Patient Testimonials

This journey began in fifth grade when I dislocated my left knee during a basketball game. It started with just one dislocation and a little bit of pain. I thought it would eventually go away, but by the end of the sixth grade basketball season the pain and multiple dislocations became the norm for me. In the fall, my knee became extremely swollen and painful, to the point it affected my ability to play both volleyball and basketball. So, we decided to see Dr. Jeff Mair at Twin Cities Orthopedics. Dr. Mair ordered an MRI due to the swelling and mandatory time off from sports. The results came back that I had a crack on the back of my patella and the cartilage on the back of my knee cap was coming off because of all the dislocations. At this point, I was not ready to quit playing sports, so we agreed to try a patella stabilizing brace along with lots of icing and pain relievers. By December, the pain and swelling had gotten so bad that it was affecting my everyday life, along with my ability to excel at sports. Upon our next visit with Dr. Mair, he delivered the news that I was going to need surgery and unable to play basketball for a minimum of 12 weeks and will have to miss the softball season.

On January 31st, 2019, I underwent a left knee arthroscopy, chondroplasty of the lateral femoral trochlea, removal of multiple cartilaginous loose joint bodies, lateral retinacular release, excision lateral patellar bony ossicle, open medial patellar-femoral ligament repair, and patellar and lateral femoral trochlear antegrade drilling/microfracture/marrow stimulation. Following the surgery, I was put in a straight leg immobilizer for six weeks with no bending at all. Surgery went very well, before we knew it I was up walking and shooting hoops.

TWO WEEKS BEFORE my surgery I had participated in a Knight of Columbus Minnesota Council free throw contest. I won the event, which then allowed the winners to move on to the District competition. The District competition was TWO WEEKS AFTER my surgery. I did not want to participate because I didn’t know how to shoot without bending my leg and I was embarrassed on how it looked when I shot. My mom convinced me to go, and I ended up winning the event that would then send me to the regional competition. The regional competition was FOUR WEEKS AFTER my surgery, as it drew near I was feeling less and less confident because I knew my competition there was going to be the hardest yet. I shot and made 21 out of 25 free throws! That put me in first place, I won the regions and I was on my way to state. I shot the last two competitions with a straight leg immobilizer on. The state competition was held 8 WEEKS AFTER my initial surgery. By the time the State competition came I was walking again in a patella stabilizing brace and started therapy three times a week. I had two weeks of therapy in before the State competition arrived. Everyone believed in me and had no doubts that I could pull off the win. I had many doubts in myself because it had been so long since I had shot normally with just my patella stabilizing brace on. I got in the gym the morning of the competition as soon as I started shooting I could feel the excitement and the nerves of everyone around me. While we were warming up my nerves and doubts disappeared I knew that I could do anything because I had been working so hard to get to where I was at. I was the eleventh shooter out of twelve. The top girl so far had made 19 out of 25 which I knew I could beat, I got up to the line and BOOM! I was on fire I missed one here and there but I was counting in my head and I knew I had made eighteen but that’s when I lost track of how many I had shot. I shot another one to put me at nineteen the tying score of the girl before. It was my last shot, we tied. That meant we had to go to a tiebreaker out of five. She made 1 out of 5. I made 4 out of 5. I was the MINNESOTA STATE CHAMPION!

When I got back to therapy the next day we kept pushing to get my leg better. We did forty five minutes of work at therapy and then I went home and did more. The progress was going extremely fast and before we knew it, I was doing leg press, biking, and squats. With two more weeks of hard work, I started jumping and running. I am at the point now where I can practice and hopefully start playing the first weekend of May. I am almost 12 weeks out now and I can’t wait to get back on the court. I have had the greatest care team ever. This would not all of been possible without Dr. Mair and especially my physical therapist, Cathy Carrabre. Cathy pushed me every session to work hard, believe in myself, and be confident that I will be a better person and athlete at the end of this journey.

