Complex Surgery and Commitment to Rehab Propels Lacrosse Player to National Championship
Emily Glossinger recently returned to Salisbury University to reunite with her lacrosse teammates and receive a Division III Lacrosse National Championship ring. Glossinger was among the seniors who led the Sea Gulls to an undefeated season capped off by the championship last spring. But if you asked her two years ago, she wouldn't have dreamed it could happen.
It was a beautiful sunny day in March 2019, and Glossinger was on the sideline during her team's breast cancer awareness game. Then a sophomore, Glossinger substituted for a teammate suddenly feeling unwell. Glossinger entered the game without warning and without the opportunity to warm up.
Glossinger ran the length of the field after scooping up a ground ball and retreated after the opponent gained possession. As she planted her cleats in the turf, her knee twisted and she heard a pop. As she fell to the ground, her knee felt tight.
A few weeks later, Glossinger returned home to meet with Dr. Craig Bennett, co-founder and medical director of the LifeBridge Health Sports Medicine Institute. An MRI had revealed a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), torn meniscus and dented cartilage. That May, Dr. Bennett performed an extensive meniscus repair and an ACL reconstruction.
"This was a complex meniscal tear that needed a lot of protection and a lot of stitches," says Dr. Bennett. "We were able to save the meniscus, reconstruct the ACL and eventually get her motion back."
But the surgery alone would not guarantee she could return to the high level of competition she enjoyed.
"The key for Emily was her hard work," Dr. Bennett says. Glossinger spent four hours a day in the training room at school and at physical therapy at the Sports Medicine Institute while she was home. She attended all team activities and got rides to classes and to therapy until she could drive later that summer.
A second procedure to remove scar tissue helped restore functioning in her knee.
"That was the best day of my life," Glossinger says. "It was painful but I could move my knee normally. It felt weird because I hadn't done it in so long."
"That helped me because didn't have lacrosse to worry about anymore," she says. "I just focused on PT to the max. I did everything I could in PT all the way up to my senior year to recover. I used all of my free time to go to PT."
Without the stress of readying for the season, Glossinger focused on strengthening her knee. Her therapist in Salisbury, Dr. Travis Light, remained in communication with Dr. Bennett and physician extender Sam Thompson, to ensure her recovery was on track.
"This is another example of everyone doing their job to work hard to achieve a high level of success in a complex situation," Dr Bennett explains.
She underwent testing before the fall season. This included running a timed mile. The trainer, at the school for 20 years, told Glossinger he had never seen the mile run faster. Glossinger broke the unofficial school record for the test, just 18 months after a debilitating knee injury.
Glossinger admits apprehension about making sharp movements, or cutting, during play. She wore a brace for support and played successfully, building up minutes in action. She continued working on her knee strength throughout the winter and as the spring season approached, she was ready to play more.
Glossinger's hard work paid off, as her team won the championship by one goal. It was a testament to her persistence and dedication in the face of adversity. Glossinger acknowledges her commitment to her recovery but also credits the team at the LifeBridge Health Sports Medicine Institute. Today, she has the memories of a stellar season and hopes to share the experience with the girls she's coaching in Chicago, where she's working as a logistics manager for a national online retailer.
To make an appointment with Dr. Bennett or another provider at the LifeBridge Health Sports Medicine Institute, call 443-658-5916.