Mark Philippoussis withdrew from the Hopman Cup clutching his Right knee in a dramatic exit that may spell the end of his tennis career. The injury to his lateral meniscus was diagnosed in Perth today and will almost certainly need surgery to remove the torn fragment of cartilage.
The injury to the cartilage, a semicircular ring of cartilage which acts as a shock absorber for the knee bones, requires surgery and rules him out of a potential wildcard entry into the first grand slam of 2007, beginning at Melbourne Park next week.
Philippoussis is no stranger to knee problems, having suffered three knee operations in his left knee dating back to Wimbledon 1999. A similar injury of a torn lateral meniscus almost stopped this talented tennis player prematurely in 2002. An extensive rehabilitation program and 18 months recovery allowed Phillipousis to return to the courts.
The lateral meniscus is the rim of cartilage on the “outside” of the knee that acts as a shock absorber between the tibia and femur. 80% of the load of the knee goes through the lateral compartment making the lateral meniscus even more important to the fuction of the knee than the medial meniscus. Fortunately, the lateral meniscus is injured less frequently than the medial meniscus as it is more mobile and moves out of harms way when the knee is flexed and twisted.
A knee without a lateral meniscus is likely to suffer advanced osteoarthritis and lead to further problems of swelling, locking and pain. In young people every effort is made to repair this torn meniscus to avoid such a problem.
Sports Physicians now regularly advise athletes of the need to protect existing cartilage after surgery. A strong thigh muscle, orthotics to unload the knee, viscosupplementation and knee guards can all contribute to allow an athlete to continue participating at the highest level in sport.
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