques for surgical procedures on each individual patient. Arthrex recommends that surgeons be trained on the use of any particular product before using it in surgery. A surgeon must always rely on their own professional medical judgment when deciding whether to use a particular product when treating a particular patient. A surgeon must always refer to the package insert, product label, and/or directions for use before using any Arthrex product. Postoperative management is patient-specific and dependent on the treating professional's assessment. Individual results will vary and not all patients will experience the same postoperative activity level or outcomes. Products may not be available in all markets because product availability is subject to the regulatory approvals and medical practices in individual markets. Please contact Arthrex if you have questions about the availability of products in your area.

This real patient was compensated for the time he took to share his personal experience with his ACL reconstruction procedure. Physician is a paid consultant of Arthrex, Inc.

Category: Arthrex News

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.