Zhao Yitao is a talented young basketball player. But on January 6th of last year, he was playing basketball in the morning when he jumped and stepped down incorrectly, causing his knee to twist. He didn’t notice anything wrong immediately, but later that evening the pain progressively got worse.

“I didn’t sleep at all that night,” remembers Yitao.

So, he went to the hospital. After getting some films done, it showed that his anterior cruciate ligament was broken and surgery was needed. Although he got a second opinion, in the end it was determined that he would indeed move forward with the surgery.

“The [whole experience] was definitely an unforgettable memory,” he added.

Yitao came to UP post-surgery on February 14, 2024 so that he could get back to the court as soon as possible. However….there was a major problem. Six weeks following his surgery during his first visit at UP he could only bend his knee 45 degrees, whereas normally patients should be able to bend their knee beyond 120 degrees at this stage of recovery. Something was seriously wrong. 

He voiced his concerns to his surgeon from the public hospital, who asserted that he as the patient had not been doing his rehabilitation correctly. After consulting other specialists, it was determined that in actual fact the ligament reconstruction might’ve been too short, therefore severely limiting how much movement was possible within the knee. Having already been traumatized by the first surgical experience, Yitao was adamant that he did not want to have another surgery. So, what could be done?

“We immediately identified that his left knee recovery was suboptimal, failing to achieve the normal ROM expected after surgery. However, we did not give up. Starting from an initial knee flexion of only 28°, his ROM gradually improved to 52° after three treatments. Along with each painful session, we provided continuous patient education and communication. We also scheduled an appointment for Mr. Zhao with UP’s senior orthopedic specialist, Steve. Considering the suggestions from both his original orthopedic surgeon and UP’s orthopedic expert, Mr. Zhao took two months to contemplate whether to undergo anesthesia-assisted joint mobilization or arthroscopic debridement. During this period, our therapists at UP worked diligently to maintain and improve his left knee flexion angle, keeping it progressively closer to 60°. Finally, in mid-April 2024, Mr. Zhao decided to undergo manipulation under anesthesia (MUA).” shared his therapist Yanni.

On October 18, 2024, one week after completing the procedure and postoperative rehabilitation in a public hospital, Mr. Zhao returned to UP, hoping to regain his sports performance and return to the basketball court. 

Although the therapists at UP had deep concerns about the long-term prognosis for this challenge, they embraced the philosophy of “Never try, never know” and got to work

“We embarked on another three-month rehabilitation journey. Initially, his left knee flexion was 135°, with an extension +2°, accompanied by a feeling of tightness in the anterior knee. His gait and jumping abilities were still limited, and his quadriceps muscles were significantly atrophied. Through continuous fascial and muscular release, knee mobilization, lower limb strength training, agility training, and plyometric exercises, Mr. Zhao’s left knee ROM increased to 150° of flexion and +6° of extension. He successfully passed the Y-Balance Test (YBT) and Functional Movement Screen (FMS),” added Yanni.

Yitao never gave up and was able to endure exceptional challenges, difficulties and discomfort in his attempt to regain full function and return to the sport he loves. For him, it was a matter of having a happy life and having confidence in his body, especially not wanting to accept a life of limitation at a relatively young age when he had been fully healthy so recently.

“Week by week, month by month, Yitao endured incremental progress and fervently adhered to his therapeutic exercise program. He never gave in, never gave up, and never took his eyes off of his end goal,” shared his therapist team Cory and Yanni.

After 329 days and 17 in-person visits, on January 8, 2025, Yitao passed the Basic Fitness Screening (FCS) and graduated from UP, returning to his beloved basketball sport! Yitao says he now does the exercises on his own. Walking is no problem for him, but he still finds running to be a bit more difficult. Yet, with his determination, he will get there. Most importantly, he is now able to return to basketball and play the sport that he loves. Thanks to the comprehensive discharge testing and performance assessment program that UP utilizes, he is once again able to move again and enjoy sport without the fear or vulnerability of having another catastrophic injury. 

After his whole experience, he says that now he shares a lot of his learnings with friends, trying to make a difference in the same way that UP has done for him. One lesson we can all appreciate from Yitao’s experience is to never give up, never give in, keep your eyes on the prize, and make sure you surround yourself with people who are willing to help you get to where you want to be!