Brodeur's tendon was previously torn

Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur said today that doctors told him that his left biceps tendon was 70 to 80  percent torn before he completely snapped it in the second period of the Nov. 1 game against the Atlanta Thrashers.

"My injury was that it was already torn before," he said. "It didn't snap 100 percent. So, that's why I didn't have any stupid pain.That's why it was hard for me to believe that was it, the whole thing tore (at once). It was a combination of an older injury or wear and tear probably more than an older injury. Because I think if I did it 80 percent (at once) I would have felt it. It was probably just wear and tear and the rest just snapped (in the Atlanta game). It was just a matter of time. It could have happened now. It could have happened next year. Who knows?"

Brodeur said there were no signs before that game that his tendon was partially torn, though, and it never affected his play.

"Zero," he said. "I've been trying to think about it. I never felt anything. That's it." 

Brodeur had a cast on his arm that went above the elbow and wore his arm in a sling. After he gets the cast off -- which might happen as soon as Friday -- he'll have to wear a brace on his arm to keep him from moving it at the elbow.

Brodeur said he stopped by Prudential Center today because he pretty much had nothing else to do.

"I'm bored," he said. "I just wanted to do see the guys, too."

Brodeur said he has not been in much pain since he had surgery on Thursday to repair the torn biceps tendon. He said the next step in his recovery is to get some stitches out of his arm, possibly when he visits the doctors on Friday, but he still won't be able to do any activity for eight weeks. Overall, he is expected to miss three to four months.

"I'm going back this week to see the doctors and hopefully they will take all of them out now," he said.

To reattach the tendon, Brodeur said the doctors drilled three holes in his radius bone (in the forearm) in his arm, so they could sew the tendon back on exactly in the spot where it became detached.

"They pulled the tendon out and reattached it exactly where it was on the bone," he said. "There's a socket there and they stuck it back in there. They put some holes in my radius bone and they sutured from there. And after that it takes about eight weeks for everything to close and to grab and whenever that happens I'm ready to go (start rehab)."

Brodeur said the doctors told him that his tendon will be stronger than it was before because it was partically torn previously and now the connection should be complete.

"It will be stronger," Brodeur said. "They guaranteed me it's going to be stronger than it was before. They don't even know how long I played with it like that (partially torn). But they said, 'You'll get stronger.' I don't know if that means I'm going to be quicker. Does it mean it's going to be better? I hope so. That's going to be the rehab part of it." 

There seems to be no possibility of Brodeur coming back in less time than three or four months.

"I just know I can't do anything for two months," he said. "The first doctor told me it's a clear four months. Don't even think about (playing) before that. Now, talking to other guys, they say it's depending on how you recover and how comfortable you are because after two months you won't hurt it again. It's a matter of getting yourself to do the movement that you're used to without thinking about it. So, whenever, I get that out of my mind. It could take two months, three months, who knows?"

Brodeur's most humorous response came when he was asked if there was any silver lining to this injury.

"I don't know that that will be," he said. "That I will be more rested. God forbid we win the Cup, next year I'll play 30 games. I'll just come back in March every year. I hope (winning the Cup) is what's going to happen."

Then Brodeur stopped laughing and became serious.

"But it's not a time to find any positive things because you're sitting there and you see your team and you have a lot of injuries. You want to be there to try to help and weather a storm and you're part of that storm. You're the one that's (hurting) them almost because you're not there. So, for me, there's no really bright spot about it. I don't think it's going to give me an opportunity to be better. It's an injury, it's hard to have a bright spot."

Brodeur vowed to return this season.

"For me, I'll be back eventually, I'll be back soon enough," he said. "I'll do my part when I come back."

I'll have more from Brodeur in my article in The Record tomorrow.

Comments

[Jill]

wow that sounds extremely painful. poor marty.

[Xander Crews]

Im not a doctor and dont know anything about this but if it was already partly torn does that mean he wasnt even at 100% for awhile now?

If you want to look on the bright side (something us Devils fans dont have much of lately) as good as he was playing with a partly torn tendon maybe he can come back better?

[Jeff]

Here's to a speedy recovery Marty!

[centralnj]

Wow! He's been playing with a torn tendon? Glad it happened now and not later in the season.
TG, thanks so much for this blog- it's the first thing I read. Love the behind the scenes peeks. ( Like Marty being bored and missing the guys). Thanks again!

[Pat D'Amico]

Thanks for the good news TG, at a time when there's nothing to be happy about.

[Brodie30]

I would be encouraged that Marty's glove hand will be "better" than it was before the surgery. But how much better could it get when he already has the best glove in history? Of his few weaknesses, the glove side was never one of them.

[mikeK]

Maybe there is something to this "You're wearing him out" thing.... Get well soon.

[titans04]

TG - can you see what the latest updates are for Leblond and Holik. Certainly appears as if the Leblond injury is more than was originally stated if he's not even skating at this point.

[Vishal]

So weird not seeing him out there. We're 4 games into the odyssey.

[TG]

Leblond watched practice from the stands today. He cracked his orbital bone and they're just waiting for it to heal.

Holik is supposed to get the pins out of his pinky on Thursday and should be able to begin working out after that.

[Andrew]

TG,

You thinking that Rolston will come back next week?

[Pearl Jammed(RJ Arditti)]

Thank goodness Marty is feeling better. He is a very important part of the team, and hey if its going to make his arm stronger since it was already torn, that can only be a good thing. Injuries happen, but the thing that separates winners from the losers is that winners find a way to win, losers lament all that stands in their way of winning

[Jeff]

Actually thinking about it more it makes you wonder about some of those goals that beat him glove side the last 2 seasons where he looked baffled that he didn't catch the puck. Maybe his glove hand is so good even with the defficiency it was difficult for him and other around to notice it.

[David B.]

Get well soon Marty.

[TG]

Brodeur said that the partial tear never affected him in any way. He had full strength, no pain, no affect to his reaction time. He didn't even know it was there. So, i dont think you can say it was the reason why he might have given up some goals to his glove side.

[Jim]

I wonder if the advent of the shootout exacerbated this injury. Brodeur almost always gives the glove side to the shooter, and QUICKLY takes it away. In a normal game, me might have to make a snapping glove save 5 times, but it's his go-to move in the shootout.

[Al]

Marty will be back as soon as he can and yes it is an odyssey. Also, it is a time to thank God we have him because eventually we will not and he is not replaceable. So just be thankful we get to see him finish his career here in the next few years.

Get Marty and the boys just have to hang tough. This is the second "off year" for Patty so..he must really step it up.

[Al]

Hey TG, I agree with centralnj. Without this site, we would really be lost. Thanks!

[Shari]

It's only been a few games but i miss him already, obviously because he's the man in the pipes but also his personality during the games and in interviews. get well soon Marty.

[Devs4Life]

Glad to see he hasn't lost his sense of humor. Get well soon, Marty.

[Devs4Life]

Glad to see he hasn't lost his sense of humor. Get well soon, Marty.