I'll give you that you've had the procedure, but that doesn't make you an expert, nor would your experience necessarily match that of others. Just to back up my point and clarify what you said about the procedure here is statement about the procedure:
No, having 3 microfractures wouldn't make me an expert, but the orthopedic surgeons that I consulted and questioned extensively, who pioneered microfracture, who also include the very same doctor who performed microfracture on Allan Houston, are experts. Also, I think you should know by now that I do my research and I have researched microfracture exhaustively. So I know from where I speak.
Anyway, your bolding left out a lot, such as:
"[6] The procedure is less effective in treating older patients(check), overweight patients, or a cartilage lesion larger than 2.5 cm.[6]"(probably a check too)
and
Further on, chances are high that after only 1 or 2 years of the surgery symptoms start to return as the fibrocartilage wears away(check)
It wears away quickly because the cartilage that forms is a scab cartilage, not the good stuff you were born with. If you re-read the quote that you posted it pretty much is exactly what I said.
They are now doing microfracture on younger athletes, because guys around 19/21 like Oden and Stoudamire may still have some ability to generate true cartilage, and they want to do it before the injury progresses to a large size as described above as a contraindicator to a successful microfracture.
Now, whether or not Houston can run pain free(Which I don't believe) at the moment is immaterial to playing regular minutes in the NBA. That is the true test. I can play ball 1-2 times a week (theoretically that is, I really only play once a week), but if I try to play 3,4,5 days a week like when I was a kid, I will experience great pain and my cartilage will wear away. In fact, I have not only had 3 microfracture, but a cartilage transplant to go along with it, which I think Houston should have done because you get real cartilage, not the shytty scab cartilage.
Anyway, I don't want to rain on Houston's parade, as he is one of my favorite Knicks ever, and I want him to beat the odds. But realistically, even if he can play a whole season, I expect he will be very limited in mobility (already reported), and won't be able to play serious minutes. The only athlete of his age that I know of who has bounced back almost completely is Jason Kidd, and even he is not the same.
My experience, Houston's and Weber's are pretty typical, Kidd and is atypical. Stoudamire is a new type of case because they didn't used to do microfracture on young athlete often.
In a few years, microfracture will be considered a stone age therapy. There is a procedure available right now, where they harvest your own cartilage, grow it in a lab, and implant it in your knee a couple of months later. Microfracture will be virtually abandoned. Soon they will be able to this personal transplant arthroscopically, but currently it is available only as an open-knee procedure to my knowledge.
oohah
[Edited by - oohah on 30-09-2008 9:48 PM]
