Palmer?s injury could be ?career-ending?

[Unchained]

CINCINNATI - Carson Palmer's knee injury was "devastating and potentially career-ending,"? involving numerous ligament tears, a shredded ligament, damaged cartilage and a dislocated kneecap, his surgeon said Thursday.

The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback tore ligaments in his left knee when he was hit by Pittsburgh's Kimo von Oelhoffen on his first pass during the Steelers' 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 back for the start of the 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.

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, who has been Palmer's backup and mentor the last two years, can become a free agent. Palmer's injury will force the Bengals to make sure they have another reliable quarterback on board.

Well if it's as bad as it reads it could be career ending. Very similiar to what happened to me. I know i don't have the flexibility i once had. And was told up front most sports were out.
Hate to hear this. The youngin was in the middle of a great season. And to think one hit may of ended his career? Sometimes we question the money they get. But sometimes if this situation plays out to be his career you can see why.
One hit in the wrong location and your professional career is ended.
Hope he is one to prove them wrong and over comes this.

[LPDBlueDevils]

another bad thing for the Bengals is they just signed him to a long, expensive contract extension, even though he plays for a rival against my beloved Steelers I hate to hear this, I think he was or is on his way to a very special NFL career.

[R0cketer]

Well I am not a Bengals fan, but I hope he is able to return, I think he will be. He's young, athletic and seems to have a great worth ethic, I think he'll take the challenge and return just as good.

[Ghetto_Heisman]

I am a Bengals fan and hope and pray the Carson Palmer can return to form after this horrible injury

[burton2019]

the dr. corrected his comments, he was referring to the injury on other athletes...he said he expected Palmer to be fully healed by the 2006 season

[burton2019]

While Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer's knee injury was deemed severe, the initial reports of possible long-term effects were overstated, Palmer's surgeon, Dr. Lonnie Paulos, said in a statement released by the team Thursday.

"I believe and regret that media reports based on interviews with me have misinterpreted my view of Carson Palmer's knee injury. Though the injury was serious, the essential fact remains that his ACL and MCL have been repaired.

"I would consider this a typical ACL-MCL football injury. Comments attributed to me that the knee injury was 'devastating and potentially career ending' were meant to describe such injuries in general. 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 start of the 2006 regular season."

Paulos, in the AP interview Thursday, said the damage was more severe and extensive.

"It's not just like it was a torn ACL," Paulos told the AP. "It's a magnitude more difficult to recover from and repair. It can and has ended careers, without a doubt."

Paulos, however, assures Bengals fans that Palmer will be ready for next season.

"He did great," Paulos told The Cincinnati Enquirer. "He's already rehabbing. He's a great athlete. He's a stud. He'll be back in a few months."

[CoeburnCane]

Thank God...even though he's from USC, and even though I'm not a Bengals fan, I like watching Carson play the game. He's one of the best QB's in the league--it would have been a shame to see his career ended by incidental contact. Theissman-esque would have been the term...well...maybe not b/c I think a lot of people were glad to see Theissman go...[img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

J/k Skins fans...

That is some good news. Im not a huge Bengals fan but i like Palmers ability.