Michael Redd tore his ACL and MCL in his left knee after quickly pulling up and having his knee buckle, similar to an injury from last season that sidelined him. Balanced training, strong hamstrings, and exercises like running backwards can help prevent ligament tears. Ben Sheets tore the tendon in his right elbow and had surgery to repair it, hoping to recover by 2010. Maintaining full range of motion in the elbow can help prevent re-injury by reducing scar tissue. Joel Przybilla ruptured his right patellar tendon while going up for a rebound and had to be helped to the locker room. General knee injury prevention includes balanced exercise and stretching hamstrings and quads.

1. By: Luke Shilling Sports Injuries

2. Injury #1 Athlete: Michael Redd Injury type: torn ACL and MCL in left knee Michael Redd was driving towards the basket when he pulled up quickly and his knee buckled. The injury suffered is a reoccurring injury, very similar to his injury that he suffered last year, which caused him to stay on the sidelines for the rest of the season. Michael will undergo surgery to repair the ligaments in his left knee.

3. Injury #1 Prevention There are many ways to help prevent torn ligaments. An even balance of strength, aerobic, and flexibility training. Having strong, flexible hamstrings is another way to prevent ligament tears. The reason you want your hamstrings to be in shape is because during the contraction of your quad your hamstring needs to be able to protect your ACL. The key steps to preventing ligament tears are balanced training and strong hamstrings. A way to strengthen your hamstrings is running backwards.

4. Injury #2 Athlete: Ben Sheets Injury type: torn flexor tendon in his right elbow .The injury Ben Sheets required surgery to repair the tendon in his elbow. He is in the recovery stage, and hopes to be ready by Spring of 2010.

5. Injury #2 Prevention There is no prevention for a torn flexor tendon in this case. You can warm-up properly, ice your arm after using it, but when you put pressure on your elbow like professional pitchers do injuries will happen. There is a way to prevent it from happening again in the future. The most important objective in keeping a flexor tendon from getting injured is to keep a full range of motion. Having a full range of motion in your elbow reduces the amount of scar tissue. Scar tissue is a hard, inflexible, tough material that gives you pain. The more scar tissue you have the more prone you are to injury.

6. Injury #3 Athlete:JoelPrzybilla Injury type: ruptured right patellar tendon After going up for a rebound Joel came down to the ground writhing in pain. He was in the same spot for several minuets. Finally two teammates helped him into the locker room where it was announced that he had ruptured his patellar tendon.

7. Injury #3 prevention There are many ways to prevent knee problems in general. Two basic things you need to know are to keep good balanced exercise habits, and stretch your hamstrings and quads.