Officer Down, Then Back Up After Achilles Tear Repair With Dr. David Epstein

New Jersey police officer Christopher H. was playing football at MetLife Stadium at an annual Special Olympics benefit when a sudden, sharp pain shot through his leg. He had ruptured his Achilles tendon—an injury extremely similar to the one sustained by NFL Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Hamilton sought treatment from fellowship-trained foot, ankle, and sports medicine surgeon Dr. David Epstein at Tri-County Orthopedics. Surgery was performed three days after the injury.

“And just a little bit of research on, found out that [Dr. Epstein] was pretty amazing and reviews were great,” Christopher explained. "The injury was on a Friday, I had my evaluation on a Monday, and surgery on Wednesday."

While recovery from this type of injury typically takes a year, Hamilton was cleared for full duty in just 11 weeks.

The officer’s journey was challenging, but his mental fortitude was his greatest asset on top of the treatment provided by Dr. Epstein. “It's really possible. I guess it's just a mind over matter, right? Mind over pain,” he reflected.

Dr. Epstein’s words of encouragement also played a big role in Hamilton’s recovery. “He told me that my surgical repair tendon is probably stronger than my nonsurgically repaired tendon, and it kind of flipped the switch in my brain, I'm like, ‘okay, yeah, let's go, don't stop, push hard, and let's go,’” Christopher shared.

“I'm very happy,” Christopher said about his progress. “For a little bit, it got a little frustrating not being able to do the simplest things. But, you just push, you run, you power through, push your mind past where you think you can go, and your body will do what your mind tells you to do.”

“[Dr. Epstein] had cleared me for full duty in June, which is pretty remarkable that it took two months to come back from this, and I'm able to run, jump, and go on my tippy toes,” Christopher said.

Christopher’s story is truly incredible, and Dr. Epstein and our whole team at Tri-County Orthopedics are proud to be part of the journey for all our patients. If you’re dealing with pain or an injury that’s sidelined you from life, we’re here. Call (973) 538-2334 or request an appointment online today.