Tiger Woods Knee Surgery

Guide Note: On April 15, 2008, an orthopaedic surgeon at Healthsouth Medical Center in Park City, Utah performed surgery on Tiger Woods' left knee.

The procedure: According to an announcement on his official website, Woods had been suffering from persistent knee pain, and decided to undergo the minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery once the Masters tournament was over. The surgery was successful, but Woods is expected to miss between four and six weeks for recovery. The Physical Impact: In the golf swing, many parts of the body, not just the arms, are used to provide power and accuracy in the swing. The left knee helps the body recoil, and then is required to help keep the body stable through the beginning of the downswing. As the ball is struck, the body pivots and rotates through the hips, and the knee, particularly the outer knee (in this case the left knee for a right-handed swing) helps turn the left leg to face the target, allowing for proper control of the swing. The amount of torque is tremendous as a result, and Woods has had his swing clocked at 125 MPH. Prior surgery: Woods also underwent arthroscopy on his left knee in 2002. This injury led to him famously reconstructing his golf swing, changing his mechanics so as to avoid doing further damage to his knees and hopefully lengthening his career. The Overall Impact: Woods is expected to miss two of the more popular 'second tiered' events on the PGA Tour during his rehabilitation. He will miss the EDS Byron Nelson Championship held April 24-27 in Dallas, The Players Championship held May 8-11 in Jacksonville. If his rehab is successful, he should return in time for the Memorial Tournament held in Ohio May 29-June 1. This would give him two additional weeks to prepare for the next of the four major golf tournaments on the calendar, the United States Open Championship held June 12-15 in San Diego. Woods was not expected to play tournaments every week, so those tournaments that weren't expecting him are already prepared for his absence. The TPC tournament in Jacksonville, unofficially known as the "Fifth Major" will still draw a solid field and good television ratings. Perhaps the Byron Nelson Classic will feel the most severe drop in television ratings and advertising revenue without Woods in the field. Beyond that, provided his recovery progresses as expected, the impact to the sport and its television and advertising partners will be minimal, and certainly less than if Woods were declared out for the season. Fast Facts:

1. Date: April 15, 2008
2. Hospital: Healthsouth Medical Center
3. Surgery type: Arthroscopy
4. Recovery: 4-6 weeks
5. Treatment for knee pain
6. Finished in 2nd place at the 2008 Masters
7. Is expected back in time to compete in the 2008 United States Open, in June
8. Had a benign tumor removed from the same knee in 1994