turd ferguson

December 1st, 2014 at 10:02 AM ^

Yeah, we need to learn a lesson from our posts from January and February saying that 2014 is the best year ever.  If things go well next year, let's hold off until making those claims until 11:59:59 PM on December 31, 2015.  Even then I'll be a little nervous.

Joined: 12/09/2009

MGoPoints: 26493

WolvinLA2

December 1st, 2014 at 11:56 AM ^

Exactly.  And that might legitimately be costing them a national title, or a shot at one.  It will very possibly cost them a Big Ten title.  Our injuries didn't really cost us anything, since we weren't going to win anything with them anyway.  

And I know everyone says how unlucky we are with injuries - but who really got injured this year?  Peppers is the big name, but we don't really know what he was going to do even if healthy.  Desmond Morgan too, but it sounded like he wasn't going to start anyway, meaning he was a solid rotational player.  And then Derick Green, but he wasn't a star before the injury and Smith and Johnson at least equalled his production.

So I think we did pretty well with injuries this year.

Joined: 11/13/2009

MGoPoints: 58191

Tate

December 1st, 2014 at 9:46 AM ^

Anyone know if this is the same ACL that he tore last year?

And does retearing an ACL have any worse implications than just tearing it once?

Joined: 01/11/2013

MGoPoints: 10027

dnak438

December 1st, 2014 at 9:47 AM ^

It looked like a torn ACL. He showed great desire to score before dropping the ball once he crossed the plane.

Another six months of rehab! I don't envy the kid.

Joined: 08/12/2009

MGoPoints: 7912

dnak438

December 1st, 2014 at 9:54 AM ^

The ACL surgery was probably a patellar autograft, so now they'll have to get material from his other patellar tendon. Normally they take the autograft from the same knee -- but this time they'll have to take the material from the opposite knee, so you're rehabbing both knees at once. It shouldn't make a big difference to a player with all the support that Michigan players have, but it'll make the rehab more unpleasant, I'd imagine.

But Jake Ryan's ACL surgery was a hamstring autograft (as was mine; the rehab is easier but the replaced ACL isn't as strong), so maybe they did the same with Drake? I'm not sure. I did a quick Google search but couldn't find out.

Joined: 08/12/2009

MGoPoints: 7912

StateStreetBlue

December 1st, 2014 at 10:45 AM ^

I've (unfortunately) been through 2 ACL surgeries now, so I have quite a bit of knowledge on the subject. The first ACL replacement was a cadaver autograft, while the most recent one being a patellar autograft. 

My surgeon, a lead orthopedic surgeon for an NFL team, chose to use a cadaver allograft the first time due to a quicker recovery and research at the time suggesting they held up as well as a patellar or hamstring autografts.  However, that was about 4 years ago and after the wave of cadaver allograft use, more and more research is showing that there is a significantly higher retear rate with the allograft over either of the autografts. I believe that the retear rate of ~4% for autografts and ~ a 4 to 5 times higher rate with the allograft. 

My surgeon says that pretty much unanimously across the NFL patellar or hamstring autografts are used now. Patellar is a bit more common though as there are generally less side effects with the harvested tissue. It's really just a preference of the surgeon.

EDIT: To answer the question about likelihood of a potential 3rd ACL tear- "the overall rate of another injury within 2 years to the ACL—on the same or the opposite knee—is six times greater among athletes who undergo ACL reconstruction surgery and return to sport than among those who have never had an ACL tear." – American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.

I asked my surgeon this very same question about 2 weeks ago and the answer I got was that with proper rehab (which I assume Drake will get) there is nothing structurally weaker about the autograft ACL. However, people almost always tear their ACL by performing a motion of the knee bending inwards with stress. Some people just have biomechanics which puts their body in this position more than others. This is actually the reason that ACL tears are anywhere from 2 to 10 (depending on the source) more common in girls than boys.

Joined: 05/13/2011

MGoPoints: 2118

StateStreetBlue

December 1st, 2014 at 11:37 AM ^

I too was told that a replacement ACL is physically as strong as, or stronger, than the original.  The thing to keep in mind though is that an ACL tear has as much of an effect on surrounding muscles as it does the knee.

The general practice is to wait until the swelling of the knee has gone down before performing ACL surgery. This can (as it did in my 2 cases) take a few weeks. By that time the muscle atrophy can be visually seen and will only worsen after surgery.  The Vastus Medals takes a huge hit from a torn ACL in the sense that generally the body compensates for the torn ACL by walking and functioning in a way that does not trigger this muscle.  Because of this the outer thigh muscles take over... not a good situation when you are trying to prevent your knee from rotating inward during a planting motion.

My guess, though I'm by no means a doctor, is that the combination of a person’s bio composition and the lack of really rehabbing the leg muscles back to balance is the reason for a large portion of ACL retears. Some people are just function in a way that is more likely to tear the ACL.

An aside note - I could not believe the stupidity taking place at Clemson in the form of jeopardizing a young player’s career by playing him against South Carolina game with a torn ACL.

Joined: 05/13/2011

MGoPoints: 2118

JWolve

December 1st, 2014 at 9:49 AM ^

No way Devin could have known this, but this is likely prevented if Devin just runs straight for the end zone instead of trying to juke the defender on the previous play. He had the speed and room...he would have scored and the next play would have been the PAT and not Drakes run. Not his fault, but an unfortunate circumstance and consequence.

Joined: 01/06/2011

MGoPoints: 1023

JWolve

December 1st, 2014 at 11:07 AM ^

Of course its not Devins fault, and there are a million other "butterfly effect" moments that can happen in the game. Maybe if Devin Sprints left there instead of juking he breaks his leg...who knows? And it's impossoble to know if his ACL would have torn otherwise. Its just an observation, and It was frustrating in the moment in the shit storm that is this season.

Joined: 01/06/2011

MGoPoints: 1023