Knee injuries are one of the most common setbacks for high school athletes, often impacting far more than just playing time. For junior Ella Hoy, a basketball player at Palo Alto High School, her knee injury forced her to step away from the game and navigate a long and challenging recovery process.
Hoy suffered an MPFL sprain and repeated kneecap subluxations, injuries that eventually required MPFL reconstruction surgery. The instability in her knee made it unsafe for her to continue playing, shifting her focus from competition to rehabilitation.
The injury affected more than just her athletic ability, particularly at the start of her recovery.
“At first my social life was pretty challenging because I was pretty immobile,” Hoy said. “But as I progressed in recovery it got a lot better.”
Because her surgery took place at the very beginning of the school year, Hoy was able to keep up with her academics without falling behind, which helped reduce additional stress during the recovery process.
Following surgery, Hoy spent time in the hospital, though she says pain was not a major issue due to her team of doctors and effective medical care. This allowed her to prioritize rest and begin physical therapy without significant discomfort.
Throughout her recovery, Hoy felt strongly supported by those around her. Her parents were consistently by her side, and her experience in physical therapy helped her stay motivated.
Palo Alto High School also provided accommodations, including access to an elevator fob so she could avoid stairs while her knee healed.
While being sidelined from basketball was difficult, Hoy found an unexpected benefit in the experience.
“I was able to dedicate more time to my school work,” Hoy said, noting that the injury ultimately helped her focus academically during a demanding junior year.
MPFL injuries are common in sports that involve jumping, pivoting and sudden changes in direction, such as basketball, soccer, and football. The medial patellofemoral ligament plays a key role in stabilizing the kneecap, and when instability becomes recurrent, reconstruction surgery is often required to prevent future dislocations.
Junior Niev Sanghani faced a similar challenge, undergoing MPFL reconstruction surgery on both knees following multiple severe dislocations.
As an avid soccer player and star forward on her club team, Sanghani worried that an injury requiring double knee surgery could permanently set her back, or even end her high school soccer career.
“It was a tough decision to make…” Sanghani said. “Acute patellofemoral instability runs in my family. My brother had the same issue and decided not to get surgery, he just quit playing. The decision caused me a lot of stress and anxiety because I didn’t know if I was putting myself through all of this pain for nothing.”
Recovery time was another major concern for Sanghani. Her surgeries took place over the summer, with just a four-week gap between procedures on her left and right knees. Doctors estimated it would take nearly a year before she could exercise at full capacity, with even more time needed to return to her previous skill level.
“Since I had my surgery over the summer, there wasn’t much academic stress,” Sanghani said. “But I was stuck at home while all my friends were out, which made me feel pretty lonely and isolated.”
When she returned to school, Sanghani said Palo Alto High School was accommodating, providing her with an elevator key to help her navigate campus safely.
Despite the challenges, Sanghani found positives in the experience. She used the downtime to learn more about herself and rediscovered an old hobby — playing the guitar — which she continues to enjoy.
