When Mike Evans went down with a knee injury last Sunday, there was a high level of concern for the wide receiver’s health. The mechanism of injury initially resulted in a pessimistic outlook on his availability for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers upcoming Wild Card Playoff game.
Running an in-breaking route in the red zone, his left foot appeared to stick in the turf, and his knee hyperextended. Recent MRI results showed no structural damage to the left knee, leading to a questionable gameday status.
Although the results of the MRI are positive, Mike Evans did not practice the first two days of the week. On the final day, he was listed as a limited participant. Due to the associated damage to bone tissue with a hyperextension injury, expectations of his effectiveness should be limited.
Bone Bruising from Knee Hyperextension
When the knee hyperextends, the tibia (the shinbone) glides forward excessively on the femur (the thigh bone). This abnormal movement can result in a bone bruise or contusion. As a response, an inflammatory reaction occurs to repair and replace the damaged bone cells.
Knee hyperextension implies increased contact stress on the anterior compartment of the joint. The most common sites of bone bruising occur at the anteromedial and anterolateral tibial plateau.
Athletes with a bone bruise tend to have an extended clinical recovery, with increased inflammation and a slower return of motion. Bone bruising may account for pain long after the initial trauma. In 2010, The American Orthopedic Society of Sports Medicine published a study finding that the severity of acute bone edema (swelling from fluid) had the highest effect on pain.
Prognosis
Recent updates suggest that Mike Evans will be playing in his first career playoff game.
The prognosis for Mike Evans will depend on the severity and location of a likely bone bruise. The biggest factors in recovery are time and avoidance of stresses on the injured area. High impact activities and excessive weight-bearing can cause stress in the bone, which can impede the healing process.
His ability to perform at a high level will be more of an issue of pain tolerance and inflammation management. Expect an abbreviated offensive role from Mike Evans as a decoy or red zone target in tonight’s Wild Card matchup against the Washington Football Team.
