Dr. Riley Williams Joins Midge Purce to Talk ACL Injuries, Recovery and Keeping Athletes in the Game
Riley J. Williams III, MD, recently joined professional soccer player Midge Purce on her podcast, Confessions of an Elite Athlete, for a conversation about ACL injuries, recovery, injury prevention, and the decisions that can shape an athlete’s return to sport.
The conversation had a particularly personal connection. Dr. Williams performed Purce’s ACL reconstruction, giving the two a unique perspective on the relationship between an injured athlete and the surgeon helping guide that athlete back to competition.
As Chief of the Sports Medicine Institute at HSS and Medical Director for the Brooklyn Nets, New York Liberty, and New York Red Bulls, Dr. Williams regularly cares for athletes whose health and ability to compete are closely connected. During the podcast, he and Purce discuss why ACL injuries are increasingly common among female athletes, mistakes athletes can make following ACL surgery, and what it takes to return to sport safely.
Their conversation also goes beyond ACL surgery. They tackle the ongoing turf-versus-grass debate, the potential risks of specializing in a single sport too early, lower-extremity injury prevention, and some of the most challenging lower-limb injuries an athlete can experience. They also address a question that matters to athletes at every level: Can these injuries actually be prevented?
What makes the episode especially interesting is the combination of perspectives. Purce brings the experience of an elite athlete who has been through a major knee injury and recovery, while Dr. Williams offers the perspective of a surgeon who has spent his career helping athletes navigate that process and return to the activities that matter to them.
Listen to the full 49-minute episode of Confessions of an Elite Athlete with Midge Purce:
The Doctor Who Holds Elite Athletes’ Careers in His Hands – Apple Podcasts