Knee Replacement Patient Ran in St. Jude Relay Three Months Post-Op

Peoria, IL, Aug. 9, 2023 - When Scott Elger told specialists he wanted to run in the St. Jude Memphis to Peoria Relay for the 33rd time, they said, “Not with those knees!”

Frustrated after doctors said he would never run again, Elger passed the baton, seeking out the help of Richard Berger, M.D., joint replacement surgeon at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, Chicago.

Knowing how passionate he was about participating in the annual relay to help the kids at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Dr. Berger promised him, “You will be able to participate – even after double knee replacement.”

In sports and medicine, sometimes it takes a relay to get things done.

Just three months after his second knee replacement surgery from Dr. Berger, a pioneer in the field of minimally invasive surgical techniques, Elger participated in the 465-mile relay from Memphis, TN to Peoria, IL, on Aug. 1 – 5, to support the children who are near and dear to his heart.

“I've seen people ‘age out of’ the race because they needed a knee replacement,” says Elger, “and I assumed that was my future as well.”

“I was moved by Scott’s dedication to raising funds for St. Jude,” says Dr. Berger, who performed surgery on many elite athletes and luminaries, including Hollywood actors and prominent politicians. “I knew we could get him back in shape to run that relay.”

Armed with an MIT degree in mechanical engineering, Dr. Berger designed instrumentation and created a joint replacement procedure that doesn’t cut muscles, tendons, or ligaments. His minimally invasive techniques result in a shorter recovery and less pain than with traditional hip and knee replacement and most of his patients walk out the door the day of surgery.

Thanks to Dr. Berger’s surgical technique, Elger is back helping the children and families of St. Jude Memphis Hospital. “This phenomenal facility provides free care for ill children during an incredibly stressful time and the families don’t have to worry about paying for treatment,” he says. “We have raised hundreds of millions of dollars over the years. I am so grateful that Dr. Berger has helped me get ready for this unparalleled volunteer experience.”

The 2023 St. Jude Memphis to Peoria Relay raised over $11 million to further the hospital’s lifesaving mission.

St. Jude is known for treating and defeating childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing, or food.

To learn more about the relay, visit the fundraising page at St. Jude.org. For information about Dr. Berger, visit outpatienthipandknee.com or call 312-432-2557.