One Hornet is Now Club-Free Thanks to Dr. Tsui

After the Delaware State University (DSU) Hornets’ 2020 football season was postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions, starting linebacker Antquan Kinsey was buzzing to get back on the field in February—but a fluke injury almost ended his season before it began.

During practice a week before the first game, Kinsey’s hand collided with a teammate’s helmet resulting in major pain, swelling and an assumed break. Suspicions were confirmed after a visit with DSU Athletics’ Team Doctor and Bayhealth Sports Medicine Physician Terrence Tsui, DO. Kinsey suffered a metacarpal fracture, or a break in the long bone of the hand. It’s an injury that would typically sideline an athlete, but Kinsey was hopeful that a little TLC from Dr. Tsui would keep him in the game.

“I haven’t missed a football game since I started playing when I was four, so I was determined to not let this be the first time—especially after not playing all fall,” said Kinsey. “Of course, it was ultimately Dr. Tsui’s decision, but I was confident that he could help me out.”

As DSU’s team doctor, Dr. Tsui helps student-athletes both on the field and off. He provides various treatments aimed to prevent injuries and diagnoses and treats the injuries that occur. He also serves as a primary care physician available to all athletes in order to keep them healthy and performing at their best. Ultimately, Dr. Tsui has the final say in whether an athlete is healthy enough to play.

In Kinsey’s unique case, Dr. Tsui was confident that he could fully stabilize and protect Kinsey’s hand while keeping him in the game—and keeping his game-day streak alive. Each week Dr. Tsui outfitted Kinsey with a new short-arm cast. Then before each game he cushioned it with numerous layers of gauze and athletic tape, forming what they called a “club.” The club allowed Kinsey to play in the games with no restrictions.

“I definitely wouldn’t recommend this for everyone,” said Dr. Tsui. “But from past experience and because he’s a Division I athlete, his break was clean, and his job is to tackle, not catch or throw, I knew that this casting technique would do the trick.”

Playing in all five games of the shortened season, Kinsey felt no pain and even put up some impressive stats—seven solo tackles and two assists, a pass deflection (with the club!), and a 34-yard rush on a fake punt.

“It turned out to be an amazing season, and I can’t thank Dr. Tsui enough,” said Kinsey. “Not only did he save my season, but I was able to connect with him during our casting sessions and he gave great advice and was always there for me.”

For Dr. Tsui, the connections with the athletes and helping them get back to doing what they love is the best part of the job. “Most doctors don’t get to connect with their patients and follow their journeys as closely as I get to, and that’s what I love about what I do,” he said.

When Dr. Tsui isn’t working with the DSU athletes, he’s treating musculoskeletal conditions in patients of all ages and abilities at Bayhealth Orthopaedics, Dover. He specializes in the non-operative management of bone, muscle and joint conditions which include acute injuries, chronic overuse injuries and degenerative disorders like arthritis.

Thanks to Dr. Tsui, Kinsey is now back on campus preparing for his redshirt junior season with a beautifully healed, club-free hand. And he’s most excited about getting back to some normalcy—both in the classroom as a senior Mass Communications and Public relations major, and on the field defending the Hornets’ goal line for a 12-game regular season.

To make an appointment with Dr. Tsui or to learn more about the services he provides as a sports medicine physician, call 302-730-4366. You can also visit Bayhealth.org/Find-A-Doctor to search our online directory and find a doctor that’s right for you.