Spain's fragility is one you know well: the leg bone of an economy in a recession estimated to last two years is connected to the knee bone of undercapitalised banks is connected to the thigh bone of regions with debts they can't repay is connected to the hip bone of a government which cannot borrow at affordable rates.

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About 45 minutes later, McNeil will move to the operating room to clean out Mellinger's wound, washing out bits of bullet and bone fragments from his thigh.

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His condition, patellar tendinitis, can be described as inflammation of the tendon that attaches the quadriceps (thigh muscle) to the tibia (shin bone).

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For years it required a second operation, in which bone was harvested from the hip or thigh so that it could be used to paste two vertebrae together.

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Even though he is available on a free transfer his time on Tyneside has been plagued by injury problems, including a broken metatarsal bone, knee ligament damage sustained at the 2006 World Cup, a double hernia operation and a thigh problem.

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