MONTREAL – It could have been much much worse for Habs forward Max Pacioretty.
The late actor Christopher Reeves fractured his C1 and C2 vertebrae, which led to his paralysis and eventual death.
Pacioretty fractured his C4 vertebra, just millimetres below.
That Pacioretty was talking and moving all extremities after being slammed head first into a post suggests the fracture, said to be undisplaced or stable, was not so serious.
But without more information, doctors on the sidelines say it’s too early to reach a prognosis.
"It depends on what part of the vertebra is injured," said Robert Lee, an orthopedic brain surgeon at the Vancouver General Hospital, who sees C4 injuries almost every week treating skiers at Whistler.
"If it doesn’t involve the joint (Pacioretty) will be fine, but we need to know more about it. … It may heal itself, but on the opposite extreme, if you fracture the body of the vertebra and a bit of the bone is propulsed back into the spinal canal, it can be very dangerous.
"If he damaged his spinal cord it would be career ending. He could be paralyzed."
Some people closer to home – and with ties to the NHL – would only comment anonymously yesterday.
"Any time there’s a fracture in any of the vertebra you’re toying with the spinal cord," said one athletic therapist in Montreal
"I’ve seen many views of how he went into that post. There was a distinct possibility of a catastrophic injury. We’re all breathing a sigh of relief.
"When you’re dealing with an injury like that you have to approach it with the worse case scenario in mind."
The McGill University Hospital Centre – which includes the Montreal General Hospital, where all injured Canadiens players are treated – would not comment on what this kind of injury could entail both in terms of treatment and recovery time.
Canadiens head coach Jacques Martin told reporters that Pacioretty would be out indefinitely, while rumours and tweets suggested the star player could be back on the ice in two to four weeks.
That’s pure fantasy, said chiropractor Jocelyn Sicotte.
"There’s no way. He will have to be immobilized for a long time and there will be muscle atrophy," Sicotte said.
"No one on Earth will let a guy loose in a rink with a bunch of tigers without muscle tone. He will be off the bench for a long time."
Both Sicotte and orthopedic surgeon Robert Lee agreed the severe concussion Pacioretty suffered Tuesday night could prove more worrisome than the fracture – and more detrimental to Pacioretty’s future as a hockey player.
Sidney Crosby, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ star player, has been off since Jan. 5 with a concussion.
Comments