Knee

The Washington Redskins invested $900 in Charles Mann's peace of mind yesterday."It's a $900 test, but it's worth it to convince him we're doing the right thing for him," trainer Bubba Tyer said yesterday after an MRI exam showed that the defensive lineman hadn't suffered any structural damage on his ailing right knee."

Washington Bullets center Pervis Ellison, who has missed four of the past five games with a bruised quadriceps muscle above his right knee, flew to Kentucky yesterday morning to seek a second medical opinion from the University of Louisville team doctor.An examination by Dr. Rudy Ellis uncovered a slight swelling in the knee, which was drained of fluid. Ellison returned to Washington last night. He will test the knee in a pre-game workout tonight and decide if he is fit to play.Ellison, who earned All-America honors at Louisville, was concerned that his knee has not responded to treatment, since first injuring it in a collision with forward Jerome Kersey in Portland on Dec. 1.He sat out the next three games before he returned to action in Cleveland on Dec. 7, scoring 18 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.

Due to a knee with all the consistency of yogurt, I was recently forced to undergo arthroscopic surgery.The operation was performed at the Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center by Dr. Carl Johnson, a terrific surgeon who has done nearly 2,000 arthroscopies and could probably do one in his sleep, although he assured me he wouldn't doze off.As best as can be recalled, these are the events that transpired:10:30 a.m.: Like a good soldier, I arrive at pre-op right...

Orioles designated hitter Harold Baines underwent arthroscopic surgery yesterday to repair damaged cartilage in his left knee. He will begin a rehabilitation program in a couple of days and is expected to be ready for the 1994 season.Baines, 34, has played with chronic knee soreness for much of his 14-year major-league career. It was his fourth knee surgery, though the first three operations were on his right knee.Club orthopedist Charles Silberstein performed the operation at Children's Hospital and indicated Baines should be able to get his leg in shape for spring training.

Tiger Woods had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee yesterday to repair cartilage damage, his second operation in five years on the same knee. He is expected to miss at least a month while he recovers. The surgery, announced on his Web site, came two days after Woods finished three shots behind Trevor Immelman in the Masters. He most likely will miss The Players Championship but should return in time to play the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines on June 12. "I made the decision to deal with the pain and schedule the surgery for after the Masters," Woods said.

A 26-year-old Baltimore man escaped serious injury at Marada Industries in Westminster Friday when a 5,000-pound spool of steel fell, pinning his left knee to a safety fence, Westminster police reported.Michael A. Valentino, 26, of the 2200 block of Coral Thorn Road, was taken to Carroll County General Hospital, where his knee was stitched and he was released.Westminster police said Mr. Valentino was working with the large spools of steel, loading them into machinery that cuts the spools into smaller pieces.

I'm a woman in my early 70s and fairly active. However, when I stoop down or get down on the floor, I have a difficult time getting back up. This is particularly embarrassing at the grocery store when I need to look at something on a shelf near the floor. Most of my friends have the same problem. Is this problem caused by muscles or old knees? Are there any exercises that could help alleviate this situation? For knee advice, I talked to Dr. George J. Kessler, an attending physician at New York Presbyterian Hospital, who has just written the book, No More Knee Pain (Berkeley Books, $24.95)

Defensive lineman Markus Koch of the Washington Redskins has decided to retire, coach Joe Gibbs said yesterday.Koch, 29, who was bothered by injuries in his six-year career with the Redskins and went on the injured-reserve list Oct. 9 with a knee injury, told Gibbs recently that his knee still hasn't healed and that he has decided to call it a career."

Q. I am a 44-year-old man with an old knee injury. About a year ago, it was causing me great pain, and I had it examined. The doctor checked the X-ray and told me that I had essentially no cartilage left. He prescribed Vioxx, which didn't do much for me. After reading your book on herbs and home remedies, I have been using this combination: Boswellia, turmeric and glucosamine. The pain in my knee is under control. Would it help to add the gin-soaked-raisin remedy? For various maladies, you list a variety of herbal and home- and folk-medicine remedies.

Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning tore the patellar tendon in his right knee last night against the Atlanta Hawks. Miami spokesman Michael Lissack said an examination at Philips Arena, including X-rays, revealed the injury. Lissack said it was not immediately known whether the injury could end Mourning's season. Injuries like this typically take about three months to heal. Mourning will have more tests today. Mourning, 37, is in his 15th year in the league, including 11 seasons with Miami.