Around the NFL Week 1.

[Buffalo Bob]

Originally Posted by KI Skins Fan

By now, I would hope that even your casual NFL fan knows that the extent of any knee injury cannot be determined without the aid of an MRI. Once the knee is injured, players should not be allowed back on the field in the same game by NFL rule. Only after a full medical examination, including an MRI, followed by appropriate medical treatment and rehabilitation should they be allowed to return to practices and games - again by league rule.

Based on the physician's creed to first do no harm to the patient, to send the player back out on the field without knowing the extent of his injury seems to me to border on malpractice. Isn't it possible that the player in this case had a lesser injury, such as a partial tear, until he went back on the field and tore the ligament completely?

Originally Posted by Giantone

I disagree ,I do think there is nothing wrong with being safe but you want a league rule for it and that won't happen but I do admit I am old school and remember when the best medicine was to rub dirt on it and to get back into the game. It is a game were people get hurt and every player to a man knows this and his body ,some consideration should be given to that. Again OMO .

On the other hand it is a knee, not a head, neck or back where playing injured can cause irreversible damage. If you play on an injured knee you could turn a 6 week recovery into a 6 month one. If you play with a hairline fracture of a neck bone you could turn a 6 month recovery into a lifetime ride in a wheelchair. I think what part of the body is injured should determine the protocol for returning to the game.