On June 16, 2023, Gianna Ruiz, then 13, was playing her favorite sport, basketball, at a school field day. The eighth grader was looking forward to the summer ahead and the start of high school at Kennedy Catholic Preparatory School, where she hoped to play basketball at the varsity level.
Then the Yonkers resident felt a snap: another player’s knee had collided with hers.
“When it first happened, I knew I tore my ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) immediately,” says Gianna. “It felt like there was nothing holding my leg together.”
Thankfully, expert orthopedic care was available close to home at White Plains Hospital Physician Associates in Yonkers. Dr. Nicole Solomos, a lifestyle and sports medicine physician, examined Gianna’s knee. In light of the nature of her injury, the swelling and limited range of motion, Dr. Solomos ordered X-rays and an MRI to confirm Gianna’s diagnosis. She then recommended that Gianna begin physical therapy and referred her to Dr. Anthony Maddalo, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in knee and shoulder surgery who also sees patients at WPHPA in Yonkers.
“Gianna’s MRI confirmed that she had a complete ACL tear. These types of knee injuries are common in athletes, especially in sports with action that starts and stops suddenly,” explains Dr. Maddalo, a former assistant team physician for the New York Rangers. In addition, Gianna had a bone bruise and a partial injury to the lateral meniscus, or cartilage that connects the shin and thigh bones.
Although Gianna could walk without crutches, putting weight on her knee meant that “it hurt to move,” she says. A basketball player since childhood, especially disappointing was that Gianna had been playing above her age level, facing off against athletes three and four years her senior on an AAU 17U (17-and-under) team. College coaches were already taking notice.
Dr. Maddalo recommended surgery to repair her ACL, which would restore her full range of motion – and help get her back to the sport she loves.
Four weeks later, Gianna’s parents brought her to White Plains Hospital’s Ambulatory Surgery Center in Harrison, where Dr. Maddalo reviewed the procedure in detail with the family. Over the course of the next 90 minutes, he and his team performed a reconstruction using a portion of her patellar tendon, which connects the kneecap to the shin bone.
Gianna was able to go home the same day, where her parents helped keep her leg elevated and applied ice to minimize swelling. She received physical therapy three times per week for the first two months after surgery to restore the knee to its full range of motion, building strength and gaining mobility. Within five months, Gianna was able to reduce her physical therapy to just one session per week, and is now undergoing sports physical therapy.
“After surgery, most patients can bear weight immediately with crutch support, and can get off their crutches in 10-14 days,” says Dr. Maddalo. “With physical therapy, which is essential for optimal recovery, patients can typically resume their daily activities after three months.” Athletes require additional strength training to make a full return to sports, which varies from patient to patient, but takes about nine months.
“Right now, I can shoot and do simple stuff. I was cleared to run, but I can’t practice yet,” Gianna explains. While she was disappointed to miss a season of basketball, Gianna aims to be back on the court this spring. As a UConn basketball fan, she found inspiration in Paige Bueckers, who announced her return to the sport in August 2023 after recovering from an ACL tear.
“Dr. Maddalo is an excellent surgeon whose knowledge and care have given our daughter the confidence, strength and ability to return to the sport she loves,” Gianna’s parents, Alexis and Allan Ruiz, share. “We are grateful for the exceptional care she has received.”
Dr. Anthony Maddalo is an orthopedic surgeon at White Plains Hospital Physician Associates. To make an appointment, call 914-631-7777 (Hawthorne) or 914-375-7777 (Yonkers).
Dr. Nicole Solomos is a sports medicine and lifestyle medicine physician at White Plains Hospital Physician Associates. To make an appointment, call 914-631-7777 (Hawthorne), 914-375-7777 (Yonkers) or 914-849-7075 (Somers).