What happens after you suffer a serious injury

A knee injury.
Photo credit iammotos/Getty Images

KYW Newsradio’s Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross. 

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — If you have ever suffered a serious knee injury, you know some joint function is often permanently lost after these injuries and reconstruction, and re-injury is common even with intensive physical therapy. 

If you haven't suffered an injury like this, you probably have seen elite athletes fight the recovery battle. 

But there is new research that suggests there could be an impact on the brain. 

Research from the University of Michigan shows structural changes in the brains of these patients, and these changes hinder recovery and may contribute to performance deficits and re-injury.