By Sheila Dwyer, Knee1 StaffThe Dallas Cowboys’ Flozell Adams will miss the next three to four weeks of training due to a first-degree tear of the medial collateral ligament in his left knee.
Adams, a starting left tackle, sustained his injury on July 23rd during a contact drill. A teammate inadvertently rolled up on the back of Adams’ leg, causing the tear. This is Adams’ first leg injury.
The 6-foot-7, 335-pound tackle was signed by the Cowboys in 1998. He has started every game at left tackle for the past two seasons. The team has indicated that Adams will probably miss the first two preseason games against Oakland and Denver, and will possibly miss the third against New Orleans.
The medial collateral ligament runs from the inside of the femur, or thighbone, to the inside of the tibia, or shinbone. The MCL, as it is commonly known, works with the other three major ligaments in the knee joint to stabilize it. A sprain to the ligament is usually treated conservatively—that is, without surgery—until it regains strength enough to stabilize the joint.
To read more about MCL injuries, click here.
