Competitive cheerleading is an intense, high-energy sport requiring talent, strength and agility. Having been a gymnast for eight years, Sam Petasnick knew it was a great fit for him.
鈥淚t鈥檚 something I really like, showing my skills and being rewarded for it,鈥 says Sam, a recent graduate of Oswego High School, which is located about 50 miles southwest of Chicago.
An injury with bad timing
Sam was practicing for both his school cheer team鈥檚 state competition and the ICU World Cheerleading Championship. Attempting a tricky tumbling stunt called a roundoff Arabian 鈥 a stunt he had performed hundreds of times before 鈥 he severely dislocated his shoulder.
Sam鈥檚 parents took him immediately to the emergency department at RUSH Copley Medical Center. 鈥淭hey popped my shoulder back into place and took an MRI, but it was still very sore,鈥 Sam says.
The following day, , a RUSH shoulder, elbow and hand surgeon who practices in Aurora and Yorkville, reviewed the results with Sam.
鈥淲hen performing the move, all of Sam鈥檚 weight was over his head, he landed awkwardly and sustained a locked anterior shoulder dislocation, which tore his labrum,鈥 Tueting says, referring to the soft tissue that stabilizes the joint.
Following a winning game plan
Whether or not to treat a labral tear surgically or with therapy is a judgment call. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 treat X-rays or MRIs 鈥 my diagnosis is very patient-specific and sport-specific. I look at the whole picture. I also have to consider the seriousness of the injury,鈥 Tueting says.
In Sam鈥檚 case, the severity of the labral tear and Sam鈥檚 intention to keep participating in competitive cheerleading led Tueting to recommend surgery.
鈥淒r. Tueting drew me a picture to explain how the labrum works and discussed in detail how he would fix it,鈥 Sam says. 鈥淗e was to the point and didn鈥檛 sugarcoat anything.鈥
鈥淚magine your shoulder is like a golf ball on a tee,鈥 Tueting explains. 鈥淭he ball tends to want to roll off, but if the tee had a soft, rubberlike rim, it would add surface area which would help keep the ball in place. It鈥檚 the same thing with surgically rebuilding the shoulder and its surrounding labrum.鈥
Sam鈥檚 arthroscopic labral repair went off without a hitch. 鈥淰ery easy, he did great, tolerated the surgery well,鈥 Tueting says.
The next crucial step in Sam鈥檚 recovery was 12 to 14 weeks of therapy. Tueting understood Sam鈥檚 goal was to participate in his high school cheer team鈥檚 state competition, followed soon after by the ICU Worlds competition. But whether he had time to recover was still in question.
Sam worked through his therapy with the same tenacity he displays as an athlete, and Tueting was pleased with his results, 鈥淗e progressed well, hitting all the benchmarks for range of motion, strength and stability. He showed all the grit that separates athletes who are talented from those who are talented and successful.鈥
Better, stronger and smarter
Once Sam completed his therapy, it was time to put his newly repaired shoulder to the test. He was anxious about 鈥渄oing his skills鈥 again, but was relieved to discover his shoulder didn鈥檛 hurt, which gave him the confidence to push himself even more.
鈥淚 was back to normal, maybe even better than before,鈥 Sam says.
Sam鈥檚 shoulder was rehabilitated in time for him to fully participate in the state meet 鈥 with two weeks to spare. He joined his Oswego teammates in placing sixth in the IHSA Cheer State Finals. Two months later he participated with the junior national coed team to win the 2023 ICU World Cheerleading Championship in Orlando, Florida.
Sam now has set his sights on his college career at North Carolina State University, where he was recently invited to join their national championship cheer team.
Sam will take with him a valuable lesson he learned as an injured athlete. 鈥淭aking care of my body is more of a priority," he says. "I was definitely overtraining, without loosening up or icing my muscles. I know I can do the big skills, but I realize I have to take care of myself to prevent injury.鈥
One other aspect about his experience will likely have a huge influence on his future. 鈥淎fter college, I want to move on to another chapter of my life," he says. "I鈥檝e always wanted to do something in the medical field, and this confirms it.鈥
