All-star Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo collapsed during a home game against the Toronto Raptors on January 23rd. He had ruptured the quadriceps tendon in his right knee and would be out for the rest of the 2018–19 NBA season.
This rare injury is serious, but not likely to threaten Oladipo’s career, Rodney Benner, MD, told the IndyStar in an article on Oladipo's injury and his path to recovery. An orthopedic surgeon at Shelbourne Knee Center, Dr. Benner also was featured in an article on CBSSports.com. While Dr. Benner does not personally know Oladipo, he has treated patients with similar injuries.
A Rare Knee Injury
“Oladipo tore the quadriceps tendon right off the top of the kneecap,” says Dr. Benner.
While a ruptured quadriceps tendon usually occurs in people over the age of 40, Oladipo does have a history of injuries to his right knee that may have contributed to the ruptured quadriceps tendon, says Dr. Benner. Chronic tendinitis, which is common among basketball players, also could have played a role. Another factor that may have contributed to the injury is having the knee in a position where the force of landing or a change in direction causes the quadriceps tendon to tear.
A Slow Rehab Process
A ruptured quadriceps tendon is “probably a little bit worse” than the more common anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear that’s so common in athletes, says Dr. Benner. This is mostly because for about the first six weeks after a quadriceps tendon rupture, the knee needs to stay completely straight in a brace.
“All you can do is some very gentle, minimal flexion, because if you bend the knee too much early on after surgery, you risk the tendon becoming disconnected again,” says Dr. Benner. “You have to make sure the tendon is healed back to the kneecap, solidly, before you can begin any kind of aggressive rehabilitation.”
A Full Recovery Is Likely
Oladipo had surgery to repair his ruptured quadriceps tendon on January 28. Based on his experience with other patients, Dr. Benner says that physical rehab likely will begin about mid-March, with gentle bending. Once Oladipo’s knee can bend enough for exercises, he'll start light strengthening and bicycling. The goal is to regain full range of motion in the knee and full strength in the quadriceps muscle.
Along with the physical rehabilitation, Oladipo faces a mental hurdle: the confidence to jump and land as he has been doing. “Victor Oladipo seems to be hard working and a very mentally strong guy, so I would say all indications would point to him being able to make a full recovery,” says Dr. Benner.
Recovery will take about six to nine months. That means it’s likely that Oladipo will be able to return to the Pacers at the beginning of next season.
“Basketball is king here in Indianapolis. People love the Pacers, and Vic is such a huge part of that,” says Dr. Benner. “I hope that things go smoothly for him, that he doesn't have any setbacks and that he's able to get back to being the dynamic player he is.”
For more information about treatment for ruptured quadriceps tendons and other knee injuries, call 888-FIX-KNEE.