Ranger's Injury Leaves Him Down but Not Out

May 2, 2008 — -- There are a few basic organs that define a top-flight pro hockey player.

Good lungs. Sharp eyes. A healthy heart that can pump hard through a demanding shift.

But an intact spleen?

Such might have been the question that the New York Rangers' Sean Avery asked himself after doctors at St. Vincent's Medical Center in Manhattan diagnosed him with a lacerated spleen early Wednesday morning.

Avery, 28, injured during Tuesday night's game, will not play for the rest of the hockey season. Doctors say that even though his injury is rare for an athlete, he is likely to make a full recovery -- with his spleen intact.

"I think it was probably an unfortunate event -- a fluke," said Mark Hutchinson, a professor of orthopaedics and sports medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

While he did not treat Avery, Hutchinson said he believes "he has a very good chance of coming back into play."

While athletes, especially ice hockey players, are prone and even expected to take a beating as part of their game, any sport that involves blows to the abdomen or playing with sticks puts players at risk for spleen injuries.

The organ's main functions are filtering blood, breaking down old red blood cells and producing some of the body's infection-fighting white blood cells.

"People do OK without this [organ]. It's not like without it you are a shut in," said Dr. Stephen Rice, director of the Jersey Shore Sports Medicine Center. "But if you lose the spleen … in general, the immune system is going to get a heavy hit."

Although lacking a spleen is not deadly, doctors maintain that it is very important for the role it plays in keeping the body robust and free from infections.

A tear such as the one Avery may have sustained would cause swelling, discomfort and pain.

But Avery is known for being verbally aggressive on the ice, a calculated strategy to invite blows from opponents and draw penalties. His injury may lead Avery to rethink his strategy in the future.