Three years ago, Daniel Lee Rogers was at work and fell 10 feet after slipping and landing on a concrete floor. The result of the mishap was a separated acromioclavicular joint, which is a frequent injury among physically active people. 

When that injury occurs, the clavicle (collar bone) separates from the scapula (shoulder blade), which is often caused by a fall directly on the point of the shoulder or a direct blow received in a contact sport.

“I used to change tires for a living, and at the time I fell, I worked for a tent and awning place,” Rogers said. “I was on the top shelf and I slipped and ended up falling. I blacked out and don’t remember what happened. I was already having problems with my back, and when I slipped I think my body just said ‘nope, you don’t get to see this.’ When I first did it, I was at Eskenazi Health for four days before they let me go home because I had to be able to stand up on my own. I had a slight concussion.”

After the injury, Rogers tried physical therapy for nearly two years and his pain wasn’t getting any better. That’s when he made an appointment with Dr. Jason Watters, an orthopedic surgery specialist with Eskenazi Health.

“When that surgery happened, they found a compressed disc in my neck when they did an X-ray on my shoulder,” Rogers said.

Dr. Cameron Burns, also an orthopedic surgeon at Eskenazi Health who specializes in the spine, performed surgery on Rogers to alleviate the pain along his spine.

“They had to go in and decompress my neck,” Rogers said. “I believe they took the C5 out and put two infusion plates in my throat because it was disc to disc to disc, and those plates separated them which needed to be done, and it only took me six months to heal from the surgery.”

Rogers, who currently works as a cook and enjoys watching the bonfires he creates at home in his brick fire pit, is pleased that his injuries have been repaired and he can go back to living life as he chooses. His greatest passion is serving as a loving father to his six children, including 6-month old daughter, Rose, along with five grandchildren.

“I only lost two percent of the capability in my shoulder and my spine is completely healed,” he said. “Dr. Watters and Dr. Burns are both great, along with everyone at Eskenazi Health who worked with me. I would recommend Eskenazi Health to everyone!”

Eskenazi Health Spine Care provides diagnosis, treatment, therapy and – when needed – surgery for spinal injuries and conditions with the goal of improving patients’ lives. For more information, please call 1.866.73SPINE (7463), or visit EskenaziHealthSpine.org.

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