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Though exact medical details are, as always, unavailable to the public, speculation suggests that Dr. Andrews operated on Peterson's knee just six days after the injury. In some cases, this alone takes weeks.Īdditionally, some studies suggest that operating immediately after an ACL tear results in decreased knee range of motion following surgery.ĭon't tell that to Peterson or Dr. This occurs because blood vessels within the ACL tear along with the ligament, resulting in bleeding within the knee joint.īleeding within a joint is known as a "hemarthrosis," and many surgeons prefer to wait until a hemarthrosis or swelling resolve before operating. Next, the injured knee immediately and extensively swells. When an ACL tears, an audible "pop" can sometimes be heard, and the injury often produces extreme pain. As a result, his knee and ACL absorbed all of the force of the tackle, resulting in a complete tear. Since Peterson had his leg planted at the time of the tackle, the leg could not give in to the hit. That is exactly what happened to Peterson.Īs can be clearly seen in the video, Peterson firmly plants his leg on the ground just as a tackle from Washington Redskins safety DeJon Gomes forces his knee primarily inward and also slightly forward. Classically, this occurs when a tackle forces the knee of a planted leg inwards. If an outside hit forces the knee to move forward or twist inward strongly enough, the ACL gives way and tears. The ACL can only resist so much abnormal movement. Without a functional ACL, knee instability and "giving way" would make a career as an NFL running back impossible.
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