Orthopedic Doc: Vikings Shouldn't Expect Peterson Back This Year

Minnesota Star Tribune—September 22, 2016

Reporter Michael Rand writes on Minnesota Vikings' running back Adrian Peterson and his recent surgery to fix a 'bucket handle' tear of his meniscus.

He speaks with Robert G. Marx, MD, MSc, FRCSC, a sports medicine surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery, who has not treated Peterson, about these types of tears.

"The meniscus is a C-shaped structure like the handle of a bucket," Dr. Marx said. "With a bucket handle tear, basically the meniscus is totally flipped and the whole thing detaches. … Usually what we'll do is repair the meniscus by suturing it. If you suture it the recovery to return to sports is pretty much six months. You can be on the early side, but that’s really it."

"You either suture it or you cut it out," Dr. Marx added. "If you cut it out, you can return to play faster, but that's not good for the long-term health of the knee."

To read the full article, visit StarTribune.com.