Wilkins, though, had played 27, minutes over 10 NBA seasons when he suffered the injury. In contrast, Kobe has logged an Iron Man-like 54, minutes. Despite being just two years older than Wilkins at the time of his injury, Bryant has unbelievably spent nearly twice as much time on the NBA hardwood. While the study does not paint a promising picture for Bryant, it is worth noting that its conclusions are based on a small sample size. After all, compiling such data is more difficult in basketball because the NBA lacks a centralized injury database like that of the NFL.
It is not something from which they often come back to play at the same level. They may be a step slower or lose an inch or two on their vertical. Since the Achilles tendon plays such a key role in generating power in the lower leg, a ruptured Achilles is bad news for any athlete and even worse news for a superstar such as Bryant.
Age was likely a factor, as tendons and ligaments typically lose water as they age, making them less elastic and thus more fragile. An obvious additional factor may have been overuse, as Kobe had been playing a heavy dose of minutes throughout the season and even more so leading up to the injury.
In , the veteran Laker was second overall in playing time at However, this simple connecting of the dots is a tenuous argument at best because Achilles tendon tears are typically freak injuries. But there is no absolute right answer because Achilles tendon ruptures can occur without overuse.
I think there was 10 in just a few weeks. After a grueling eight months of post-surgical rehabilitation, Bryant made his much-anticipated return to the court on December 8 in a home game against the Toronto Raptors. Kobe fell to the ground and writhed in pain. It was a sight all too familiar, except this time he grabbed his knee. An MRI later showed that he had suffered a fracture of the lateral tibial plateau in his left knee. The tibia is the larger of the two bones in the lower leg. The top portion of the tibia widens to form a surface known as the tibial plateau, which serves as the base of the knee joint.
The tibial plateau is composed of trabecular bone, which is softer than the thicker bone in the lower tibia. A tibial plateau fracture is an uncommon injury that usually occurs after a collision or fall. In most cases, the tibial plateau sustains a fracture when significant force is placed on the femur, driving it into the softer trabecular bone of the tibial plateau.
Indirect trauma can also cause the fracture if it is accompanied by excessive torsion. Even a season later, it is still unclear how exactly Bryant suffered the injury.
The tibial plateau may have hit the floor, or the twisting stress he felt as he fell may have put stress on the bone. Depending on the severity, a tibial plateau fracture can range from a less severe form that can be visualized only on an MRI scan to a more severe form in which the bone has fractured into many fragments.
The more complex the fracture, the longer the recovery time. Fortunately for Kobe, the fracture was non-displaced and confined to the lateral side of his tibial plateau. He avoided surgery as well as any significant soft tissue or meniscal damage.
Shortly after the injury, the Lakers announced Kobe would be sidelined for at least six weeks. Then, in late January, the team declared he would remain out through the All-Star break because of continued pain and swelling. Sufficient time is needed for the bone to heal properly and align itself. In fact, Wright was only able to come back after nearly 10 weeks and 33 missed games, and Yao remained on the sidelines for 10 weeks, returning after a game absence.
Since Bryant sustained the knee injury on the same leg as his ruptured Achilles tendon, many have wondered whether the first injury caused the second one. The answer is maybe.
If his calf lacked its usual strength, it may have been a factor in causing the fracture. During motion, contraction of the gastrocnemius slows the tibia down and maintains flexion tension on the knee as it extends. A s a result, an athlete faces a higher risk of knee hyperextension with atrophy of the calf muscles because they are unable to decelerate the tibia adequately enough.
Having spent half of his lifetime running up and down an NBA hardwood floor, it is not all that surprising that Bryant has degenerative knee issues. Still playing at age 36, he has worked as hard as anyone to stave off Father Time using techniques such as diet, exercise and training.
Kobe also takes care of himself and manages his injuries by receiving Orthokine, a procedure developed by Dr. I think he wants to go out on his own terms. We'll just have to wait and see. The time NBA champion franchise is almost certain to miss the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since The Lakers also owe a first-round draft pick to the Phoenix Suns to complete their disastrous trade for Steve Nash , who played just 65 games in the past three years and never suited up this season.
But Los Angeles will keep the pick this summer if it lands in the top five, providing ample incentive for fans to hope the Lakers' collapse is total. Bryant wasn't at the Lakers' training complex Monday, and he didn't attend their loss to Houston on Sunday night. Scott plans to speak with Bryant throughout the week to see what he's thinking about his future, but he hopes Bryant isn't ready to quit.
I think he still has that hunger and that competitive nature to come out and prove it again. After the surgery, I'll talk to him and see how it is.
We'll talk and we'll go from there. Ramona Shelburne reacts to the news that Lakers guard Kobe Bryant will undergo surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder and is expected to miss the rest of the season. Related topics: sports espn nba kobe bryant los angeles lakers kobe.
The anecdotal results are very positive, but it is impossible to say that the treatments are de facto effective. At worst, there is no evidence that they have any sort of short- or long-term deleterious effects. Given most have severe degeneration at the time of treatment, it is hard to imagine much more damage could be done. Many athletes have had this or similar procedures. More recently, Seahawks wide receiver Sidney Rice left training camp to go to Germany for a similar procedure.
It should be noted that in cases such as Manning's and Bynum's, it is hard to call their treatments successful. Bynum was not able to return last season for the Philadelphia 76ers despite having the therapy. With Manning, it's more complex. He had Regenokine done as a last-ditch effort to avoid neck surgery.
This Regenokine therapy is often referred to as a "fourth surgery" for Manning, even though it is not a surgery at all. Regenokine is actually a variant of a previous therapy known as Orthokine. Both are variants on platelet-rich plasma therapy. In all three, a patient's blood is removed from the body and spun into component parts. Where they differ is in how long the procedure takes, what component parts are kept and if any other substances are added to the injection.
It is not believed that this has any relation to Bryant's current rehab from Achilles reconstruction. While a healthy knee would certainly help him return to the court and create a more holistic model for the Achilles, Bryant's previous and regular use of Regenokine makes a connection unlikely. More simply, it was just time again for Bryant to have his annual visit. This should not change any timeframes or expectation.
While Bryant is still rehabbing from the Achilles reconstruction, his previous success and comfort with this procedure makes it almost routine. In the season Bryant skipped his annual re-do, there weren't any notable differences in his statistics or apparent skills, so it's hard to say that there has been any real effect besides improving Bryant's comfort and confidence. The Lakers are perfectly willing to go along with anything that Bryant feels will help.
As I recently said in a radio interview, if Kobe wants a woobie , Kobe gets a woobie. Elite athletes are often coddled, so allowing this kind of procedure is a no-brainer for the Lakers. Enjoy our content?
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