The Arizona Cardinals announced this week that running back Trey Benson will go on IR following surgery on his knee to treat a meniscal injury. They do expect him to return this season, likely in 4-6 weeks.
Considering JJ McCarthy missed his entire rookie season following a meniscal injury, why is the expectation that Benson will only miss part of a season? The reality of meniscal tears is that there are multiple types of tears and a wide range in severity.
The menisci are cartilage cushions between the thigh and shin bones, providing shock absorption and added stability to the knee joint. The inside of the knee is divided into two halves: the medial/inner half and the lateral/outer half. The lateral meniscus is an “O” shaped ring, and the medial meniscus is a “C” shape, and they form a cup-like surface for the end of the thigh bone to sit in. Meniscal tears can happen in any part of the meniscus, but are most common in the back part of the medial/inner meniscus. The exact location and direction of tears determine the severity and guide treatment options.
Some meniscal tears are treated with physical therapy, or there are two surgical options for meniscal tears. Option one is most common and involves trimming and smoothing the edges of the torn meniscus. Option two involves repairing the tear with an anchor or suture. The upside of repairing instead of trimming the meniscus is that it preserves more tissue which helps the long-term life of the knee, but the downside is a longer recovery from surgery as the athlete should be non or decreased weight bearing for a few weeks after surgery. If the meniscus is just trimmed, the athlete can weight bear as tolerated and start rehab quickly.
The 4-to-6 week timeline the Cardinals are expecting is in line with Benson having his meniscus tear trimmed. Our injury data shows that other running backs returning from this procedure within the same season have actually increased production, likely because they were no longer holding back or managing snap counts to avoid worsening knee pain.
