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Teen Soccer Star's Hip Pain Leads to Life-Changing Surgery
6 Mar
Summary
- Junior defender diagnosed with severe hip dysplasia on both sides.
- Underwent complex pelvic surgery and eight months of recovery.
- Successfully returned to the soccer field for her junior season.
Deptford High School junior Onaliese Cosme's passion for soccer was nearly sidelined by severe hip pain. At 15, she was diagnosed with hip dysplasia on both sides, a condition where the thigh bone doesn't fit the hip socket, causing significant pain.
Doctors initially doubted her pain, but an MRI confirmed the diagnosis. After four months of failed physical therapy, surgeons performed a periacetabular osteotomy, breaking her pelvis in four places to reconstruct her hip.
The recovery was extensive, lasting eight months and requiring Cosme to forgo crutches for two months. She missed her entire sophomore soccer season, finding solace as the team's statistician and photographer.
Despite the physical and emotional toll, Cosme persevered. She dedicated herself to rehabilitation and returned to play for her junior year, embracing every moment on the field with renewed gratitude.
