A Story of Determination
...at Sanders Clinic

As Christina Saenz struggled to keep the peddles of her stationary bike moving during her accelerated rehabilitation - just days after arthroscopic surgery for arthrofibrosis - she talked about her challenges and what kept her motivated.

As a result of two, failed ACL surgeries in her hometown of Mexico, Christina was left with a severe limp and extreme loss of Range of Motion in her knee - a condition known as arthrofibrosis. Despite the poor diagnosis from local physicians, she couldn't accept that her most active years, as an avid swimmer and tennis player, were behind her at age 30. This mother of an energetic two-year-old was not ready to settle for that.

"I'm just too young not to be able to run after my little girl. I want to be able to keep up with her. I want to live a healthy, active life," she said.

Christina's husband Randall leaned over to say a few encouraging words as she pressed through her exercises. He then described the moment he and his wife realized that taking the chance on one more surgery and traveling from Mexico to the Sanders Clinic in Houston was something they just had to do.

"We were at a friend's house for a barbeque one afternoon. In the backyard they had a large lake, and our little girl began running quickly towards it. Christina panicked and began running after her," Randall said.

"But I couldn't catch her," Christina finished.

"She was running towards something very dangerous, but I couldn't help her," she said.

That's when the couple made the decision to pursue the unique program of Arthroscopic Release of the Contracture and Accelerated Rehabilitation developed by Dr. Mark Sanders.

The Saenz-Flores family arrived in Houston prepared for an intense one-week stay. Immediately following the surgery, Range of Motion exercises began.

"When I first saw my leg fully extend I was very emotional - and almost cried. I really never thought it would be straight again. It's been so long since I've been able to walk normally," said Christina.

Just one day after surgery, Christina began rigorously accumulating miles on the stationary bike and working with a Sanders Clinic certified trainer. Both she and her husband admit, though, that many people perceive the surgery to be the hardest part of the process, when in fact, it is the rehabilitation following the procedure.

"It takes a real commitment on behalf of a patient for the best results. So often patients are afraid to really exercise their injured limb, because conventional practice prompted bracing or immobilization," said Ed Nepveux, Christina's certified trainer at Sanders Clinic.

"But only through immediately getting up and moving the limb will you promote strength over stiffness. Not allowing stiffness to occur and scar tissue to build is key. You must move, move, move," he added.

Before leaving the Sanders Clinic to begin their journey back home, Christina expressed appreciation for Dr. Sander's motivational talks that helped her better understand and actually visualize the process of pushing past the stiffness and working through the pain to get to the other...stronger side.

She explained that one of the most effective talks Dr. Sanders gave related her exercises to a grassy path that is repeatedly trampled - leaving very little opportunity for anything to grow. In much the same way, the constant movement and strengthening of exercise does not allow stiffness and scar tissue the opportunity to take hold.

"I know that even with the difficulty of rehabilitation it will be worth it - to walk normally again, live normally," said Christina.