PICK A BONE

Dr Jonas Fernandez is an Orthopaedic Surgeon at Putrajaya Hospital. He is also a member of the Malaysian Arthroscopy Society( MAS).

" Many athletes discover that the hardest step is not walking after surgery- it is trusting the repaired knee enough to sprint, cut or jump again."

- Dr Jonas Fernandez

Still, there is another part of my training that cannot be learnt from textbooks or operating theatres. It comes from years spent on the playing field.

Before I became a surgeon, I was an athlete.

Over the years, I wore a taekwondo dobok for competitions, pulled on a hockey jersey in the KL League and national junior league, completed a full marathon and, more recently, challenged myself by completing the REDLINE Fitness Challenge.

Along the way, I have also experienced significant injuries myself, including fractures and an ACL reconstruction.

I still remember the moment my own knee failed. Before the MRI confirmed the diagnosis, I already knew something had changed. Every athlete remembers that moment. It is not simply the pain. It is the instant they realise tomorrow will not look like yesterday.

These experiences have shaped not only how I approach sport, but more importantly, how I understand my patients.

EMOTIONAL JOURNEY

There is a saying that doctors should never assume they know what a patient is feeling. While that remains true, having lived through the physical and emotional journey of injury certainly provides a perspective that goes beyond anatomy.

When an athlete tells me that their knee " gave way " during a sudden change of direction, I immediately picture the movement. In hockey, rapid pivoting, cutting and deceleration are repeated hundreds of times in a match.

These are precisely the movements that place enormous rotational forces across the knee, challenging the anterior cruciate ligament( ACL), menisci and surrounding stabilisers.

I understand why a seemingly innocent twist while the foot remains planted can completely destabilise the knee.

Likewise, my years in taekwondo taught me how explosive rotational movements can generate tremendous stress across the lower limb. Every spinning kick, every landing after a jump and every rapid change in body position demands exceptional

neuromuscular control.

A fraction of a second is often all it takes for the knee to move in a direction it was never designed to go. Many ACL injuries occur without any direct contact, and having experienced those mechanisms personally allows me to appreciate exactly how devastating they can be.

FUNCTIONAL LIMITATIONS

The same principle applies to shoulder injuries.

Having trained across different sports, I appreciate that athletes rarely describe symptoms in textbook language. Instead, they say things like, " I can ' t generate power anymore ", or " My shoulder feels loose when I reach overhead ".

These descriptions often reveal more than imaging alone because they reflect functional limitations during real sporting activities.

Endurance sports have taught me different lessons altogether.

Completing a marathon requires months of disciplined training, careful pacing and respect for recovery. It reinforces that performance is built gradually, not overnight.

The same philosophy applies after surgery. Whether following ACL reconstruction or rotator cuff repair, rehabilitation cannot be rushed. Every phase serves a purpose, from restoring motion to rebuilding strength, proprioception and confidence before returning to sport.

More recently, completing the RED- LINE Fitness Challenge reminded me that modern fitness places unique demands on the body. Functional fitness combines running, lifting, pushing, pulling and explosive movements with very little recovery between stations.

HIGH INTENSITY

It challenges not only cardiovascular fitness but also joint stability, coordination and muscular endurance. Experiencing these demands first-hand allows me to appreciate better the expectations and goals of today ' s recreational athletes, many of whom expect to return to high-intensity training rather than become pain-free.

Perhaps the greatest lesson that sport has taught me, however, has nothing to do with ligaments or muscles. It is empathy.

Surgery repairs anatomy. Rehabilitation restores function. But confidence takes longer. Many athletes discover that the hardest step is not walking after surgery- it is trusting the repaired knee enough to sprint, cut or jump again.

An injury is rarely just a torn tendon or ruptured ligament. For many athletes, it represents interrupted dreams, missed competitions and uncertainty about the future.

The greatest challenge is often psychological rather than physical. Fear of re-injury frequently persists long after the tissues have healed.

Having stood on both sides of the consultation table, I recognise these concerns. I understand the frustration of delayed progress, the anxiety before returning to sport and the temptation to push rehabilitation too quickly.

These experiences influence the conversations I have with my patients every day.

Every sport I have played has left something behind. Some left medals. Some left scars. One left a reconstructed knee. Together, they also gave me something far more valuable: the ability to see every injured athlete not simply as a case to treat, but as a competitor trying to reclaim a part of their identity.

If that has made me a better surgeon, then every mile run, every tackle made, and every injury endured has been worth it.- The HEALTH