AN EXERCISE IN ORTHOPEDICS:Andrew Bynum Knee Injury

A player of the one of the NBA's most loved franchises, Center Andrew Bynum was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2005 - at 17 years old. And despite various injuries to his knees, his career continues to soar. 


In the second quarter of a Lakers’ game in April against the San Antonio Spurs, Andrew fell after stepping on Spurs’ DeJuan Blair’s foot.  He was then sidelined with a knee injury,  

Bynum ended up hyper-extending his knee and had to leave the game. His coach, Phil Jackson, recommended that he might need to be out for the next few games since this was not his first knee injury. 


Knee hyperextension is a condition in which the knee is straightened beyond the normal limits of the joint. Seen frequently in basketball, hyperextension is a mechanical knee injury. This injury can damage ligaments, cartilage and other stabilizing structures in the knee.  


Symptoms include bruising, swelling and pain with straightening of the knee.  Treatment of the hyperextension includes a period of rest from activity then the addition of physical therapy to restore leg strength and stability. 


Andrew sustained a bone bruise, which is inflammation with the bone joint surface. Fortunately, his MRI revealed no anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) or medial collateral ligament (MCL) damage.  


The ACL is a ligament that lies in the middle of the knee. It prevents the tibia from sliding out in front of the femur (thigh bone), and provides rotational stability to the knee.  The MCL is another important ligament that runs along the inner part of the knee and prevents the knee from turning inward. 


The bone bruise should settle down with time and rest. It is anticipated in three months he will return.