A Knee Replacement for a Vail Legend
Chupa Nelson has taken his share of falls, both on the mountain and on the job. As an avid skier and founding partner of RA Nelson, one of the Vail Valley’s leading construction companies, and long time VVMC Board Member, Chupa was not going to let an old injury keep him from his work or his outdoor pursuits.
It’s no wonder that Chupa’s left knee was bothering him. The fall he had taken from a rooftop many years ago caused severe damage to his left knee, injuring his tibia plateau and patella, among other things. Chupa eventually returned to skiing and his normal activities, and dealt with the pain and hardware in his knee.
Chupa’s daughter was responsible for him meeting Dr. Bill Sterett as the result of her 2 ACL injuries and surgeries. Her experience with Dr. Sterett was such a good one, that Chupa decided to see him as well. “The physical examination and MRI confirmed that Chupa’s pain was the result of the knee being “bone-on-bone,” meaning that the protective cartilage that covers the ends of the femur and tibia was beginning to wear away, having already been compromised by the original injury,” Sterett said.
Dr. Sterett explained to Chupa that he would eventually benefit from total knee replacement, but that he should wait until it was absolutely necessary, focusing instead on physical therapy and strengthening exercises. “I was happy to take this advice, and got another four years out of my knee,” Chupa explained. He would go in to see Dr. Sterett every 3-4 months to drain the knee of excess fluid and get a steroid shot, but the approach worked. “It became something of a contest to see how much fluid we could get out of my knee,” Chupa joked.
In the meantime, doctor and patient had become ski buddies. In late January of 2012, the two were on a heli-skiing trip in Canada when Dr. Sterett noticed that Chupa was not skiing his best. “Bill said it was time, and I knew he was right. One month later I went in for total knee replacement,” Chupa said.
“Chupa’s patellar tendon was dramatically shortened from all of his previous injuries so we actually had to length this at the time of his replacement” Sterett recounted. Chupa credits this decision as the big reason why he has had such a great result.
Chupa’s recovery was, in fact, much better than the average patient. He was able to walk without a limp shortly after going off crutches, and within 2 to 3 months he was riding a mountain bike on flat terrain. By the following season, Chupa was skiing pain free and better than ever before. “You have to keep in mind that I was a fanatic about physical therapy. I worked hard in my sessions, and did my exercises at home. I pushed myself as far as they would let me, and it really paid off,” Chupa explained.
When asked what he appreciates most about Dr. Sterett, Chupa replied “Aside from being phenomenal human being and a helluva skier, he really listens to you. He respects the fact that you want to get back to your sport and perform at the highest level possible.”
