Allison Kingsley

Dr. Riley Williams is my superhero.

At 16-years-old, I suffered a traumatic ski accident – fractured my left ankle, tore ligaments in both knees, and shattered my right patella. More than 25 years and nearly a dozen surgeries later, I had zero stability in my right knee with no ability to run, walk downhill, jump, or ski. Without cartilage, my knee joint was also bone-on-bone, severely arthritic, inflamed, and painful. After suffering another devastating fall at 44, my knee was officially a crime scene and most surgeons thought it was unfixable. Not Dr. Williams.

In the summer of 2019, Dr. Williams accepted the challenge and performed a tibial tubercle osteotomy (TTO), implanted several cadaver cartilage transplants on my patella and tibia, and experimentally injected stem cells and capillaries into my right knee. The procedure and recovery were intense and life changing. Within 6 weeks my knee was stable and mobile, and within 3 months I was able to RUN through a WET, LEAFY parking lot at NIGHT. After suffering from 25 years of knee instability and arthritic pain, running on an uneven surface at night is nothing short of a miracle. Also, as a long-distance open water swimmer, being able to swim again without my knee dislocating healed my soul. It was as if my knee was 16 again!

Truly, Dr. Williams brought my destroyed knee back to life, and in the process gave me my life back. He is a world class surgeon and a consummate professional who runs a rocking OR with an extraordinary team. He is also a great human who’s not afraid of challenges. When I finally swim the Strait of Gibraltar, I’m writing “RW” on my knee for good luck and gratitude. Thank you, Dr. Williams. Thank you, HSS.