Tearing and rebuilding: a posterior cruciate ligament injury patient’s renewed understanding of sports

Abstract

Once a person skilled in sport, I suffered a right knee posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) tear during a basketball game. This severe injury plunged me into a low point in my sport journey. Through years of reflection, I gained a renewed perspective on sports and rehabilitation, ultimately reigniting my passion for movement. From a young age, I excelled on the track, winning medals in 100-metre and 200-metre sprints that adorned my room. In the autumn of 2017, after completing my first year of medical school, I enlisted in the military. Rigorous training there unlocked my athletic potential—pull-ups increased from 10 to 30 reps, and my 5-kilometre weighted cross-country run time dropped below 19 min. My natural talent fostered a ‘sense of competence’ in sports, driving me to push boundaries and savour the resulting ‘sense of accomplishment’. Back then, I never imagined a serious knee injury lay ahead, nor did …