I can hear the cries of many Long Islanders today when the news that John Tavares has torn his MCL and Medial Meniscus and will miss the rest of the season. Watching the replay, Tavares and the Islanders were fortunate, if you can call a season ending injury that. The Latvian player hit Tavares in his knee in a perfect perpendicular ankle. The MCL provides support on the inner knee, meaning if you bend your knee inwards it prevents your lower tibia from separating too far from your upper femur. The meniscus is the cushion which the upper femur bone sits on. The hit being in a near perfect right angle was too much for the MCL to withstand and it tore trying to prevent the bones from separating. The more important ACL was spared as was a longer rehab and possibly more missed games. If the hit was on more of an angle it would have put the ACL at risk. Granted it may also have spared the MCL by preventing that perfect inward bending of the knee, nevertheless the MCL tear should have no effect on his future ability and play. This, of course, is little consolation to all my neighbors. See you in October John.

Avi K, PT