Nicole Veltri

In July 2014, I had an ACL reconstruction surgery at a different hospital, which unfortunately did not have the desired results. The screw anchoring my cadaver ACL slipped out of place and rubbed against my ligament, wearing it away and eventually shredding my meniscus. Because this was a gradual process, I did not know my ACL had been torn for 6 months. Surgeons, athletic trainers and physical therapists encouraged me to continue running and achieving milestones, despite a regularly occurring sensation of my knee giving out. When I returned from college, I went to Dr. McCarthy at Hospital for Special Surgery, who determined my ACL and meniscus were torn. Less than one year after my original ACL reconstruction surgery, Dr. McCarthy performed an ACL revision using my hamstring tendon and a meniscectomy. Since my ACL surgery with Dr. McCarthy, extensive physical therapy, and discovering a passion for spinning, I have learned to listen to my body and trust my knee again. I now teach spin at my college and feel strong and confident in my workouts and physicality.