Auburn (Ala.) University wide receiver Will Hastings tore his anterior cruciate ligament in March. Six weeks later, he was jogging, and four and a half months later, he was running plays at full speed in practice. It shocked both him and his parents, AL.com reports.
Mr. Hastings recovered in four and half months from a surgery that normally takes at least a year.
Here's what you should know:
1. James Andrews, MD, repaired Mr. Hastings' torn ACL with regenerative medicine instead of reconstruction surgery.
2. Through a combination of platelet-rich plasma and stem cells, Mr. Hastings' recovery was sped up exponentially.
3. Although regenerative medicine isn't for every patient, Dr. Andrews said he is seeing fantastic results in appropriate patients.
4. Now Mr. Hastings is back on the field for Auburn, just five and a half months after tearing his ACL.
5. Dr. Andrews is a founding partner of Gulf Breeze, Fla.-based Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine. He is one of the leading orthopedic surgeons in the world, and his center is internationally recognized for its sports medicine treatments.
6. Dr. Andrews is the Tampa Bay Rays' orthopedic medical director.