The Carolina Panthers lost starting left tackle Ikem Ekwonu during their 34-31 wild-card playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The team now faces the potential playing all of next season without him.

Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu tore his right patellar tendon in Saturday's NFC wild-card loss to the Los Angeles Rams and will undergo surgery, head coach Dave Canales said Sunday.

Ekwonu underwent an MRI on his right knee on Sunday, and it showed a ruptured patellar tendon, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. The injury will require surgery, and it threatens his availability for regular-season games next season. Head coach Dave Canales called the injury “significant” in his postgame news conference.

At the end of a long ski season, I see a large number of patients with overuse injuries and conditions. Patellar tendonitis is one such common condition seen in our athletic population. Common sports associated with this condition is skiing, basketball ...

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