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WWE: Understanding Seth Rollins’s ACL, MCL, And Meniscus Tears, Will The Injury Force WWE To Bring Back John Cena For ‘Survivor Series’ 2015?

By Louis Babcock
Published on: 07:45 PST, Nov 6, 2015

On November 4, WWE World Champion Seth Rollins injured his knee during a house show match with Kane. Later that night on Twitter, Jonathon Coachman informed the world of the horrible injury that was suffered by Seth Rollins.

What functions do the ACL, MCL, and medial meniscus serve?

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL) are two of the four ligaments that make up the knee joint. Both the ACL and MCL are attached to the distal end of the femur to the proximal end of the tibia. The knee is a hinge joint, and the ACL and MCL are designed to ensure against hyperextension. These ligaments get torn when an excessive amount of stress or torque is placed on the joint. Seth Rollins was attempting a move in the ring that caused him to land on his feet wrong. Seth’s awkward landing caused the ligaments to be stretched beyond their capacity, and they essentially ripped apart.

The medial meniscus is one of two menisci in the knee. The other being the lateral meniscus. The menisci are pieces of strong cartilage that act like shock absorbers in the knee. If the menisci did not exist, the femur, tibia, and fibula would have constant bone-on-bone impact with every step that is taken.

What is the surgical procedure going to be like for Seth Rollins?

Seth Rollins will be put under general anesthesia for this surgery. Before the surgeon goes inside the knee, it will need to be determined what will be done to replace the ACL and MCL. There are two choices. The surgeon can elect to replace the ligaments with ones from a cadaver or they can harvest pieces of tendons from the patient’s body. If the second option is chosen, the tendons are normally taken from the hamstring. Once the new tissue is prepared, the surgeon will begin to repair the damage. Since Rollins also has a medial meniscus tear, that will need to be fixed prior to the replacement of the ACL and MCL. Once the meniscus tear is located, it is stitched back together. With that finished, the surgeon can now begin the process of attaching the new ACL and MCL. Landmarks on the bones are used to determine where the new ACL and MCL need to go.

What is the rehab process?

The first couple weeks after surgery, Rollins will be in a splint. The knee has to be kept immobilized for a couple of weeks in order to ensure that the replacement ACL and MCL anchor to the bones properly. Once the surgeon is confident that the new ligaments are firmly attached, physical therapy can begin.

The physical therapy will start off by being very low impact. The first exercise of choice for knee rehab is riding a stationary bike. This exercise is low impact and works to begin to stretch out the surgically repaired knee. During the next few weeks, more and more knee exercises will be added to the therapy routine. Seth’s physical therapist will also be measuring the range of motion on his knee in order to ensure that the therapy is working. Once full range of motion and strength has returned to Seth’s knee, he will then need to get back in a wrestling ring and go through the motions to ensure that he feels no pain and that he is confident that his knee will not give out on him. Everyone heals at different speeds, but on average, the entire process of surgery and rehab lasts between six to nine months.

Seth Rollins will miss Survivor Series, Royal Rumble, and WrestleMania. A devastating realization for the top heel and champion of WWE. Since Rollins will be out for so long, the WWE announced that a tournament will be held at Survivor Series in order to crown a new champion. Will Vince McMahon panic and bring back John Cena at Survivor Series?

[Image via WWE]

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