On the second day of training camp Buccaneers’ center Ryan Jensen left practice with a serious knee injury.
Jensen would miss the entire regular season but returned for the team’s playoff game. So how did the Pro Bowl center come back so quickly and what exactly were his injuries? Dan Pompei of The Athletic dropped an article detailing all of this and more.
“We can’t really tell about your ACL.” Jensen was informed when the first MRI results came back. “It’s torn, but we’re not sure if it’s totally torn. Your PCL is torn., your MCL is torn all the way through. Your lateral meniscus has a bucket handle tear, and it’s flipped into the back nodule of your joint. You have a tibial head fracture and a cartilage fracture in your knee. So there are six major injuries.”
Career Ending?
Per Pompei, Jensen wondered if his career was over and if the damage was permanent. That wasn’t the case as Jensen started a rigorous routine of stem cell therapy, immobilization, and additional non-invasive procedures. No, we didn’t leave out Jensen having surgery, because he didn’t. Yes, Ryan Jensen returned from those six injuries in six months WITHOUT having surgery. Amazing!
There was no way @sinjen66 could return to the field in less than six months after tearing his ACL, MCL, PCL and meniscus, and fracturing his tibial head. Unless something unprecedented happened. My story on an incredible comeback. https://t.co/ogkpTKFzBc
— Dan Pompei (@danpompei) February 3, 2023
Ryan Jensen’s recovery isn’t just amazing, it truly may change how athletes address such injuries in the future.
Via the Buccaneers, Jensen talks about his comeback from his knee injury.