Torn Gluteus Medius Repair: How a 73-Year-Old Pickleball Player Returned to the Court

Posted on: May 19th, 2026 by Our Team

At 73 years old, Fenneke Carrier has never slowed down. Between homes in California and Michigan, she filled her days with paddleboarding, water skiing, running, biking, and, most recently, pickleball, a sport she and her husband played year-round, competing in tournaments and even bringing home trophies together.

But what began as nagging hip pain gradually took her away from the activities she loved most.

From “Bursitis” to a Severe Tendon Tear

Fenneke’s symptoms initially seemed straightforward. Her primary care physician diagnosed bursitis and treated her with a cortisone injection. While the injection briefly relieved her pain, the symptoms quickly returned. A second injection provided only temporary relief before the pain became noticeably worse.

“My general practitioner diagnosed me with bursitis and gave me a shot in my hip,” Fenneke recalls. “But after some relief, the pain came back, so I went for another shot. That one only lasted a little while.”

As the pain escalated, she sought care from a local orthopedic provider, who suspected bursitis or an IT band problem. She was prescribed physical therapy and encouraged to continue playing pickleball.

Then came what Fenneke describes as her “third ouch moment.”

“I lunged for a ball, and my right hip was excruciating,” she says. “I could not play or walk at all.”

Even then, the diagnosis remained unclear. She was told she likely had snapping hip syndrome and gluteal tendonitis and received yet another injection. Only after an MRI was ordered did the true cause become apparent: a completely torn gluteus medius tendon along with a partial tear of the gluteus minimus.

Gluteus medius and minimus tears are a significant source of lateral hip pain and weakness, particularly in women between ages 50 and 70. These injuries are often degenerative and can worsen gradually over time before finally becoming debilitating.

A Failed Surgery and a Search for Answers

Fenneke underwent arthroscopic tendon repair near her home and completed ten weeks of physical therapy in California. But despite surgery and rehabilitation, her hip function never returned.

“I couldn’t even raise my leg while lying on my side,” she says. “There was no way I was going to be able to play pickleball.”

A follow-up MRI confirmed that the gluteus medius repair had failed and the tendon had re-torn. She was told there were no additional surgical options available.

“I was devastated,” Fenneke says. “So I immediately sought a second opinion.”

Finding a Hip Revision Specialist

Searching online for experts in revision hip preservation surgery and asking fellow pickleball players for recommendations repeatedly led Fenneke to Shane Nho, MD, MS, at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush.

After reviewing Dr. Nho’s research and speaking with physician assistant Sara Sarmast, Fenneke traveled to Rush for evaluation. Despite severe tendon damage and muscle atrophy from the failed repair, Dr. Nho believed reconstruction was still possible.

“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.”

An Innovative Reconstruction Approach

Dr. Nho developed a complex revision strategy tailored to Fenneke’s massive tendon tear and failed prior surgery.

“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.”

To maximize the likelihood of healing, the reconstruction used multiple techniques, including suture anchor fixation, biologic donor tissue augmentation at the tendon-bone interface, and methods to improve the quality and integrity of the remaining tendon tissue.

Fenneke became one of the first patients in the country to undergo this type of advanced gluteal reconstruction procedure.

“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.”

Back on the Pickleball Court

Following surgery, Fenneke committed fully to her recovery. She left Rush with a walker, hip brace, and a detailed rehabilitation plan, focusing on one goal: getting back to pickleball.

Seven months later, she completed physical therapy, walks pain-free, and recently returned to the pickleball court for the first time in nearly two years.

“I wasn’t chasing down every ball,” she says with a smile, “but I was so happy to be back on the court.”

Now well into her recovery, Fenneke says she is deeply grateful for the care she received.

“I’m well on my road to recovery and so thankful to Dr. Nho and his team for getting me sorted out and fixed.”