Minnesota Timberwolves starting point guard Jeff Teague suffered a knee injury in the fourth quarter of their recent victory over the Denver Nuggets when his knee was hit from the side during the scrum after a jump ball.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCbgJXvnC18
A valgus force to the knee – getting hit from the side resulting in the knee buckling inwards – is a common mechanism for a variety of knee injuries including those that affect the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL) and lateral meniscus.
These injuries range in severity, treatment and recovery timeline, so I thought it prudent to discuss as we wait for an official diagnosis from the Wolves.
ACL Injuries
These injuries are the most well known of the bunch because of their severity and publicity in the media. Unlike MCL injuries, there aren’t various degrees, or grades, of the injury.
If the ACL is compromised in any fashion the ligament is rendered useless.
This is due to the ligament’s nearly non-existent blood flow; it can’t receive the vital healing factors – nutrients, platelets, etc. – it requires to mend itself.
This injury requires surgery as well as nine to 12 months of recovery before the player is cleared to play.
MCL Sprains
These injuries are similarly as common as ACL injuries, but are typically less severe.
Their severity is graded on a 1-3 scale, with a grade one sprain meaning the ligament was simply overstretched, a grade two meaning it is partially torn and a grade three meaning it was completely torn.
Grade one injuries typically heal themselves in a couple of weeks with rest and ice being the main treatments.
Grade two sprains may require a month or so for recovery and the rehabilitation process is more involved.
Grade three sprains typically require surgery to provide stability to the inner knee – though non-surgical interventions have been explored more recently – and require a minimum of six weeks for proper recovery.
Unlike the ACL, the MCL has good blood flow, meaning it is much more likely to heal itself without surgery.
Lateral Meniscus Injuries
The meniscus is a tough, fibrous connective tissue located within the knee that help provide cushion, as well as increase the contact area between the femur of the upper leg and tibia of the lower.
There are two menisci in every knee, the C-shaped medial meniscus and the O-shaped lateral. Perhaps unintuitively, when a valgus force is applied to the knee causing it to cave in, damage to the lateral, or outer, meniscus is of concern.
In adults, only the outer one-third of the menisci have adequate blood supply whereas the inner two-thirds have virtually none. If the tear occurs in the outer third, meniscal repair becomes the priority as it saves the tissue, but has the cost of a longer recovery time, typically six months or so.
If the tear occurs in the inner two-thirds, surgical repair remains an option, but the outcomes are typically pretty poor due to the poor blood supply. Instead, meniscectomy is typically the procedure of choice.
The torn portion of the meniscus is excised and the player returns in approximately six weeks. However, they are placed at an increased risk for injuries such as bone bruises and osteoarthritis later in life.
At this point, it’s unknown what injury or injuries Teague suffered. He will be undergoing an MRI Thursday morning, which is the only way to truly diagnose a ligamentous or meniscal injury. It’s important to note that while the injury did not look good, optics don’t equal injury or injury diagnosis.
Updates will be provided once a diagnosis has been given by the team.
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