Kim Peters is one in a million.  That is how many people the federal Centers for Disease Control estimates are injured each year as the result of falling on ice and snow.  On an icy day and with her hands full, including the leash of her puppy, Kim slipped and fell down three stairs.

“I had a large bruise on my right elbow,” she stated. “It was black and blue for three weeks.”

While the bruise went away the elbow injury did not heal. Instead, it became infected and Kim sought treatment.

One day while waiting for the infection to go away, Kim pushed herself up from a crouched position during her work day* and “something just gave way,” in her right elbow she said.

“I was able to move it and did not have a lot of pain, but something did not feel right,” Kim continued. “When I would bend my elbow, I would feel a pulling sensation in the tricep area and I had a large lump there.”

It wasn’t until two months after her fall that Kim learned what happened that icy day. She made an appointment with one of the region’s newest doctors, Josue Acevedo, MD, orthopedic surgeon, Blessing Physician Services. After reviewing an MRI image of her right elbow and completing a physical examination, Dr. Acevedo told Kim the tricep tendon of her right arm was torn completely from the bone.

Tendons are rope-like bundles of strong fibers that attach muscles to bones. Tendons transfer force from the muscle to the bone and cause joints to move.

 “The tricep involves pushing and pulling,” said Dr. Acevedo said. “It is the main muscle that allows you to extend your elbow. A tear in the triceps tendon would contribute to weakness and limitation in function.”

Kim’s triceps tendon had also retracted, causing the large lump in her right arm.

To help her regain strength and proper movement of the arm, Dr. Acevedo reattached Kim’s tricep tendon during an outpatient surgical procedure.

“Her tendon had retracted a great deal,” Dr. Acevedo said. “That can make the surgery a little more challenging, because sometimes you cannot bring the tendon all the way back to the bone without the use of donated tissue. That was not the case for Kim. She recovered very well.”

 “I was very impressed with his knowledge and his experience,” Kim said after her first visit with Dr. Acevedo.  “I had no pain after surgery. I now have full range of motion and am doing physical therapy to regain the strength in my right arm.”

Kim said Dr. Acevedo also involved her husband in the care plan.

“Dr. Acevedo was pleasant with my husband, answering his questions and making sure he understood the situation,” she stated. 

“Our entire experience was fabulous,” Kim concluded.

Find more information on Blessing Health System’s orthopedic care.

*Kim Peters is a nurse practitioner at Hannibal Clinic.  Hannibal Clinic is a Blessing Health System affiliate.