Dick Briggs, Jr., MD

Mountain Brook, AL

Conditions + Treatments

Knee Replacement (Total)


I grew up in Meridian, Mississippi. It was a very good tennis town. So I started playing a little sand lot tennis when I was about 12. And I played high school tennis for 4 years. I played four years of college tennis.

Medicine is my professional life and tennis is my passion. I turned 84 years-old in January of 2018. My wife is deceased so I live in a big house by myself. Also I’m the only person on Southwood, Road who mows their own grass. Walking by that mower for two to three hours is a way you get in shape to play matches.

If I didn’t have that MD behind my name, I would be called a tennis bum. I am a tennis player who plays four to seven times a week. Tennis is sort of my retirement. I still do some teaching of medicine, some talking around the world, but uh I’m not actively seeing patients now very often.
 
About a year ago, I worked real hard to get ready for the Southern Clay Court tournament, which I went up to Kiawah Island, SC to play. My knee felt great and it felt great for two and a half games. I went wide to hit a back hand, pushed off, and the knee started hurting and that was the end of the tournament. I was in a foul mood.

So I came back, saw my sports medicine orthopaedic person, told him the story, and he said there are a lot of things I can do but what you need is a new knee. And he gave me several names and I said who did your two knees? And he told me. And it was Dr. David Moore at Andrews Sports Medicine and I said great. I checked to see that he was a reliable, knee replacement doc and he was more than reliable.
 
I have two border collies. I was told I couldn’t keep the dogs at home and I explained that was a deal breaker. That without the dogs, I didn’t go anywhere.
 
So I got the knee replaced on a Monday morning, Tuesday morning went to physical therapy, got some physical therapy got some more Tuesday afternoon and uh went home. I was able to walk up and down stairs not as I usually walked them but without a problem. I had home physiotherapy visits three times a week. Really what they were doing were checking up to be sure I was doing my exercises right because I had a goal in mind and that was back on the tennis court as soon as possible.
 
Dr. Moore was very attentive, I saw him when I needed to see him, and I was back playing in about eight to ten weeks after the surgery. Actually in 4 months I played a match. At 6 months I played a tournament.
 
Briggs family members seem to live a long time. I’m accumulating a lot of extra parts: a heart valve, a new knee, couple of new lens and electronics around my ears!
 
Older tennis players expect to have some aching joints that’s a way you know you’re still alive in the morning and you wakeup and your shoulders a little sore that’s good. I had some aching joints, but the one joint that’s not bothered me has been my new knee.
 
Treatment Providers
Hide Providers
K. David Moore, MD View Bio