Serving up a solution

In 2022, William Komanecky, now 16, started experiencing pain in his right hip every time he played sports.

His parents, Sharon and David Komanecky, thought their son’s pain had something to do with the form of cerebral palsy (spastic diplegia) he was born with, which causes muscle stiffness in the legs or hips and is often linked to a lack of oxygen at birth.

“William is an identical twin who was born premature, so when his pain persisted, we decided to see a specialist at Nemours Children’s Health, Jacksonville,” she said.

Anna Johnson Rambo, MD, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Nemours Children’s, initially referred Komanecky to a clinic where he was prescribed injections to treat muscle stiffness and tightness. Recently, he started receiving his 12-week injections from Christine Thorogood Schmitt, MD, a pediatric physiatrist at a Nemours Children's pediatric specialty clinic in Jacksonville.

“I started getting the shots in the seventh grade, but by the time I reached my freshman year of high school, I could barely finish a tennis or wrestling match because my hip felt like it was slipping in and out of place so much,” William Komanecky said.

Finding the right fix

When injections alone couldn’t help Komanecky, who is a multi-sport athlete and also participates in marching band, he was introduced to orthopedic surgeon Eduardo Novais, MD, chair of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine at Nemours Children’s Health, Jacksonville, who specializes in hip preservation in children and young adults.

By then, Komanecky, who has been recognized by the Georgia High School Association for his well-rounded athleticism, had lost the ability to compete at the level he was once accustomed to.

“William came away from the initial consultation with Dr. Novais feeling confident that his hip issues could be treated,” said Sharon Komanecky. “That was very comforting to me and my husband because no one likes to see their kids in pain.”

Playing without pain

In November 2025, Komanecky underwent a hip-preservation surgery known as periacetabular osteotomy at Wolfson Children’s Hospital. The surgery improves stability in teens and young adults with hip dysplasia, a condition where the bones that make up the hip joint, the femur (thighbone) and pelvis don’t fit together correctly.

“In William’s case, the dysplasia was severe enough that the ball-shaped top of his thigh bone was slipping out of the cup-shaped socket in the pelvis,” said Dr. Novias, who realigned Komanecky’s hip socket, securing the joint with four metal screws.

Following the procedure, the first of its kind at Wolfson Children’s, Komanecky spent two weeks recovering at home before resuming his sophomore classes in a wheelchair.

“Everybody wanted to push me around school, even some of my teachers,” he said. “Then I went from two crutches to one and from walking to light jogging.”

He even managed to participate in a few varsity tennis matches last school year, joking that his doubles partner “covered about 80% of the court.”

“William was working on his forehand strokes while he was still in a wheelchair,” said Sharon Komanecky. “The first time he walked off the court last spring, I asked him if he was in any pain and he said it was the first time he had played tennis and it didn’t hurt.”

Marching to a new beat

After marching cymbals in the school band for four years, Komanecky, a rising junior, took up the snare drums this summer, following in his twin brother’s footsteps. He also participates in his school’s Future Business Leaders of America chapter and plans to major in business in college.

“He’s going to run cross country in the fall, but I doubt he will return to wrestling this winter,” said Sharon Komanecky. “We were willing to go anywhere to get his hip fixed. The fact that we were able to do it so close to home was a blessing, knowing now what goes into that surgery and the whole recovery process.”

If you have concerns about your child's hip mobility, contact your pediatrician, who can make a referral to a pediatric orthopedic specialist. To find the right provider for your family, use the Find a Doctor tool or schedule an appointment online.