Posted by Allanfan20:

Chris Webber is now the slowest player in the NBA, and that was the same for Allan when he tried to make his comeback. I think 1 player truely came back successfully from it, and that's Jason Kidd. Webber is relying on his overall muscle strength and his intelligence.

Posted by oohah:

Amare is a dumbass, the Suns are dumbasses. They have risked his future for no good reason. Even a few games can damage cartilage that hasn't "set" yet.

They should have given him a year away from the court, no ifs, ands, or buts.

oohah

100% right. Why they would take such a huge gamble on having this kid for the rest of his career is mind-boggling to me. When you look around the league and see the guys that have had this surgery and see the results when they came back, it's hardly ever good and for them to bring him back EARLY is even more disturbing. Terrible move by the Suns organization.

Posted by franco12:

isn't the rule of thumb for a lot of these surgeries that you need at least 12-18 months before you are normal?

Posted by oohah:

Amare is a dumbass, the Suns are dumbasses. They have risked his future for no good reason. Even a few games can damage cartilage that hasn't "set" yet.

They should have given him a year away from the court, no ifs, ands, or buts.

oohah

6 months have elapsed since the surgery. The defective surfaces have already healed.
So don't lose sleep over cartilage not "setting."

The bigger concern is there being no cartilage re-growth. And of course over-compensation for his left knee and persistent stiffness. Much of that stiffness won't necessarily go away depending on how the cartilage sealed over the joint - there is a distance between the formation and lodging site. The size of the degenerative area pre-operativly for Amare is a much more significant predictor of his recovery than 25 minutes of NBA action in March.

Posted by oohah:

6 months have elapsed since the surgery. The defective surfaces have already healed.
So don't lose sleep over cartilage not "setting."

The bigger concern is there being no cartilage re-growth. And of course over-compensation for his left knee and persistent stiffness. Much of that stiffness won't necessarily go away depending on how the cartilage sealed over the joint - there is a distance between the formation and lodging site. The size of the degenerative area pre-operativly for Amare is a much more significant predictor of his recovery than 25 minutes of NBA action in March.

You sound like you know a good deal about microfracture. You are correct, the re-growth of the cartilage is the most important indicator, and I think we have to assume AS's has grown back to a reasonable degree, they were doing MRI's on him all the time. Knee strength, the size of the defect, and how much grew back are the important factors in the return of a microfracture recipient.

However...

I am a veteran of the microfracture technique. While data has shown that 6 months is enough time for cartilage to grow and solidify enough for a return to athletics, my own experience, the numerous orthopaedists and therapists I have dealt with, and my observations of athletes who have undergone microfracture have demonstrated to my satisfaction that returning to heavy duty sports activity after 6 months ain't enough time, just from the aspect of the stress put on the new cartilage.

My cartilage did grow back decently, I rehabed to a new level of strength, I returned to sports after more than 6 months and it was shredded again in a short period of time.

In fact, more than one of the orthaepedists I have gone to who are affiliated with professional sports franchises have compared going back to rigorous athletic activity 6 months after microfracture to "trampling fresh seedlings". In essence, newly generated cartlage can collapse under too much stress.

This is especially true for those who have the technique done on weight-bearing areas of their knee, unlike Jason Kidd. AS you know, the cartilage that grows back is not the same as the stuff that is lost, it is not as good, it is more like "scab-cartilage". And 6 months isn't enough time for it to toughen for the big time.

I am not saying that it can't be done, but why take the risk?

oohah

I hope your recovery went smoothly. I have had some experience with microfracture as well, though as a physician. My specialization is cardiothoracic surgery.

From Amare's perspective, the risk was lousy. Without a doubt, not too much to gain. I can guarantee you, however, that the 1 game he played will have zero impact. The surgery itself is flawed. From a durability and performance standpoint for a professional basketball player, it can only buy you so much time before that fated day comes when your doctor recommends a second surgery. That's when the fat lady starts cleaning her throat. There are more promising techniques in the works, however.