Some days have been good. Days like July 6, when she had 22 points and eight rebounds in just her second game back after sitting out nearly two weeks. Or July 15, when she was named the Most Valuable Player of WNBA All-Star Game. But there have been other days - nine, in fact - that have not been so good. Those have been the days when Ford’s teammates have played basketball and her name had “Did Not Dress - Left Knee Sprain” next to it in the box score.

Greater certainty came on Thursday, when the Shock announced Ford would miss the remainder of the regular season due to a femoral chondral defect in her ailing knee. What does it mean to have a femoral chondral defect? It means, Shock head trainer Laura Ramus told reporters after Thursday’s game, “We’re not going to list her as day-to-day. There’s no way she’s day-to-day.”

Ramus spoke at length about Ford’s injury and her prognosis for the 2007 season and beyond. A summary of Ramus’ remarks follows. The questions presented were not necessarily phrased in this manner or in this order.

How did Ford incur a femoral chondral defect?
“Originally she had a bone bruise [suffered in the June 15 game], the two bones came together, hit each other, and showed a bony bruise. That was the original injury,” Ramus said. “Probably some time in Indiana game [on July 20], she fell back, she was fallen on, her knee got caught underneath her, and we suspect that’s when it happened.”

What does it mean to have a femoral chondral defect?
Simply, “it’s cartilage damage,” Ramus said, but it’s not the kind you commonly read about with ACL and MCL injuries. Those injuries involve the tearing of hyaline cartilage in the meniscus, which is “nice and soft.”

Ford’s injury occurred on the lateral (outside) side of the knee, at the femoral bone. The difference is significant because it involves a different type of cartilage, fibril cartilage, and a different kind of damage. Rather than calling it a tear, Ramus said, “There’s a defect, so there’s a divot missing.”

“This type of cartilage that we’re talking about [fibril], it doesn’t generate itself very well,” Ramus said. “It’s not like a meniscus. This is not a meniscus where you can shave it or sew it and it heals itself. This is actually the cartilage that is on the end of the bone, so when it heals itself it turns to fibril cartilage, not hyaline cartilage.”

How is Ford rehabbing the knee?
“Rest right now is the treatment of choice,” said Ramus, who noted that surgery is a possibility, “but it is not the option at this point in time.”

Ford is staying in cardiovascular shape through pool workouts and riding stationary bikes, anything that does not require putting weight on her knee. “Range of motion and strength right now are key to getting back (on the court) and maintaining (her fitness) so if the cartilage does respond well to what we do with it, she’s not de-conditioned,” Ramus said.

Will Ford be ready to play when the playoffs begin in four weeks?
No one knows at this point. Ramus said the healing process can take anywhere from three weeks to six months, and there’s no indication at this time where Ford will fall in that range.

Does Ford have to be fully recovered to return for the playoffs?
“Absolutely, at this point in time,” Ramus said. “With that type of injury… She’s going to need to be healed for this one.” She said returning at the mythical “80-90 percent” of recovery is not an option. Ford will not be cleared to play at less than 100 percent.

Should there be lingering physical effects beyond this season?
“Once she heals, she’ll be the player she always was,” Ramus said. “It’s just a matter of when she heals.”