The Surgery
Dr. James “Jimmy” C. Tucker is a renowned orthopedic trauma surgeon and board-certified leader in sports medicine in Arkansas. He comes with an extensive list of accomplishments, and he’s the doctor who is called in to reconstruct the most severe bone, joint, and associated muscle injuries in his field. According to Emory Orthopedics and Spine Center (2015), orthopedic trauma physicians receive training in the field of orthopaedic surgery with a special focus on the treatment of fractured bones and joint realignment to promote the safe recovery and return of functionality to injured body parts. The practice of orthopedic trauma branched off generalized orthopedic surgery as the need for specialized advances in trauma reconstruction increased with the rise in sports injuries; however, "the main goal of this specialized area in orthopedics is the healing of the fractured bones, as well as restoring the anatomic alignment of the joint surfaces to allow for recovery and return to maximum function of the injured body part" (Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, 2017).
The force of impact with Sturdivant's stationary kart wrapped Chris' left leg around the steering column, shattering everything from the shin down, while his right leg broke at the ankle and folded backwards. Upon arrival, Dr. Tucker started Chris on a morphine drip and splinted both of his legs in an attempt to decrease the swelling; less than twenty-four hours later, Chris was transported to the operating room. Dr. Tucker used five titanium screws to reposition the displaced fractures in Chris' right leg including his ankle bone, the medial malleolus, after it was found broken off in the bottom of Chris' foot. His left leg was crushed to such an extent that Dr. Tucker had no choice but to bolt an external fixator through his tibia, fibula, and calcaneus (heel bone) to push the fragmented pieces back together. This technique allows calcium to grow into the gaps and resolidify the lower half of his leg back into bone. |
Pictured: External Fixator |
After surgery, Dr. Tucker walked out to meet with Kevin and Jackie about the extent of his findings. "I don't know how well he'll ever be able to walk again, if at all," he said. "It's really going to depend on how he heals. We're just going to have to wait and see." Kevin and Jackie heard his assessment but never entertained the idea that Chris wouldn’t walk again. They placed their faith in Dr. Tucker’s reconstructive proficiency and made arrangements to bring Chris home. Kevin and Jackie worked with the hospital’s discharge planning service to have a specialized wheelchair assembled to accommodate Chris’ height and weight specifications upon departure. After three days in recovery, Chris was released to go home. That morning, Jackie needed to take a nursing exam at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), so she opted to make the run for Chris’ wheelchair while Kevin stayed at the hospital. Since the wheelchair was custom made, it fit Chris’ size perfectly. As the small, child-like wheelchair rolled towards her, the reality her son’s impending future materialized. “Chris is going to be in a wheelchair. My son is going to be in a wheelchair.” She sat in the parking lot alone for the first time since arriving at the hospital processing the outcome of the accident. Overwhelmed with emotion, she cried.
|
For several days after arriving home, Jackie slept next to Chris in the master bedroom to better monitor his pain levels and administer medicine as needed throughout the night. In order to prevent his skin from adhering to the metal protruding from his leg, she was required to clean and move the pins twice a day leaving the pin sites swollen and sore. Longing to reclaim a sense of normalcy, Chris asked if he could move back to his own room. Jackie agreed to his request under the pretenses that Chris wake them should he need anything. The next morning, Jackie awoke and started getting ready for class. She heard what she thought was a small, quiet “mom” coming from Chris’ room. Hesitant to wake him, she stopped to listen for confirmation of his voice. “Mom, can you come here?” she heard Chris again and immediately headed towards his room. Jackie opened the door to find Chris in tears. He had laid awake in excruciating pain throughout the night but refused to wake his parents because he knew that they hadn’t slept much in several weeks. Furious, Jackie told him to never, NEVER, lay there in pain without letting her know. That was the first and last time Chris cried because of his broken legs.
To prevent muscle loss, Chris was required to start therapy the week after surgery; however, the severity of his injures preceded multiple complications with his feet, including the development of foot drop. As a result, Dr. Tucker escalated the intensity of Chris' prescribed therapy sessions in hopes of rebuilding muscle control to heighten the possibility of walking again. Three times a week, Kevin would physically lift Chris out of his wheelchair, place him in the truck, and take him to hours of therapy at Arkansas Sports Medicine. Over the course of the next six months, Chris' desire to walk again increased with each day of being restricted in his movements. He pushed himself through agonizing pain to reclaim his legs and his independence. After months of intensive rehabilitation, Chris had fully regained the ability to walk and was finally released to race again.
|