ProRodeo Sports News - July 10, 2020

RECOVERING FROM INJURIES

Fritzlan overcomes multitude of surgeries to get back to ProRodeo Medical Marvel Photo courtesy Jessie Miller Dr. Jason Stoneback, an orthopedic trauma surgeon at the UCHealth and University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora, Colo., shares a moment with bull rider Colten Fritzlan. Stoneback has operated on Fritzlan over the years to allow him to continue his rodeoing.

BY TRACY RENCK E ver since Colten Fritzlan was a boy, he dreamed of being a world champion bull rider.

When he was 11, Fritzlan’s elbow was still hurting. Doctors realized that, in addition to

being dislocated, the elbow had been broken in that fall. Fritzlan had a second surgery with grafts and screws put in place. That surgery didn’t solve Fritzlan’s woes and neither did two more follow-up surgeries. Three years after his first elbow surgery, Fritzlan was still searching for answers. He was referred to Stoneback, an orthopedic trauma surgeon at the UCHealth and University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora, Colo. Stoneback leads UCHealth’s Limb Restoration Program. He also has rodeo ties from his time at Middle Tennessee State in Murfreesboro when he was a bull rider and saddle bronc rider. Stoneback also works with the Justin Sportsmedicine Team primarily at the National Western Stock Show

That dream twice nearly vanished for Fritzlan before it

could even get started. But thanks to Dr. Jason Stoneback – a former roughstock cowboy and a volunteer with the Justin Sportsmedicine Team – Fritzlan, a rookie, is hot on the trail to qualify for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. INJURY STRIKES EARLY When he was 8, Fritzlan suffered a dislocated left elbow after being tossed off an older cow at his family’s place in Rifle, Colo. “It was one of those freak deals where I just landed on my elbow wrong,” Fritzlan said. Doctors surgically repaired the elbow and thought Fritzlan was in good shape, but he wasn’t – not at all.

ProRodeo Sports News 7/10/2020

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