Patient Stories

For Furman University forward Tyrese Hughey, basketball has always come naturally. Standing 6 feet 6 inches tall, he was an athletic kid with a fierce competitive edge. Tyrese started playing basketball when he was just five years old; he excelled at the sport early and set his sights on a professional career.

“I want to make it to the NBA,” he said. “But if I need to, I’ll go after the NBA G League [official minor league organization of the NBA] or play professionally overseas.”

In 2022, Tyrese was practicing with the Furman team when a simple slip on the basketball court landed him in the splits. He says the pain and the fear for his future athletic career were a shock.

“It was a sharp pain in my left hip and knew I was hurt,” he said. “I tried to play through it, but the athletic trainer thought it was a labral tear.”

An MRI revealed that the trainer was right. Tyrese had a bone deformity in his hip that was tearing the labrum, and his surgeon said it was only a matter of time until it gave way.

“Tyrese came to me with an acute injury,” said Scott T. Watson, MD (Greenville, SC). “He had a femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) of his hip, so we reshaped the bone and then repaired the labrum tear with 2.4 mm Mini Hip PushLock® anchors and SutureTape using a SwiftStitch™ suture passer to create a low-profile repair construct.”

Dr. Watson says the technology is a game changer for the type of injury Tyrese had.

“The SutureTape is a flat, broad suture that spreads the force out across the labrum, which is less traumatic to the tissue,” he said. “The knotless technology is excellent, and PushLock anchors are so small you can anchor the repaired labrum close to the cartilage without damaging it.”

The surgery and five months of rehabilitation helped Tyrese return to the court the following season playing as competitively as ever. But halfway through it, his other hip started to hurt.

“I was able to push through during games, but afterward, I could hardly walk,” he said.

An MRI on Tyrese’s right hip showed an even larger labral tear than the one Dr. Watson repaired on Tyrese's left hip.

“The medical team told me they couldn’t believe I could play basketball with it,” he said. “I really couldn’t believe it was happening to me again.”

After the 2023 season, Dr. Watson operated on Tyrese’s right hip using the same equipment he used on his left hip.

“It’s actually very common to see these labral tears in young, athletic men,” Dr. Watson said. “They put a lot of repetitive stress on their bodies. The body adapts by building up more bone in the hip area, which can tear the labrum over time.”

Without an acute injury, the surgery is often elective, allowing athletes to plan for the procedure and the time they need for rehabilitation.

“We tell athletes to give it five to six months, depending on how much motion their sport demands of their hips,” Dr. Watson said. “Tyrese is a great athlete and very motivated. He is back to playing with no limitations. Seeing patients recover so well is the most rewarding part of my job; it’s why I do what I do.”

Tyrese says despite missing two summers of practice in a row as he recovered from surgery, he feels great and is back playing better than ever.

“Trust your trainer, trust your surgeon and keep a positive mindset,” Tyrese said. “You will be the athlete you used to be again.”

Disclaimers:

This is not medical advice and is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by a surgeon or other qualified medical professional on the use of these products. You should talk with your physician or health care provider for more information about your health condition and whether Arthrex products might be appropriate for you. The surgeon who performs any surgical procedure is responsible for determining and using the appropriate techniques for surgical procedures on each individual patient. Arthrex recommends that surgeons be trained on the use of any particular product before using it in surgery. A surgeon must always rely on their own professional medical judgment when deciding whether to use a particular product when treating a particular patient. A surgeon must always refer to the package insert, product label, and/or directions for use before using any Arthrex product. Postoperative management is patient-specific and dependent on the treating professional’s assessment. Individual results will vary and not all patients will experience the same postoperative activity level or outcomes. Products may not be available in all markets because product availability is subject to the regulatory approvals and medical practices in individual markets. Please contact Arthrex if you have questions about the availability of products in your area.

This real patient was compensated for the time they took to share their experience.

Physician is a paid consultant of Arthrex, Inc.