Surgical Goals - Sports Injuries Podcast Professor Gordon Mackay

In our latest episode all about knee injuries, we are delighted to be joined once again by top sports physio Adam Stokes who has over a decade of experience at the forefront of care and treatment in elite, professional football clubs. Prof Mackay and Adam have worked together in the past when injured players have needed surgery and rehab.  Adam also has a huge interest in injury data analysis and a specialization in ACL injuries and rehabilitation. So who better to talk to about this subject, huge as it is - we try and break it down with Adam, looking at everything from the most common to more severe knee injuries.
And as serious as knee injuries can be it's not all doom and gloom as Adam also equips us with insights on recognising the severity of a knee injury and offers practical advice on injury prevention strategies. So whether you're a seasoned athlete or a weekend warrior, understanding how to safeguard your knees is crucial for longevity and Adam offers tons of info.
And for those unfortunate moments when injury strikes, he shares his top tips on immediate treatment and understanding when to seek professional help.  And we also clear up common misconceptions about knee injuries and terminology - covering everything from the meniscus to medial ligament problems!

So, join us, Jennifer Reoch and Prof Mackay, as we take a deep dive into the world of knee injuries with Adam Stokes.
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Commonwealth medal-winning badminton player Susan Egelstaff had her sights firmly set on the London 2012 Olympics when disaster struck. Sitting in the GB No. 1 spot everything was on course to qualify when she suffered a terrible knee injury. In this brilliant episode, she talks candidly about what it was like after 14 years of training to get to this point only to face having your dreams swept away. You don't have to be a badminton player to emphasise with Susan's story, it will resonate with any athlete who has faced or is facing a similar situation.  

Top-level badminton is a  high-energy sport requiring a ton of pivoting and jumping, Susan's injury caused her thigh and shin bones to 'smash' together. Prof Mackay who performed her surgery explains more about this unusual injury and why he felt it happened.  Recounting that time now you can still hear the emotion Susan felt on hearing her diagnosis and the prospect of a long recovery.

Sportspeople in any field will be fascinated to hear Susan talk openly about how she hated her slow, arduous rehabilitation process and how lonely it was. But she also talks about how much she was helped by talking to a sports psychologist who played a pivotal role in maintaining her mental health and positivity throughout. She has some great tips about coping with both sides of recovery. 

This is a fascinating, deep dive with a funny, engaging guest looking not only at what it takes to get to the highest level in sport but also at what can happen when serious injury strikes. More importantly though, it is a tale of snatching a hard-won victory from the jaws of defeat.
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In our latest episode, we have the privilege of chatting with a young cross-country mountain bike champion who has the world at his wheels! Just 22, Charlie Aldridge first rode to victory in 2019 becoming Junior World Champion, and three years later claimed the prestigious title of British National Champion. 

But his recent achievement is his biggest win to date - becoming the 2023, U23 World Champion - a victory made even sweeter as it was won on home turf in Scotland. Of course, it's such a high-octane sport he has already faced some injury hurdles along the way, sometimes battling more than just his competitors!

So far he has batted off a serious posterior shoulder dislocation, a broken collarbone, and a  savage cut to a knee that would have had most of us calling for help - not Charlie he just cycled home! We talk to him about these injuries and his treatments and it's fascinating to hear his take on tackling recovery.

Prof Mack met Charlie when his shoulder insisted on popping out following his dislocation and he explains a little more about why a posterior shoulder dislocation can be trickier to treat than the more common anterior dislocation.  
So join us as we unravel Charlie's incredible journey so far and look ahead, we all hope, to Olympic glory. Jennifer and Gordon find out more about the disciplines within the world of competitive mountain biking and Charlie has top tips for anyone wanting to take up the sport.   


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Prof Mackay nearly crashed his car when he tuned into Heart Radio and heard Jennifer chatting to a former patient, Kirsty Mack, about becoming only the 6th ever Scottish woman to climb Everest! The reason for his astonishment was that he and the mountaineer and ski instructor met after she crashed, skiing off-piste in Scotland, was whisked off the mountains by helicopter and then ended up on his operating table having surgery for the bad shoulder injury she sustained. So of course we had to invite her to talk to us more.

For her part, Kirsty remembers thinking that after following her rehab to a tee she would soon be as right as rain again. But, as she found out, serious shoulder injuries like this can leave lasting effects. 

In an incredible episode, we talk to this high-octane adventurer about scaling some of the world's highest mountains without the full function of one arm. What it takes out of her physically and how it has affected her mentally when skiing or climbing. 

We talk about her shoulder - fracture dislocation, and why the injury was so serious,  in terms of what it meant for someone whose use of full arm extension and grip is crucial. Prof Mackay explains more about the injury and why surgery was necessary.

Of course, we also talk from the comfort of our studio about what an incredible experience it was getting to the top of the world - the highs, the lows, the danger points and listen out for the huge twist near the end of Kirsty's Everest tale!


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Well, one thing's for sure Scotland could have done with a little of the magic of former Captain Richard Gough in their friendly against England recently. We however were lucky enough to welcome him to the podcast. Dominating football in the 90s, Richard was capped 61 times for Scotland and played for famous clubs like Everton and Tottenham Hotspur. But for the young lad who started his career at Dundee United, it was his ten years with Rangers, many as Captain, for which he is most famous.  He was the first Scottish player to be transferred to a Scottish team for over £1,000,000 and he joined in what was to become a golden era for the club winning 9 league titles, 3 Scottish Cups, and 6 League Cups.

Known as 'Captain Blood, for his fearless defense Richard suffered a few injuries in his career but interestingly it was neuromas in both feet that he remembers causing him immense pain and a particularly bruising thigh injury which required an ambulance dash to A&E. Prof Mackay explains what a neuroma is why they cause so much pain and what can be done surgically to help. 

Of course, this episode is absolutely full of amazing tales and anecdotes from Richard's playing career so if you want to hear about some of his finest moments, the famous late goals, what it felt like pulling on the famous blue top for the first time and playing with some of the biggest household names of the time, under some of the most famous managers, stick on your headphones and settle back.

We also have a fascinating chat about his own stint as a manager, what he thinks of management style today, and how his connection to Rangers continues on.

Don't miss it! 


   



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Women's football is full of talk about an ACL injury 'epidemic' - but is this really the case? To help us find answers we are delighted to welcome to the podcast, world-leading ACL injury research expert Professor Kate Webster who is Director of the Sport, Exercise, and Research Focus Area at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. 

For over 20 years Professor Webster's research has covered many topics that relate to ACL injury, surgery, and recovery - not only the biomechanical changes that can occur after surgery but also return to sport issues following ACL reconstruction. She was lead developer of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament Return to Sport after Injury scale and has won many research awards. Interestingly Australia has the highest global rates per capita of ACL reconstruction, and her research is very much focussed on real-world results that inform surgical practice. You won't find anyone who knows more! 

Our chat covers the latest facts and figures surrounding everything from who is most likely to suffer an ACL injury, does age and gender make a difference, which sports are affected most, what are reinjury rates like, and why they occur.

She has done fascinating research looking into subjects like how recovery time is a factor when returning to sport to avoid re-injury and the results are an eye-opener. In fact, this is what makes this whole episode so fascinating - much of what Professor Webster and her team uncover is not what they initially expect to find. She has also looked into the psychological side of injury and how it affects return to sport.

An absolutely brilliant episode - and one that highlights that among what can seem scary statistics for young female athletes - there are lots of positives in there too - you don't want to miss it.










 
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