Karl-Anthony Towns patellar tendinopathy is very common among basketball players and is mostly treated conservatively with physical therapy.
However, expert surgeons say it can also be debilitating and lead to further damage or surgery.
“This is the most common injury seen in basketball players. Half the time it's not classified as an injury because it's just there and people just live with it,” New York University Langone Center for Women's Sports Medicine Director Dr. Abi Campbell told the Post. “The fact that his symptoms worsened so badly that we had to take a time-out is indicative of the fact that we are being cautious to keep him up until the next set of games. Due to this, he will not be able to play full time and has no choice but to return.
“If that's the case, I think the only option is to address it completely during the offseason, because it's been lingering and doesn't seem to be getting better.”
Towns has missed two games this season (one on Dec. 7 and one on Monday) with patellar tendonitis in his right knee and is listed as questionable for Wednesday's game against the Raptors due to the same ailment. It had been.
As Campbell explained, patellar tendinopathy is a “micro-tear in the tendon” and is a “chronic problem,” with recent studies showing that 80 to 90 percent of college athletes experience symptoms related to this injury after the season. It is said that there are.
“It essentially lives there and goes dormant by strengthening the surrounding muscles. In some cases, the tendon can heal itself in that small gap. But in many cases, It just hangs around and relapses here and there,” said Campbell, who has never treated Towns or seen his medical records. “So my guess is that [Towns] Having a seizure. I guarantee you this has been around for years. And it comes and goes. And if it bothers him, the prognosis is usually good and symptoms can be quelled with targeted therapy. obviously get some [anti]- There is inflammation out there and there are some rehabilitation techniques that are very effective in calming things down.
“You can also use bracing, taping, strapping, etc. So I think he'll do that soon. The potential worst-case scenario is that it progresses to a more severe partial tear of the tendon, which requires more aggressive treatment.” However, unless there is an acute injury, it is highly unlikely.
When Towns collapsed on the court and limped back to the locker room after making contact on an and-one in the final minutes of Saturday's loss to the Bulls, there was a brief fear that he might have suffered an acute injury.
However, Towns, who prioritized his right foot for much of the fourth quarter, felt well enough after the game and worked out thoroughly to avoid serious injury.
On Monday, Tom Thibodeau characterized him as routine.
In Chicago, Towns, who averaged his first minutes since the 2017-18 season on Wednesday, was clearly in pain but said he chose not to be asked to leave the game.
“I'm not going to quit. That's not my MO, but I want to keep going,” Towns said.
Campbell said pain is only part of the problem with patellar tendonitis recurrence.
“The pain itself is usually pretty significant, but the pain you feel is less so. These athletes are very tough and can handle a lot of things. But there's more to it than what it does to the quad. ” she said. “So the feedback loop to the nerves creates a sharp knife sensation where the quadriceps tendon is cut off.
“And you literally can't push off that leg or jump off that leg like you used to. So that causes pain and limited function.”
So the good news is that injuries are common and usually manageable. The bad news is that it lasts longer and gets worse.
“There are many options for healing, but unfortunately most of them are [like a PRP injection] It needs to be done in the offseason because it requires some downtime,” Campbell said. “So the natural way, which I'm sure he's been doing for a long time, is to do blood flow restriction training to strengthen the quadriceps and take the load off the patellar tendon, the strap or brace. .wear.
“And rest.”
