Emmy Sammons

Emmy Sammons’s story, in their own words

I was a member of a nationally ranked swim team and had just won the Met PGA golf 9-hole Championship.In September of 2013, I suffered a major elbow injury. Dislocating my left elbow by landing on an out-stretched arm on a trampoline, I managed to rip my medial epicondyle completely off the humerus, damaging my tendons and ligaments, and displacing the ulnar nerve. The dislocation completely bent my elbow in the exact opposite direction of its normal position! I was in pain and devastated. Dr. Green took care of me at HSS and reconstructed my elbow, screwing the broken bone back in place and repairing and re-positioning my tendons and nerve.

Dr. Green gave me great care, lots of reassurance and encouragement, and within six months (and some physical therapy) I was making the podium at a national swim event. In 2014, I won the Westchester County Swim Conference 14 & U 100 yard backstroke, breaking a minute for the first time in this event. My elbow is still going strong, and I have now participated in two seasons of high school varsity swimming, and a season of varsity golf. This past summer (2016), I won the 17 & U 100 backstroke at the Westchester County Swim Championships, as well as broke 80 for the first time in a golf tournament. Thank you Dr. Green for your skill and encouragement. You put me back in the game!

You're the BEST!

Published by the Hospital for Special Surgery in its Back in the Game archive in October 2016, and reproduced here in full. Read it on hss.edu →

Sport or activity

Swim, Swimming, Golf, Crew, Trampoline

Treating surgeon

Dr. Daniel W. Green