Bengals | Palmer's knee injury career-threatening

[Gryphon]

Tough break for Palmer. Hopefully everything works out for him.

Bengals | Palmer's knee injury career-threatening
Thu, 12 Jan 2006 16:23:17 -0800

ESPNews reports Cincinnati Bengals QB Carson Palmer (knee) received news from the surgeon who operated on his knee, Dr. Lonnie Paulos of Houston, that his injury is much more severe than originally noted. In fact, Dr. Paulos stated the injury is career-threatening.

[aznhalf]

Sounds very painfull...

Looked really painfull.

Hope it works out. He was wearing a brace too, little good that did him.

[big dog cowboy]

This sounds completely opposite from what I heard yesterday. Also have not heard anything about this news today. Anybody verify any of this???

[Jimz31]

I can see Palmer coming back before I can see Culpepper coming back.

Maybe this is a surgeon who isn't afraid to speak his mind instead of being one that is a shill for the team.

We also can't forget that a "normal" person is also out of commission alot longer than athletes are. Pro athletes probably have the best care out there when it comes to rehabbing.

[TheHustler]

The doc also said that he thinks Palmer will be fine.

[WoodysGirl]

Bengals | Palmer's injury could be career threatening
Thu, 12 Jan 2006 16:24:04 -0800

Updating a previous report, the Associated Press reports the knee injury suffered by Cincinnati Bengals (http://www.kffl.com/team/12/nfl) QB Carson Palmer (http://www.kffl.com/player/5892/nfl) (knee) could be career threatening. His surgeon said Thursday, Jan. 12, that the injury was "devastating and potentially career-ending," involving numerous ligament tears, a shredded ligament, damaged cartilage and a dislocated kneecap. "It's not just like it was a torn ACL," Dr. Lonnie Paulos said Thursday, Jan. 12, in a phone interview from Houston. "It's a magnitude more difficult to recover from and repair. It can and has ended careers, without a doubt. However, I feel very comfortable with Carson as an athlete and the heart that he's got. In the end, that's the bottom line. I can see the look in his eye already. He's ready to get going." The surgeon said the injury was off the chart. "On a scale of one to three, it was a four," he said. "It was off the chart. It was pretty badly damaged - shredded is the better term." If rehabilitation goes well, Palmer could be running in a couple of months and might be able to play in the first regular season game, Paulos said.

[aznhalf]

Link to story (http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/CIN/9161575)

[CowboyManDan]

Ah, man! That is awful. I really like Carson Palmer, he was gonna be incredible and hopefully he can come back from this. Looks like they'll be keeping Kitna now I'd imagine.

Come on Carson, I'm rooting for you to come back to 100%!

[JGalt]

That franchise just seems doomed. At least we got to see what Palmer was capable of before the career ruining injury. (Ki-Jana Carter)

[BrAinPaiNt]

Wow...I swear I heard before that it was a clean tear and now we are hearing it is shredded.

Feel bad for the kid as he really looked like he was going to be something special...hope it works out for him and he comes back from it.

[StanleySpadowski]

There are various AP reports saying that it's not serious and that it is very serious.

I really don't know which to believe.

[kingwhicker]

Maybe Cincy should get some revenge on Gentle Ben next year.

[Nors]

Wasn't Dr Andrews scheduled to do surgery? Had a heart attack night before.

Maybe the new doctor muffed the surgery and is back peddaling!

[CrazyCowboy]

Doctor says Palmer's injury 'devastating'

Palmer tore ligaments in his left knee when he was hit by Pittsburgh's Kimo von Oelhoffen (http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/player/70588) on his first pass during the Steelers (http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/team/67067)' 31-17 playoff victory Sunday.
The team announced that he had torn the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments. The damage was much more extensive and severe, but Dr. Lonnie Paulos said surgery went well and Palmer could be ready for the regular season.
Palmer had surgery Tuesday in Houston. Doctors used grafts from other parts of his body and donated tissue to fix the damage during an operation that lasted more than two hours. Palmer headed back to California on Thursday to do his rehabilitation.
"It's not just like it was a torn ACL," Paulos said Thursday, in a phone interview from Houston. "It's a magnitude more difficult to recover from and repair. It can and has ended careers, without a doubt.
"However, I feel very comfortable with Carson as an athlete and the heart that he's got. In the end, that's the bottom line. I can see the look in his eye already. He's ready to get going."
Paulos, an orthopedic surgeon who has worked with the U.S. Ski Team since 1983, replaced the anterior cruciate ligament, which runs through the middle of the knee and provides stability. He said the medial collateral ligament, which runs along the side of the knee, was damaged "real bad."
"On a scale of 1 to 3, it was a 4," he said. "It was off the chart. It was pretty badly damaged - shredded is the better term."
The kneecap dislocated when Palmer was hit, damaging tissue around it. There also was some cartilage damage, he said.
Paulos was able to repair the knee without removing pieces of cartilage or soft tissue, a good sign.
"The things that were torn could be repaired," he said. "They were not torn beyond repair. So he's got all his parts in there, which is good. We're optimistic, actually."
If rehabilitation goes well, Palmer could be running in a couple of months and might be able to play in the first regular season game, Paulos said. The 2006 schedule hasn't been set.
The Bengals (http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/team/67041) declined to comment on Paulos' description of the injury, but released a statement from him late Thursday night reiterating that he is optimistic about Palmer's recovery.
Palmer has worn a protective brace on the left knee since he sprained it near the end of the 2004 season. The knee bowed inward on von Oelhoffen's hit even though Palmer was wearing the brace,
"The brace didn't function well in this environment and should have done better than it did, frankly," Paulos said.
The plan is for Palmer to wear more substantial braces on both knees when he returns.
"No brace is perfect," Paulos said. "No brace can prevent every injury, but they do help."
Paulos saw the replay of the injury and wasn't surprised at the extent of the damage it caused. Palmer has absolved von Oelhoffen, saying he didn't think the lineman was trying to hurt him. The lineman said he was trying to sack Palmer, not injure him. He wasn't penalized for the hit.
Palmer made the Pro Bowl in only his second season as a starter, throwing an NFL-leading 32 touchdown passes. The club extended his contract through the 2014 season. Jon Kitna (http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/player/69281), who has been Palmer's backup and mentor the last two years, can become a free agent. Palmer's injury will force the Bengals (http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/team/67041) to make sure they have another reliable quarterback on board.

