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| Blues Defenseman Erik Johnson Is Cleared To Play Hockey |
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An Interview with Sean Gallagher of Saint Louis Game Time
Saint Louis Blues defenseman, Erik Johnson planned a bright future when the Blues made him the overall number one pick in the 2006 NHL draft. But, he did not plan to miss his entire sophomore season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
In his rookie season, Johnson finished the season as the Blues' top-scoring defenseman. The Blues expected even greater things from him until a freak golf cart injury put the breaks on the rising star's 2008-2009 season. Johnson, now 21, apparently got his right foot caught in a golf cart as he was trying to set the brakes, causing him to twist his knee. Eleven months after the ill-fated golf outing, Johnson has been cleared for all hockey activities.
"How can a 6 foot 4 inch, 219 pound defenseman skate through the rigors of an NHL season unscathed, only to see his career potentially jeopardized by a little twist of the knee on the golf course?" asked Sean Gallagher of Saint Louis Game Time. Gallagher helps manage Saint Louis Game Time, also known as "GT." He describes his site as a mecca for Blues fans and for NHL fans in general. In a recent interview, Gallagher asks Dr. Jason Browdy what fans can expect from Erik Johnson in 2009:
Gallagher:OK, so a golf cart beats you in a simple match of Indian Wrestling and suddenly a 20-year-old professional athlete in peak physical condition is out of commission for a full season. Who exactly does this ACL think he is, anyway?
The femur (or, thigh bone) meets up with the tibia (or, the shin bone) to make up the knee joint. The knee is supposed to flex and extend, but the tibia is not supposed to slide forward and backward with respect to the femur. The ACL is very important in preventing the tibia from sliding forward with respect to the femur. It is also important in providing rotational stability in the knee.
Gallagher:Browdy: OK. Most people can function on a day-to-day basis without an ACL. Walking, jogging - even sprinting may be well tolerated in a person without an ACL. But, without an ACL, it is very difficult to participate in activities that involve sudden changes in direction such as cutting, pivoting and twisting.
A individual with a torn ACL who tries to cut, pivot or twist might feel his or her knee "give way" or "slide out of place." It does not take many of these events for the athlete to lose confidence in the knee. Furthermore, with each "giving way" event, the knee is at risk for further damage to the cartilage in the knee. If you have ever looked at the end of a turkey drumstick, the smooth, hard, white part is articular cartilage. Joints move with very little friction because articular cartilage is smooth. When you damage articular cartilage, the joint is no longer smooth, which can cause pain and lead to arthritis.
The knee also has another kind of cartilage structure called the meniscus. The medial and lateral menisci are complex structures with many functions in the knee such as shock absorption. With each giving way event, one can damage the articular cartilage and/or tear the meniscus.
Gallagher:
Browdy: It is a pretty critical structure for those that want to play sports. However, the ACL is not just important for athletes. An ACL deficient knee can be troublesome for those whose job includes walking on uneven surfaces, running or jumping. There are some that have trouble with simple, daily activities without an ACL.
