Mike Kelly is an active guy.

His job keeps him busy in many ways. Since becoming the voice of the Missouri Tigers in 1994, Mike hasn’t missed a single football game – 372 consecutive radio broadcasts. He also prefers to commentate on games standing up so he can see the entire field from the roof of Memorial Stadium.

When that streak continues on August 29 in the Tigers’ opening game of the 2024 season against Murray State, an even longer streak will have come to an end: Mike’s knee pain due to osteoarthritis.

“I started running a lot in 1991, after my wife and I had twins, 26 miles a week,” said Mike, who is also the voice of Mizzou men’s basketball games. “One morning I was running up the hill in our neighborhood, went about a block, and then it was over. I went to the doctor and was told it was bone on bone at that point.”

Mike had to undergo two microfracture surgeries on his left knee in the 1990s and was told to stop running. His doctors also told him at the time that he would need a new knee joint within five years. He started golf and a fitness program that didn’t put any strain on his knee, although the pain still flared up. Mike often left football games with a swollen joint after standing for three hours.

“Once you have an injury like this, there are so many triggers,” Mike said. “Climbing stairs, taking a wrong step, walking on a lawn, any movement that causes a sudden stress on the joint is a reminder that you have a bad knee.”

He had to live with this constant discomfort until Labor Day 2023. During a game of catch in the pool, Mike grabbed the ball and landed hard on his left foot, re-injuring his knee and significantly worsening the joint damage caused by his arthritis.

More than 20 years after being told he needed a new knee, Mike wondered if it was finally time. For advice, he sought the advice of a familiar face from football training: orthopedic surgeon and team physician Dr. Clayton Nuelle.

As team physicians for Mizzou Athletics, MU Health Care’s sports medicine physicians and specialists at the Missouri Orthopaedic Institute provide world-class care to all athletes both on and off the field.

“Clay became a very good friend and I just knew that I trusted him first and foremost because of the relationship we had built and that I could listen to him and understand that he had my best interests at heart,” Mike said. “He didn’t go ahead with the surgery right away, we tried other options first and I found it very helpful that he gave me time to make what I felt was the right decision.”

The two worked together to use physical therapy, injections, and other forms of therapy to get Mike through football season and most of basketball season with minimal pain. Finally, Mike’s decision was clear.

“Mike suffered from severe osteoarthritis where he had lost a significant amount of normal cartilage in his joint, resulting in joint swelling and inflammation and pain during physical activity,” said Dr. Nuelle. “A total knee replacement restores range of motion, functionality and mobility to the joint in someone with so much cartilage loss, allowing them to resume their hobbies and daily activities.”

Dr. Nuelle’s team, including athletic trainers Kasey Currence and Tammy Young, helped Mike through every step of the process. The team created a plan tailored to his needs, from the timing of the procedure to a step-by-step approach to recovery that fit his goals and active lifestyle.

Dr. Nuelle also used robotic-assisted surgery to plan and perform Mike’s total knee replacement, creating a 3D model of the natural joint anatomy to make the replacement as precise as possible.

“Knowing that I don’t have to rely on the precision of one person and that this is another tool to make sure I get the right result gave me a lot of comfort,” Mike said. “Overall, the people at MU Health Care were very professional and gave me that level of comfort from the surgery scheduling to checking in in the morning to waking up from surgery, even regarding the size of the scar. I couldn’t be happier.”

Mike completed all of his inpatient rehab with physical therapists and other specialists at the Missouri Orthopaedic Institute. His dedicated approach to recovery meant that less than three months later, when he was vacationing in Italy with his wife, he had no limitations – and no pain – while walking.

In early July, he and some friends went to Oregon for a long golf weekend. Mike did better than expected after taking some time off from golf, easily completing 90 holes in four days.

“On both trips, I was just excited to be out there,” he said. “I wasn’t restricted, I was able to run and enjoy the weather without any issues because of the knee. From that standpoint, I was so pleased and just thrilled with how everything went.”

With the Missouri Orthopaedic Institute just minutes from home, Mike has easy access to comprehensive orthopedic care from experts who help world-class athletes maintain or regain their peak form.

“It’s incredible that we can provide this level of care to someone with Mike’s reputation, the voice of the Tigers, but also to our athletes and every patient we care for,” said Dr. Nuelle. “That’s one of the reasons I love it here. We have the people, the expertise and the technology to provide excellent care from start to finish for all of our patients.”

This kind of detailed, high-level care requires teamwork, which Mike often sees on fall Saturdays.

“In my role, I see the excitement of the players and coaches during practice and games, I see the collaboration that takes place,” Mike said. “You definitely see that at MU Health Care. Doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists, physical therapists, surgical technicians, everyone works together to make sure you, the patient, have the best possible outcome.”