Hockey Doc
The Hockey Doc: Quads contusions
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- Last Updated on Sunday, 27 May 2012 23:31
By Dr. Rob LaPrade
http://drrobertlaprademd.com
Question: Last week while going down to stop a puck at the point, I got hit in my thigh. I am having trouble bending my knee and my thigh is swollen. What can I do to return to skating?
The Hockey Doc: Skate bite
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- Last Updated on Sunday, 27 May 2012 23:31
By Dr. Rob LaPrade
http://drrobertlaprademd.com
Question: I have been skating in new skates I just received for Christmas. I have been having more and more pain and swelling over the front part of my ankle every time I skate. What should I do for this?
Answer: The problem that you are describing is something which is commonly called “skate bite” or “lace bite.” Skate bite almost always occurs due to a new pair of skates being worn for the first few times.
The Hockey Doc: Wrist Fractures
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- Last Updated on Sunday, 27 May 2012 23:31
By Dr. Rob LaPrade
Question: My son was skiing last week and broke his radius. I was informed that it was a stable fracture. Is there any way that he can continue to play PeeWee hockey this year?
Answer: Wrist fractures are the most common fractures in PeeWee and Bantam hockey players. When they involve the end of the larger of the two wrist forearm bones, the radius, these fractures often are near or through the growth plate of this bone. The bone on the end of the radius is also relatively weak in this age group and can often “buckle” on impact.
The Hockey Doc: PCL Injuries
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- Last Updated on Sunday, 27 May 2012 23:31
By Dr. Rob LaPrade
Question: I was checked and landed hard on the ice with my knee bent. My knee swelled up and I was told that I have a tear of my posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). What can I do to return back to playing hockey?
Answer: The mechanism you describe is a classic way that hockey players tear their posterior cruciate ligament. The PCL is the strongest ligament in the knee. It’s main purpose is to prevent the shin bone (tibia) from sliding backwards on the thigh bone (femur).
The Hockey Doc: ACL Tears
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- Last Updated on Sunday, 27 May 2012 23:31
By Dr. Rob LaPrade
Question: I tore my ACL playing soccer this fall. Can I play hockey without surgery? If I have the surgery now, can I play hockey later this year?
Answer: One of the most frequently asked questions that I encounter is when anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears in hockey players should be reconstructed. The ACL is essential to providing stability to the knee for twisting, pivoting and cutting activities. When an athlete has an ACL tear, the knee can actually partially dislocate with a significant twisting episode. Every time this happens, either the cartilage at the end of the bone or one of the menisci can be torn. More than 50 percent of athletes have been found to have torn their menisci or damaged their cartilage if they try and play through a season, so one should be carefully evaluated as to whether or not it is safe to skate through a season without an intact ACL.
