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Brian Cushing getting an MRI?
- Thread starter TexanCR
- Start date
Hopefully it will be enough to keep him on the bench through the preseason so nothing too serious happens to him.
TexanSam
Hall of Fame
Carr Bombed
Hall of Fame
This is a issue every single offseason... am I freaking out if I'm having flashbacks of DD's degenerative knee condition? This is a chronic issue and I smell a microfracture in Cushing's future
infantrycak
Hall of Fame
Look in the OTA thread. CnD has been posting in there on this subject.
Thanks. I just checked. Doc brought up an ugly memory but one that could be pertinent.
This makes me nervous. The guy has battled nagging leg injuries since he was a rookie, hopefully its not results from you know what
I know...Overtrained athletes syndrome is a killer!
Texan_Bill
Hall of Fame
Linebackers, Linemen take a lot of blows to their legs (aka their knees).
Granted it's the offseason and we need some good fodder, but let's not overreact!! An MRI could simply be precautionary procedure. That said, Cushing is now a veteran and will be treated with "kit gloves", I don't think it's that big of a deal.
While Doc is spot on, there are cases where someone like me has bone on bone in my right knee, and YET I have cat like reflexes!!
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
For continuity's sake, I am reposting from the OTA thread.:
Hard to tell with so little info. But one thing that would come to mind, if it is his post surgical knee, is patella (knee cap) chondromalacia (softening of the cartilage on the back side of the patella. Before the surgery for a rupture of the patellar tendon, this area can be traumatized The longer the process of rupture developing and being recognized, the more potential trauma probable, since the patella would not move in a stable fashion over the knee joint, and therefore a grinding away of the cartilage of the back of the patella. Once the tendon is repaired, if it is a little to tight or a little too loose, some additional grinding can occur. Even if the tightness is just right following the surgery, it can theoretically loosen to lead to some instability and continue grinding. Then, of course, any previous grinding that has led to wear away of the cartilage can result in a late and chronic arthritis and its accompanying "soreness." Furthermore, the surgical incision itself can be sore for several years, especially if solidly or repeatedly hit.
Besides not being told which knee, we aren't told if there is swelling, redness or ROM (range of motion) problems. Another injury, in either knee, could have occurred somewhere along the line. We are told that this soreness has been noted throughout the offseason workouts. This could also be a result of the injury at the end of the season, where he was temporarily pulled with a "knee injury." Just too many potential variables and not enough details. Sorry. I can't respond in a more affirmative fashion.
BTW, I held back from initially putting forth the potential steroid question............because I was certain someone would bring it up.
texanfan2002114
Veteran
I saw Cush today walk out of the locker room since I had the chance to hangout today and he seemed fine. Walking around just fine and nobody in the locker room seemed concerned about Cush.
TexansFanatic
Extremist
But it is a valid concern, yes?
Frankly I was shocked to see Cushing play as well as he did last year --- and his play was nothing short of inspiring.
I would have been much less surprised to have seen him degrade into a less-than-stellar player and never return to his rookie form.
Unfortunately, I still have that nagging feeling that his brand of play --- sacrificing his body on every down --- means his career will be fleeting.
The Medic01
Waterboy
Ray Lewis
ChampionTexan
Hall of Fame
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
Yes.
Nawzer
Alienz
Are there any mesenchymal stem cell treatments out there? Something that generates the chondroblasts and then cartilage in joints?
eriadoc
Texan-American
While Doc is spot on, there are cases where someone like me has bone on bone in my right knee, and YET I have cat like reflexes!!
And cat is a euphemism for ....?
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
Developing patellar chondromalacia may not show up on MRI. But its pain is still real if the condition is present.
TexansFanatic
Extremist
Is it more reasonable to expect Cushing to succumb to the constant collisions and have a relatively short window of high-level play or to expect him to play at a nearly impossibly high-level for sixteen seasons like the absolute best inside linebacker in NFL history?
