O’Bannon’s Injury Is Common, Serious, but Not Career-Ending

Tearing the anterior cruciate knee ligament, as UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon did, is fairly commonplace, according to sports orthopedist Robert Kerlan.

“It’s probably the most frequent severe knee injury that we have right now,” Kerlan said.

Two Clipper stars, Danny Manning and Ron Harper, tore anterior cruciate ligaments in successive years. Manning missed 63 games and was out for 11 months after his injury and surgery in January of 1989. Harper, injured last season, has yet to return to action.

Kerlan described the ligament as the main stabilizer of the knee, where the posterior cruciate ligament also works with the knee muscles. Kerlan said an anterior cruciate ligament cannot be repaired and if reconstructive surgery is necessary, the process usually involves taking a portion of the patella tendon and using it as a makeshift replacement.

The recovery process, from surgery to a return to action, normally takes from 12 to 15 months, Kerlan said. However, Kerlan said if torn cartilage accompanies the ligament tear, as in O’Bannon’s case, it could affect the athlete’s performance.

“It causes some detriment in the expected success rate,” Kerlan said.

Mitch Kupchak, assistant general manager of the Lakers, tore his anterior cruciate ligament and his meniscus cartilage and broke a bone in his leg while playing for the Lakers in 1981. He was out for 15 months.

“You really can’t compare nine years ago to what they do now,” Kupchak said. “I really feel strongly, if you get a good repair, you can make it back, and a lot quicker, too. Technology is such now that with this injury, even compared to when I had it, you can make it back to where you were before you were hurt.”

Kupchak said he is pulling for O’Bannon.

“He can do it,” Kupchak said. “The key words are patience and faith. “