I went into my junior year of basketball unprepared, anxious, and quite honestly, a mess. However, I feel as though I have come so far and as many issues as my knee has caused, I wouldn’t take it back as it has made me the person I am today. During a fall league game of basketball, I was tripped and landed directly on my knee and when I tried to get up and run again I felt pops and like my lower leg was loose from my thigh. I went to the doctor that weekend and was told I had a bone bruise and a sprained hamstring. About two weeks later, I returned to basketball tryouts and was very cautious the first days and still felt unstable. I decided to put a brace on and if I didn’t feel better after practice the next day I would return to the doctor. I made it through the first half of practice, however, when we began to work on defensive drills, I shifted my weight onto my right leg and collapsed. I went to a TCO clinic and got an MRI shortly after. I was told I tore my PCL, had no idea what that was. But it wasn’t season ending so I was happy. I did some therapy and once I was able to return to basketball decided I wanted to make a major comeback for my senior year, so after practice every day I went to the gym and did cardio and was able to lose 50 pounds by the time the next season began. I went to every summer camp and event I was able to and began my senior season as a captain with many new skills, and I was actually able to run as required. Practice felt amazing and I was so ready to begin the season. We traveled to Chisago Lakes for our first game of the season, and seven minutes in I was guarding a girl on the three-point line, she drove on me slamming into my right thigh, forcing me to plant my foot sideways, then she wrapped her leg around me to continue moving forward which pulled my leg the opposite way. I felt the pop. I knew it was bad, but I got up and tried to run again to be sure and when I did it gave. My amazing teammates helped me to the locker room and I remember feeling my leg give out with every step. It hit me pretty hard over the weekend, and I got into a TCO as soon as I could and was told I likely dislocated my kneecap and it popped back in and that I possibly tore my MCL, then I got an MRI a few days later.

I came home from watching practice and my parents were sitting on the couch waiting for me. They just looked at me and said it’s bad. I thought they were joking with me but my dad said that along with the dislocation, I had torn my ACL, PCL and meniscus and would need surgery. I was devastated. But what killed me more was not being able to be there on the court for my team. Telling them I was done was horrible. One of my teammates broke down crying and it just destroyed me. I told them I loved them and that I was still a captain and would be there to support them no matter what. I was injured November 24th and had surgery December 5th, which I though was very fast. I had to stay home for a week because I did not react well with the drugs, but was able to leave the house to make it to our game that Saturday (my surgery was that Wednesday, three days earlier) which everyone told me was a stupid idea but I needed to see my team. They beat a team we have never been able to and it really picked me up. I worked hard at therapy with my amazing physical therapists Emily and Lee, and they helped me get ahead of schedule. I now wake up at 4:30 every morning before school to go to the gym to get back in shape and work my leg a few days a week. I am now five months out and feel great. I’m still cautious as I’m still in that vulnerable stage, but will be participating in the ACE rehabilitation program this June to get be back to full athletic ability. I’m doing everything I can to get to where I need to be physically, as I will be going to University of North Dakota this fall to pursue a degree in nursing and will be joining the Air Force ROTC program so I am able to use my skills as a nurse to serve others. Of course I wish I was able to play basketball and be in track and field this year, but I have grown so much closer to my teammates and have been able to overcome so many issues other than my knee. I had dealt with pretty extreme anxiety most of my life and was able to get that under control with the help of my doctors and my teammates. I was also able to get in the best shape of my life as my leg pushed me to be better, and although I lost some of my progress after surgery, I am working even harder to get to where I was and to exceed it. I am grateful for all of my experiences even though they were not what I had originally planned, as they have shaped who I am today and helped me strengthen many of my friendships and my own mindset which has made me a completely different person and will help me greatly in the future.

Once I decided to finally address the pain in my knee, I was getting injections. Decided to go all the way (tired of injection shots) and get my knee replaced. Dr. O’Keefe was open with me, informing me on what to expect. All went as he had told me it would and now the knee feels much better. Will be great to be able to do activities without pain.

After a bad experience with 2 knee replacements and years of pain from another physician, I went to Dr. Arntson with hopes he could help me. He has done a great job revising both knees and making them pain free. I would recommend to any patients to see Dr. Arntson!

I had my left total knee replacement, July 19, 2018 and it went really well. Therapy was really effective. I had my right total knee replacement on October 18, 2018 and it went really well too. Therapy was good too. Dr. Owen O’Neill and assistant Jessie are super helpful. I am now ready to have surgery on my spine, since my knees are doing so well. April 2019. I AM VERY PLEASED WITH TCO.

On July 21st, 2015, my worst nightmare came true. I tore my anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). I was absolutely devastated by the injury because I injured my knee in the last club soccer game before my junior year of high school soccer season would start. At my first appointment at TCO, my nightmare was confirmed with an MRI; I had ruptured my ACL through and through. On August 7th was when the real work began to come back from this injury.

Dr. Jason Barry successfully reconstructed my ACL and within a week I had my first physical therapy appointment with Bryan DeJarlais. I knew from just how frustrating and hard the first appointment was that I was in for one of my life’s biggest challenges. Working along with Bryan was Courtney Scherr, PTA. Throughout my recovery, I feel she made the biggest impact. She challenged me physically and mentally every appointment, but also recognized that I was struggling with being out of the sport I love so much. She pushed me to do the best I could and ultimately helped me get cleared to return to sport at 6 months. When I concluded my regular physical therapy sessions, I decided I was not ready for contact yet and joined the Athletic Competition Enhancement (ACE) training. After the eight week program concluded, I was eight months post-op and felt ready to go. Using the strength and resiliency TCO taught me, I successfully returned to playing soccer at a high level, which I now play NCAA Division III soccer at the College of St. Scholastica, something I did not think was possible after my injury occurred.

