McDavid suffers small PCL tear, surgery not required
By baggedmilk
5 years ago Last night, the Edmonton Oilers tweeted that Connor McDavid’s rehabilitation protocol would begin immediately as he starts his recovery from the injury he suffered last Saturday in Calgary. The good news is that we already know his leg wasn’t broken. The problem? They didn’t tell us anything about what actually happened.
For an organization that, just last week, had Bob Nicholson say to a room full of reporters that they were going to be more open and honest with their fanbase, this wasn’t a very good start. You’d think that providing an update on how Connor McDavid is doing would be a softball down Broadway that they could have easily smashed out of the park, but instead, we got more of the same nothingness in terms of actual information. I know teams like to keep injury news secret during the season, but the Oilers are done for the next six months so I don’t understand the reluctance to provide an update. Then again, maybe Nicholson’s promise of transparency hasn’t been formally typed up yet? Maybe the OEG is out of company letterhead and he wasn’t able to let the people know that they’re supposed to share information these days. SOMEBODY GET BOB’S MEMO TO THE SOCIAL TEAM!
Fortunately, Jason Gregor hooked us up with an actual update this morning when he tweeted that McDavid has suffered a small PCL tear that will not require surgery. Unfortunately, we don’t know what grade of a tear Connor has or if there are any surrounding issues in his knee, so we’ll have to go with the little information we’ve been given and hope for the best. I know that some folks were concerned this week when it was revealed on Sportsnet that the Oilers were looking for second and third opinions on McDavid’s leg, an understandable reaction given the importance of the player to this team, but for me, that was just good business. This is the franchise player we’re talking about here and I would assume that the Oilers would have taken Connor to see Tony Stark if it was possible. No matter what it takes, just get this right and get the man healthy.
But what does a PCL do exactly? Doctor Baggedmilk dove into the Internet to find out:
The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is a ligament within the knee. Ligaments are tough bands of tissue that connect bones.The PCL — similar to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) — connects the thigh bone (femur) to your shin bone (tibia). Although it is larger and stronger than the ACL, the PCL can be torn.PCL tears make up less than 20% of injuries to knee ligaments. Injuries that tear the PCL often damage some of the other ligaments or cartilage in the knee, as well. In some cases, the ligament can also break loose a piece of underlying bone. Causes of PCL Injuries
PCL injuries are often due to a blow to the knee while it’s bent or shin. Common causes include:
- Striking the knee against the dashboard during an auto accident
- Falling on the knee while it’s bent
Seeing as Connor flew into the post at 1000 miles per hour, I think it’s almost the best case scenario that his leg was not broken and that he doesn’t need surgery to repair the damage. If there’s any good news at all about the Oilers not making the playoffs it’s that the extended offseason will provide Connor with the time he needs to fully recover before rolling back into town for training camp and the start of his revenge tour. It goes without saying that McDavid is the team’s best player and I hope that whatever protocol the Oilers have in place for him provides him with what he needs to make a full recovery.
Gord speed, Connor.
Source: Jason Gregor, Verified Twitter Account, 4/13/2019 – 8:19 am MST
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