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Gough's knee nightmare explained | |
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Darren Gough's nightmare year suffered another blow when he broke down with a recurrence of his knee injury ahead of the first Ashes Test. The Academy's medical expert Bevan Ellis unravels the bandages to find out the truth about his knee problems.
How did he injure his knee?
What is the injury? Cartilage is the tough tissue found in the knee joints and is connected to the medial ligament. If the cartilage is damaged then the whole knee can break down. The injuries which have left his year in tatters have all been a result of this original breakdown.
Why has it taken so long for him to return? Once the problem was identified, Gough had surgery on the knee in the winter.
It took a minimum of a month to recover from the surgery before he could even think about beginning his comeback - this took him into spring. Unfortunately for Gough, the first two operations were unsuccessful and a third was required. By this point he was ruled out of the county cricket season and he was looking at a comeback in time for the first Ashes Test. He then began a steady comeback programme.
His latest setback was always a possibility because someone like Gough puts a lot of pressure on his knee every time he bowls.
What kind of surgery did he undergo? This slightly changes the shape of the leg and it can take a while for the body to adapt. The surgery he had was a total success. But he experiences some swelling in the side of his knee every time he has picked up a ball and tried to get bowling again. He had a cortisone injection in the summer to reduce the swelling. This latest setback is a blow because he may require another injection. The problem has been swelling around the side of the knee where the cartilage was removed.
Why has Gough been ruled out of the first Test against Australia?
This is the normal symptom for someone recovering from Articular cartilage damage.
Other symptoms can include pains in the knee every time you put any weight on it. You may also hear and feel your knee catch, creak or even lock when you bowl.
How can the ECB's Academy in Adelaide help him?
They could also encourage him to wear a knee support and a heat retainer.
When will he realistically be back?
But he has done a lot of gym work and managed to keep himself fit during the summer and autumn. But he still needs to get some cricket under his belt once the swelling dies down.
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