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
Stem cell therapy for cartilage damage and even arthritis is in ongoing research, more advanced in the UK and other European countries (that are less restrictive in research guidelines). It is promissing, however, very much in its infancy. One of the unexplained mysteries that have been encountered in this tool is that some subjects have a very response........and many others have none. Clinical trials are ongoing and are planned for the future to try to answer this and other questions.
Nawzer
Alienz
I'm aware of the regulations on stem cell research here in the States! I was interested as an undergrad to pursue hematopoietic stem cell research due to their multipotent nature, but quickly realized the limitations of such a pursuit during that time. Can't say I made a bad choice working with bacteria though.
Genetic factors play a role in the varied response in patients. I know in the case of rheumatoid arthritis, it was long thought to be a result of normal wear and tear, but now there seems to be a genetic component to it. I don't know how this relates to Brian Cushing, but his knee issue is probably due to football related activity and although it might not be degenerative, you cannot make cartilage and once its gone its gone as far as I understand (lack of blood supply) and you would have to resort to cartilage repair. Hopefully all of this won't happen to Cushing but getting an MRI is not just for fun.
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
I'm aware of the regulations on stem cell research here in the States! I was interested as an undergrad to pursue hematopoietic stem cell research due to their multipotent nature, but quickly realized the limitations of such a pursuit during that time. Can't say I made a bad choice working with bacteria though.
Genetic factors play a role in the varied response in patients. I know in the case of rheumatoid arthritis, it was long thought to be a result of normal wear and tear, but now there seems to be a genetic component to it. I don't know how this relates to Brian Cushing, but his knee issue is probably due to football related activity and although it might not be degenerative, you cannot make cartilage and once its gone its gone as far as I understand (lack of blood supply) and you would have to resort to cartilage repair. Hopefully all of this won't happen to Cushing but getting an MRI is not just for fun.
Even in an elite athlete with money not being an issue, an MRI is not casually obtained without history of acute injury, or significant chronic signs or symptoms. They are not obtained for a "fleeting" symptom "just to be careful." Cushing has evidently been dealing with (at least that is all we are told of his history) "soreness" in his knee during workouts throughout the offseason. "Pain," especially chronic pain, keep in mind is the body's way of telling you that there is damage somewhere. It may be such that it is not demonstrated on MRI....yet. He can obviously function pretty well at this point, and, hopefully, this will continue for many years. We will just have to wait and see how he does when the hitting begins and real knee "stressors" of a football season are unleashed.
badboy
Hall of Fame
Doc even if he has a somewhat healthy season, would it be smart to draft a replacement to train for that day when he cannot play well? His current contract ends after 2013 and his health may play a big role in re-signing him as it did with Mario and Demeco's move to Philly. Appreciate your thoughts.
Steve
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
As you point out, health many times determines what a team is willing to do when the time comes for a player to re-sign. Obviously, the closer you get to that date, the better idea you have concerning the player's condition and projection for further longevity. That said, it would be foolish not to at least have a backup on the roster (whether by graduation within the ranks, draft or FA) by the 2013 season that you would feel comfortable in subbing interchangeably with Cushing. In this scheme, the LBs, especially the ILBs will be exposed to an perpetual number of brutal contacts. Lineman experience contact on every play. But it is torque-based rather than velocity-based. The former is forceful, the latter is violent. I would have to say that after 5 years, there are more very good ILBs in a 3-4 that have shown significant downturn in there level of performance for whatever reason or have retired than those that maintain their 3rd year level of performance. Ray Lewis's (16 seasons,) Mike Singletary's (12 seasons), Jack Lambert's(11 seasons) and Dick Butkus's (9 seasons) don't grow on trees. Cushing has a long way to go to meet up with those players. It would be a nice surprise.........but, he still does have a very long hard journey ahead of him. Lewis once said, "My world is a violent world".............and, indeed, it is.......for him AND Cushing....................