Thanks to the great care I received at TCO and the bonds I made with the physical therapists, I have decided to pursue physical therapy as my future career and hope to one day soon help patients who are in a position that I was once in succeed.

After a knee surgery and two hip replacements, I would definitely return to TCO for any further surgical procedures. The staff were very professional and personal. After surgery, they answered all questions that were asked and provided a comfortable recovery environment. The staff was always patient and considerate of my condition and needs. The doctors visited you daily and always asked about your pain, concerns, and other health issues. Again, thank you, Twin Cities Orthopedics. God Bless, Bud.

Dear Dr. Saterbak,

My name is Amy. I am taking this opportunity to thank you for all that you did for me. I first met you when you repaired my daughter’s torn meniscus when she was 14. Then, when I injured my right knee, I scheduled an appointment with you. Right away I knew I made the right choice. You were so energetic and positive about my potential for full recovery. You didn’t immediately say I needed to have surgery. You encouraged injections, physical therapy and a brace to see if these less invasive treatments would help. I really appreciated that because it gave me an opportunity to work hard to avoid surgery. I did my physical therapy every day for several months while we worked together, as a team, to avoid surgery. When it was clear that surgery was what I needed, I felt so confident moving forward. I had a right total knee replacement on 1/17/2018.

You and your amazing staff educated me about continuing my physical therapy and losing weight in order to have a full, successful recovery. Well, I listened and got professional help to lose weight. I started seeing Natalie at the Hennepin Healthcare Golden Valley Clinic. I have successfully lost over 50 pounds! I do not take any Ibuprofen or Tylenol anymore. I have no morning stiffness. Not only am still doing all my exercises, now with weights, but I’m also walking 10-15 miles a week and swimming. When people tell me how great I look, I tell them I feel better than I look! Thank you and all your staff again for your amazing work and the care you gave me.

Sincerely,
Amy S.

July 13, 2016 – A little past noon, after returning from the Chicago Nike National tournament and practicing with her Varsity home team, the Zephyrs, Julia tore her right ACL. She was devastated. Her team was stacked with Emma, Annika, and Marissa and would have had one of the best Mahtomedi girl’s basketball team in years. Dr. Andrea Saterbak told Julia her options and reconstructive surgery was scheduled. Her trainers, Kenny and Peter, came to the surgery center with tears in their eyes. Julia would sit her 9th grade year on the bench after playing varsity as an 8th grader. Shannon Maxiner took care of her rehab and everyone said she would come back. She worked and trained and came back and the Fury AAU team who took her back to the Chicago Nike National Tournament.

At a little after noon on July 13, 2017, Julia tore her left ACL. The trainer at the tournament said she was ok, the Mahtomedi trainer said she was ok. She had built her muscles back so strong that she passed all tests to keep playing and she did.

Something didn’t feel right. Julia knew something was wrong. We went to see Dr. Saterbak. Andrea performed her test and the last part of Julia’s ACL snapped. Andrea was in tears and so sorry for Julia. Julia thought her worst fear couldn’t be true, it couldn’t happen again, she just didn’t think she could go through it again. Andrea scheduled her reconstructive surgery, her trainers Kenny and Peter came, her friends, family, and Shannon Maxiner told her she could do this and was going to come back stronger than ever. Julia sat on the bench her sophomore year and skipped AAU to finally be ready to play for her varsity team.

Julia’s first home game as a junior, she tied the school record for making 5 threes. Julia was named the captain of her team, was high scorer on her team, received an All Conference from all coaches, and the Zephyr award for one of the hardest working members of her team. To have a great surgeon, a great training team, a loving and kind PT, wonderful friends and family— priceless!

Andrea’s healing words and excellent surgical skills set a community in motion to allow the girl who wanted to be a basketball player to successfully return to her game. Who knows what her senior year will bring?

In October of 2016, I was faced with a situation of having my left lower leg amputated. Being a fairly active 59 years old, I was scared, nervous, and skeptical of my journey ahead. Although my story is nothing unique, it was my experience with TCO that made my situation easier to adjust too. Shortly thereafter, my oldest son, Tim, lost his left leg and partially the right foot, escalating our fight against Diabetes even more.

Timmy was a captain of the Burnsville Baseball team for the 2004-2008 seasons. He also coached the Burnsville Legion team for a number of years. TCO and the therapists there have given us the hope to be somewhat normal life again. They have introduced us to the great organization of and have simplified our journey back to independent living. Thanks!