Benilde hockey player Jack Jablonski had ‘irreparable’ damage

Posted: Thursday, January 5th Filed in: General

Benilde hockey player Jack Jablonski had 'irreparable' damage, doctors say

By Tim Leighton

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Updated: 01/05/2012 11:11:17 AM CST

Surgery stabilized the spinal column of Benilde-St. Margaret's sophomore hockey player Jack Jablonski, but the damage done was "irreparable," his doctors said in a statement today.

A news conference will be held today at Hennepin County Medical Center to address the condition of Jablonski, who had spinal fusion surgery Wednesday.

Late Wednesday night, his parents Mike and Leslie, wrote on his CaringBridge website that he likely will not walk again because of the severity of the injury suffered Friday in a junior-varsity hockey game against Wayzata at the St. Louis Park Recreation Center.

"Jack Jablonski's surgery went very smoothly, and we accomplished the necessary goals which were to assess and stabilize his spinal column to prevent further injury and allow for rehabilitation,'' Dr. Thomas Bergman, HCMC chief of neurosurgery, and Dr. Walter Galicich, an HCMC neurosurgeon, said in a joint statement. "Unfortunately, our pre-operative diagnosis was confirmed intra-operatively when we visualized the obviously horrific injury to his spinal column as a result of the neck vertebrae dislocation and fractures (C5-6 dislocation fracture and a C6 fracture). An injury to the spinal cord of this nature results in severe neurological dysfunction and often leads to the inability to move the arms and legs.

"Spinal cord damage of this type is irreparable with surgery, however, Jack is young, strong and determined, and has excellent support from family, friends and

Advertisement

the community. This support is essential to helping him recover from surgery and continue with the therapies he will require when he goes home.''

Pioneer Press

TwinCities.com

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_19680543