Patient Stories
Torn Gluteus Medius Repair: How a 73-Year-Old Pickleball Player Returned to the Court
Date posted: 5/14/2026
Last updated: 5/14/2026
Table of Contents
Fenneke Carrier, 73, has always been athletic. Splitting her time between California and Michigan, she has enjoyed paddleboarding, water skiing, running, biking, and most recently, pickleball — a sport she and her husband play year-round, compete in local tournaments, and have even earned trophies together.
But several years ago, persistent hip pain began to sideline her game. A series of misdiagnoses meant things would get much worse before they got better.
Misdiagnosed Hip Pain: From Bursitis to a Completely Torn Gluteus Medius
Fenneke's troubles began when her general practitioner diagnosed her with bursitis and administered a cortisone injection. The relief was temporary. A second injection wore off just as quickly — and then a sharper, unfamiliar pain arrived.
"My general practitioner diagnosed me with bursitis and gave me a shot in my hip," Fenneke explains. "But after getting some relief for a time, the pain came back so I went for another shot. That one only lasted a little while."
What she calls her "ouch moments" unfolded in quick succession. A local orthopedic provider then diagnosed her with "bursitis or an IT band issue," prescribed physical therapy, and cleared her to keep playing pickleball. She returned to the court — and her third ouch moment ended the match for good.
"I lunged for a ball, and my right hip was excruciating," she says. "I could not play or walk at all."
Back at her orthopedic provider, she received a new diagnosis — snapping hip syndrome and gluteal tendonitis — and yet another injection. It was only when an MRI was finally ordered that the truth emerged: a completely torn gluteus medius and a partially torn gluteus minimus.
Tears of the gluteus medius and minimus cause significant lateral hip and buttock pain. They are frequently the result of chronic degeneration rather than a single acute injury, and are especially common in women between the ages of 50 and 70. This condition had been silently worsening throughout months of misdiagnosis.
Failed Gluteal Repair Surgery: Why the First Operation Didn't Work
Fenneke's orthopedic surgeon performed arthroscopic repair of both tendons. She recovered in California and completed ten weeks of physical therapy — but her hip never improved.
"I couldn't even raise my leg in a side position," she says. "There was no way I was going to be able to play pickleball."
A follow-up MRI confirmed the worst: the gluteus medius had re-torn. The surgery had failed. Her surgeon told her nothing more could be done.
"I was devastated," Fenneke explains. "So I immediately sought a second opinion."
Finding the Right Hip Revision Specialist: Dr. Shane Nho at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush
Fenneke searched online for the country's leading revision hip surgery specialists and also posted in her pickleball community forum. Both paths led to the same name: Shane Nho, MD, MS, of Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush — a nationally recognized hip specialist.
After reviewing Dr. Nho's published research, she reached out to his office and connected with his physician assistant, Sara Sarmast. Despite significant muscle atrophy from the failed surgery, Dr. Nho agreed to take on her case.
"I was thrilled to learn that Dr. Nho agreed to do the repair surgery even though my muscles had atrophied," Fenneke says. "I had faith in him and got myself to Rush as fast as I could."
Innovative Gluteus Medius Reconstruction: A First-of-Its-Kind Surgical Approach
Dr. Nho carefully reviewed Fenneke's case and developed a creative surgical plan to give her the best possible outcome.
"Fenneke had a massive tear of her gluteus medius and minimus tendons — and she had already had a prior surgery," Dr. Nho explains. "We had to be creative in our approach but also pragmatic about what we could achieve. We decided to throw the kitchen sink at her tendons to give her hip the best chance of healing. Not only did we use suture anchors to repair the tendon, but we also used donor tissue at the bone-tendon interface and worked to optimize the integrity of the tendon tissue itself."
Fenneke was among the first patients in the country to undergo this innovative gluteal reconstruction technique.
"We are currently studying the outcomes of these gluteal reconstructions," Dr. Nho says. "Cases like Fenneke's will hopefully help us better understand healing in massive gluteal tendon tears."
Recovery After Hip Reconstruction Surgery: Back on the Pickleball Court
Fenneke left Rush with a walker, a hip brace, and detailed post-operative instructions. She committed fully to her prescribed physical therapy, keeping her eyes on one goal: returning to pickleball.
Seven months after surgery, she has completed physical therapy, walks without pain, and has lost 14 pounds — a welcome side effect of moving more freely. She recently stepped back onto the pickleball court for the first time in nearly two years.
"I wasn't chasing down every ball, but I was so happy to be back on the court!" she says. "I'm well on my road to recovery and am so grateful to Dr. Nho and his team for getting me sorted out and fixed."
