Third Missed ACL Tear by Urgent Care This Year
by Dr. Frank He, L.Ac., DAOM
Published on July 18, 2025
Today marks the third case of an ACL tear I’ve caught this year—each previously overlooked by an urgent care provider.
A young female athlete, the outside hitter on her school volleyball team, injured her left knee last month while landing from a jump. She went straight to a local urgent care, where the attending physician diagnosed a minor sprain and advised rest, assuring her it would heal in a couple of weeks. No imaging was ordered. No bracing or activity restrictions were recommended.
A month later, she was still in pain and unable to fully flex her knee. Her mother brought her to see me. On physical examination, I suspected a medial meniscus tear and questioned the integrity of her ACL, though the anterior drawer test was negative. But given her strength and athleticism, I couldn’t confidently rule out a tear based on that alone.
I immediately ordered an MRI to investigate the ongoing pain and limited range of motion. Her insurance denied the request—but her family, committed to answers, proceeded with the scan anyway.
The MRI revealed a full ACL tear and a medial meniscus tear.
These repeated misdiagnoses shake public confidence in our conventional urgent care system. The insurance denial—despite clear medical necessity—adds to the frustration. Perhaps it also explains why the public once cheered for a shooter who targeted the CEO of a major health insurance company. Tragic as it is, the outrage reflects a broken system where patients suffer delays, denials, and dismissals.We can and must do better. Cases like this are why I created Hurgent Care!
Overtreatment: The New Epidemic in Healthcare
by Dr. Frank He, L.Ac., DAOM
Published on July 18, 2025
In an age of advanced diagnostics and aggressive protocols, overtreatment has quietly become a dangerous trend. From unnecessary imaging to overprescribed medications and redundant surgeries, patients are often subjected to far more than they need—sometimes at the expense of their recovery, finances, and peace of mind.
A 57-year-old female patient of mine sprained her ankle while traveling in Vietnam on May 3. An imaging study revealed a nondisplaced oblique fracture at the distal fibula. She had a connecting flight to Japan for a conference, so she declined immediate treatment in Vietnam. Once she arrived in Japan, she contacted me for advice. Based on her X-rays, I recommended conservative care—such as a removable cast or brace—which should have sufficed for the fracture to heal properly.
However, after seeing an orthopedic surgeon in Japan, she was frightened into believing that the fracture would not heal correctly without immediate surgery and that complications were likely. Despite multiple back-and-forths with me, she ultimately caved to the pressure. The surgery was performed on May 9.
I was deeply disappointed—frankly, even angry—because not only was the surgery unnecessary, but it may have worsened the situation. The plate placement appeared to increase the displacement of the fracture due to poor angling. When the patient raised this concern with the surgeon, he grew visibly nervous and simply said, “It will heal on its own.”
Two months post-surgery, she was still using crutches due to ongoing pain and swelling. I ordered a follow-up X-ray and treated her with acupuncture on July 9. After just one treatment, she was able to walk pain-free—without crutches. She could have reached this point weeks ago with proper conservative care and no surgery.
What a modern medical ordeal.
#MedicalEthics #Overtreatment #LessIsMore #IntegrativeMedicine #FirstDoNoHarm
