How a Jiu-Jitsu Instructor Avoided Hip Surgery and Got Back on the Mat
Manny Slack came to Albano Clinic for a shoulder injury consultation. He left with a care plan that would change how he moved for the rest of his life.
During the intake process, Dr. Albano noticed something in Manny’s history: a course of prednisone in his early 20s. Long-term corticosteroid use is a known risk factor for avascular necrosis — the death of bone tissue caused by compromised blood supply. An MRI confirmed significant damage to both hips, including structural cartilage deterioration.
Manny was a black belt and Jiu-Jitsu instructor. His hips were his livelihood.
Rather than refer him for surgical evaluation, Dr. Albano developed a comprehensive treatment plan: orthobiologic injections to both hips, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy to optimize his body’s healing environment, and individualized physical therapy.
“What’s interesting is, being that I’ve always had problems with my hips, it’s a new feeling,” Manny said. “Something that I’ve never had the experience of knowing… it’s good. It’s nice to know what it feels like to have movable hips.”
He credited the integrated approach as central to his outcome. “Being able to get the hormones, supplements, physical therapy — all of those things that encompass the entire treatment — that has been the beauty of me coming here.”
Manny is back on the mat, teaching the sport he loves.