MRI On Redskins RGIII Suggests Partial ACL, LCL Tears

The Washington Post reports that the MRI exam of Skins QB Robert Griffin III’s right knee suggested that he has suffered partial tears of his anterior cruciate and lateral collateral ligaments, according to several people with knowledge of the test results.

It was not immediately clear whether surgery would be required or how long Griffin would be sidelined if the partial ligament tears are determined to be fresh injuries. Griffin suffered a torn ACL in the same knee in 2009 while he was in college at Baylor, and has been playing in recent weeks with a mild sprain of the LCL.

One person with knowledge of the situation said Griffin might have to undergo exploratory surgery to determine the extent of the damage and whether the injuries are new. Another said Griffin hopes to avoid full-blown reconstructive surgery if the tears are partial, even if they are new injuries.

A third person familiar with the case, asked whether the ligament damage is new or a matter of previous injuries showing up on Griffin’s MRI, said: “That’s what we’re trying to find out.”