Knox To Undergo Back Surgery
Updated 9:09 a.m. on Dec. 19, 2011
By Adam Hoge-
SOLDIER FIELD (CBS) Bears wide receiver Johnny Knox has full movement in his body, but will still need surgery after suffering a scary back injury in the first quarter of Sunday's 38-14 loss to the Seahawks.
The Bears announced after the game that Knox will undergo back surgery to stabilize a vertebrae in his lower to mid-back Monday. Head coach Lovie Smith said Monday morning on WBBM Newsradio that the vertebrae was fractured. The team said there is a positive prognosis for both his playing career and quality of life.
"Johnny has total movement throughout his body," Smith said after the game. "He has total use of all his extremities, which is good."
After catching a 17-yard pass from Caleb Hanie on 3rd-and-6 from the Bears' own seven yard-line, Knox fumbled the ball. As he went to dive for the loose ball, he was hit very awkwardly by Seattle middle linebacker David Hawthorne and went to the ground motionless.
The game was stopped for several minutes as trainers attended to Knox. His helmet was removed and he was loaded onto a backboard and taken off the field on a cart. An ambulance then took Knox to the hospital.
After getting loaded onto the cart, Knox moved his arms and raised his fist in the air.
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