CT Insider reports on the potential return of UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers after experiencing a tibial plateau fracture and meniscus tear and includes commentary from HSS sports medicine surgeon Andreas H. Gomoll, MD, who did not treat Bueckers.

Dr. Gomoll said recovery time likely depends on the severity of the injury. “Some fractures are more like a bruise that hurts. You can ‘repair’ it by injecting some bone marrow but not putting screws in or anything like that,” he noted.

He explained a more severe meniscus surgery would require stitches while the more serious plateau fracture repair might require a screw or implant.

“Mixing those two scenarios with the information we have … it could be eight weeks. But if this is ‘real surgery’ — something that needs some time to heal — then eight weeks is quite optimistic,” he noted.

When asked if it was common for the two injuries to occur together, Dr. Gomoll said the meniscus tear is more common than a fracture in the upper shin.

According to Dr. Gomoll, “Sometimes you get these tiny little compression fractures. It’s more like if you push hard with your thumb on styrofoam and you see the little indent. In my reports, that’s called a fracture. But it’s not the kind of fracture where the tibia snaps like a dry twig, where you have to put screws and plates in. That’s more like, when you hear people have ACL tears and, oh, he had a bone bruise.”

He continued, “That’s sort of the best-case scenario. She could have very easily torn the meniscus and had one of these bone bruises. It’s the meniscus tear moreso than the fracture that will determine when you can go back to playing.”

Read the full article at CTinsider.com.