[Rack Bauer]

Tough break for Palmer. Hopefully everything works out for him.
Bengals | Palmer's knee injury career-threatening
Thu, 12 Jan 2006 16:23:17 -0800
ESPNews reports Cincinnati Bengals QB Carson Palmer (knee) received news from the surgeon who operated on his knee, Dr. Lonnie Paulos of Houston, that his injury is much more severe than originally noted. In fact, Dr. Paulos stated the injury is career-threatening.


Wow.

Just when it seems the Bengals are gonna become something...

[CIWhitefish]

Actually it's not as bad as some would make it seem. See the latest.

Bengals | Doctor issues another statement via the team
Fri, 13 Jan 2006 05:59:33 -0800
The Cincinnati Post reports Dr. Lonnie Paulos issued another statement about Cincinnati Bengals QB Carson Palmer (http://www.kffl.com/player/5892/nfl)'s (knee) knee surgery via the team Thursday evening, Jan. 12. "I believe and regret that media reports, based on interviews with me, have misinterpreted my view of Carson Palmer (http://www.kffl.com/player/5892/nfl)'s knee injury. Though the injury was serious, the essential facts remain that his ACL and MCL have been repaired. I would consider this a typical ACL/MCL football injury." He added that his use of "career-threatening" was about the type of surgery in general, not specifically Palmer's. "Comments attributed to me that the knee injury was "devastating and potentially career-ending" were meant to describe such injuries in general, not Carson Palmer (http://www.kffl.com/player/5892/nfl)'s particular case. I was accurately quoted by the Associated Press that my bottom line is optimism regarding Carson's prognosis. With a successful rehabilitation program, he has an excellent chance of being medically cleared for play at the beginning of the 2006 NFL (http://www.kffl.com/team/77/nfl) regular season."

[burmafrd]

That is possible- but it also can be that he was pressured to say something more positive. Ayyway you look at it, he is probably not going to be 100% by the beginning of the season. That brace should have given more protection then it did. The hit did not look that bad- just goes to show that you never know.

[Nors]

Sounds like an inexperienced doctor. He should know better than lob "career threatening" around if it was a routine surgery with routine turn around time on recovery.

[Natedawg44]

He's one of the best in the country. There is a risk with every surgery. He's just stating the facts thats what doctors should do.

[Reality]

Sounds like an inexperienced doctor. He should know better than lob "career threatening" around if it was a routine surgery with routine turn around time on recovery.Exactly .. sports doctors especially should know better than to speculate publicly about "potential downsides". This sounds to me like a doctor who was hoping to establish himself as one of the top doctors in sports by making it look like he took the absolute worst case (career likely over) situation and brought the player back to glory.

[Chuck 54]

ESPN reported this morning that on a scale of 1-3, his injury was a 4, completely shredded. Then they reported that the doctor said he should be ready for the opening of Training Camp, depending on how the rehab goes.

Sounds to me like a Doc who's very proud of his work and doing a little extra advertising.

[Doomsday101]

I hope Palmer can fully recover from this injury, I hate to see a guys career end this early especially such a promising career.

[Jimz31]

He'll be back.

The conflicting reports....actually, the same report conflicts itself.

[AbeBeta]

This story is funny because the doctor is talking in technically correct terms -- it is a serious injury that could threaten a career. However, the AP likely missed all of the stuff he said after that - most doctors might say - "however, in the case of an elite athlete the prognosis is far better due to their physical conditioning and their history with training facilititating far easier rehab."

This doctor is so used to talking to smart people that he didn't realize that not everyone -- especially reporters -- are going to listen to the whole of your comments.

[1fisher]

I tore the ACL and MCL back in the early 90's playing football. the doc told me to never play organized sports again..... I've only played in flag leagues and some organized softball since. He also told me that I would break my leg before the new ligament tore!!!!!!!


I've played a lot of soft ball and flag football since..... only trouble I have is swelling and arthritis. Nothing Cramer Atomic Balm can't handle!

Good luck Carson! I'm pulling for you!

[Natedawg44]

Like it or not thats what you do in medicine. You tell the patient and family the worst possible thing that can happen. Things happen people get PEs and die from surgery every day. Some patients never recover to their preinjury form. Sh*t happens. Unless you are doing the surgery yourself you have no idea how easy or hard it was.

[Seven]

I like Palmer. I liked his sling-it style of QB'n. I hope, really hope, it can be repaired, not just for the sake of footall, but for the normality of the rest of his life.

Man......I thought I had rotten luck.

[calico]

Horrible news. I really hope he recovers just fine...he was turning into a very good player and this would just be killer to that franchise.

These injuries are just horrible. McGahee put his knee on backwards a few years ago and he has made a full recovery, where as Palmer's injury did not even come close to looking as serious and he might not play again.