The Sun-Times' Sean Jensen caught up with spinal surgeon Neel Anand, who works for the Cedars-Sinai Spine Center in Los Angeles, and asked him about Johnny Knox's prognosis. Encouraged by the news that Knox has full movement throughout his body, Anand was relatively optimistic:
"Neurologically, he's completely fine," said Anand, the director of Orthopaedic Spine Surgery at the Cedars-Sinai Spine Center in Los Angeles. "The only thing left is the nature of the stability."
The doctor added that he thinks Knox will be ready to play in 2012 even if he must endure a "complete reconstruction." An innocuous fracture, requiring just screws and rods to fix, could have Knox back in three-to-six months, Anand said.
Knox suffered the gruesome-looking injury in the first quarter of the Bears' loss to Seattle on Sunday afternoon.
Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Chicago Bears be sure to visit Windy City Gridiron. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.