Knee

Injured Baltimore Blast defender Angelo Panzetta will require major reconstructive knee surgery and extended rehabilitation that may keep him out of action seven to 12 months, Blast trainer Marty McGinty said yesterday.Panzetta, a starter in his second year with the Blast, injured his left knee in Sunday's 9-6 victory over the Wichita Wings, suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament and torn lateral meniscus.He will undergo surgery Monday. At best, Panzetta could return for the start of next season, McGinty said.

Now that the weather is cooperating, I've been jogging outside and playing a lot of tennis. Yesterday I was on the tennis court when the outside of my left knee, on the back of my leg, began really hurting. What happened? "Pain in the back of the knee reflects what's happening in the front of the knee," says Dr. Michael Mont, director of the Center for Joint Preservation & Reconstruction at the Rubin Institute for Orthopedics at Sinai Hospital. You may have injured your lateral collateral ligament - LCL - which provides stability to the outer part of the knee.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Fleet Orioles outfielder Jeffrey Hammonds' pursuit of the American League Rookie of the Year award has run into another speed bump. Actually it's the same speed bump, otherwise known as a knee.He is experiencing swelling in his right knee again.His knee began swelling in the middle of Saturday's 4-3 loss to the California Angels, but he stayed in the game. He did not play in yesterday's 10-5 victory over the Angels."I'm hoping this one day off will help immensely," Hammonds said.

NEW YORK -- Jeffrey Hammonds' rookie season would come to an end tonight if the strike hits as scheduled and no settlement is reached in time to save the season.The numbers suggest he has had a successful rookie season. Hammonds is hitting .296 with 18 doubles, eight home runs, 31 RBIs and 45 runs in 68 games.However, a strained ligament in his right knee has prevented this from being as successful a season as Hammonds had hoped."Next year, I know I'll be healthy," said Hammonds, who faces possible off-season knee surgery.

Orioles right-hander Jason Hammel received positive news about his injured right knee Thursday, when an MRI showed no new injury. Though Hammel said there's no official timetable for his return, he said he hopes to pitch again this season. "It's the best situation we could have," Hammel said after Thursday's game. "I was pumped to hear that. I thought something else was going on just by the way it felt. " "We got good news that there's no new injury we can see on the MRI," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said.

Right-hander Jason Hammel had fluid drained from his sore right knee this week and says he believes he is improving - certainly enough to make Friday's scheduled start and stay on the active roster. "I really feel like just getting me out there every fifth day is going to help the team," said Hammel, who is 5-1 with a 3.12 ERA. "Obviously, I don't want to kill the [bullpen], but I think missing me for a couple of weeks right now is probably not in the best interest of myself or the team.

CARLISLE, Pa. -- Fitted with a protective brace for his surgically repaired right knee, Washington Redskins defensive end Charles Mann said he will test the knee for the first time in practice today.Mann, who had arthroscopic surgery last February, said he plans to wear the brace no longer than a month and a half. "There is no pain," he said. "The brace is there for added security because my right knee is not as strong as the other knee."It is doubtful, however, that Mann will play in Sunday night's preseason opener in Pittsburgh.

Boston Bruins defenseman Michael Thelven retired from professional hockey yesterday."It's is a very tough decision to make, but what can you do?" he said. "You just can't feel sorry for yourself. You have to go on with your life."Thelven has had recurring right knee problems for three seasons and has undergone surgery three times."I've been playing hockey since I was 6 or 7 years old," he said. "It's been with me all my life, so it was a real hard decision. I respected the Bruins and they were always good to me. But I just couldn't continue this way -- I just couldn't go through more pain."

LANDOVER -- Veteran Washington Bullets guard Darrell Walker tested his strained right knee in a vigorous half-hour workout before the game with the Miami Heat last night and declared himself free of pain.Walker has been sidelined since Feb. 1 when he injured his knee in New York. He exhibited good mobility cutting and jumping while using a knee brace for the first time in his seven-year playing career."The knee feels fine," said Walker, who was leading the team in rebounding before his injury.

Scott Manning was forced to leave practice early yesterday because of recurring pain in his right knee and will not play this weekend against the Tacoma Stars and Wichita Wings at the Baltimore Arena.Manning, who has a sprained medial collateral ligament in the knee, had hoped to make it through practice yesterday with the help of a knee brace and possibly play tomorrow against the Stars or Sunday against Wichita.It would have been a quick one-week recovery for Manning from the injury that occurred last Friday night in Wichita in a 7-6 overtime loss to the Wings.