The first thing to clarify is that the quick term, In an Achilles tendon injury It refers to months. That nobody thinks that Jayson Tatum It will be for the beginning of the next season. But in your case the bite is very significant in the time you can give to the recovery deadlines.
The blog of the Celtics published an article in which they spoke with an expert in injuries of the Achilles tendon. And according to him, the player has some advantage in the recovery time in relation to other players who suffered the same ailment.
Unlike most players who had aquile tendon breakage, Tatum It was operated in the New York Hospital For special operations just a few hours after your injury. The surgery was carried out by the specialist of Renomnbre El Doctor Martin O’Malley.
According to the expert consulted by the blog of the Celticsthe rarity of this operation is having done it so soon. “He is really very atypical, even for a professional athlete or someone with a very high profile. It is very atypical“The doctor explained Lou Soslowskydirector and founder of the Achilles de Penn Tendinopathy Center. “But at the same time it is something very, very good. “
The speed of the intervention plays in this case in favor of Tatumtaking into account that among the injury and operation They spent just a few hours. Most cases in NBA players tell us about days between one thing and the other. And that time can be crucial in recovery and even in its quality.
To put some examples, Damian Lillard had to wait five days, DeMarcus Cousins It took four to operate, Wesley Mathews y Rudy Gay They had to wait for three days and even Kevin Durant He saw how two days passed before entering the operating room.
Soslowsky Explain the reasons for that delay, all logics: “Fifty percent of those affected are not in their city of residence And the choice of the professional who will perform surgery is often the subject of conversations between the affected and his agent, his family, the directive or the friends. That delays everything. Those conversations already occupy one or two days. And once the surgeon is chosen, he is not in the city and has to move, or has no availability to operate that same day. More waiting time. “
What the expert said was that Tatum He was in the right place at the right time. New York and the availability of the doctor O’Malleyresident in the Big Apple. These circumstances can make a difference in their recovery.
“We do not have many data on a recovery of a broken Achilles tendon and repaired only 12 hours After the injury. It is something that is not frequent, “Soslowsky told the Celtics blog.
In a tendon or ligament break, the faster the intervention is, the better prognosis. Waiting for too much time allows you to be scarred tissue and inflation occurs and that complicates healing.
“The more time passes, the more options there is to infiltrate biological agents and cells that will begin the formation of scars“, explained Soslowsky.” As this repair was carried out in less than a day, those processes had just begun, and broken ends were recomposed before many of these adverse biological effects occur. Therefore, the possibility of faster recovery really exists. “
The logic, which is possibly that adopted by the Celticsit is clearly not to force a quick reappearance, not shorten deadlines. The own Soslowsky It does not advise to precipitate: “At some point, in a few months, we will have a much clearer idea of whether try to return next season or not“He said.” Being conservatives, we would say that, well, it is probably a rehabilitation of 12 months anyway. “
Perhaps the best news is not to return faster, but in better conditions of those expected after such a serious injury. But the player's own environment is very optimistic. According to ESPN, Justin TatumJayson's father had hope to see your child on the track in 8 or 9 monthsthat is, for February I could be playing again.
In this sense, Soslowsky Put a jug of cold water: “I believe that the probability of seeing him play next season is very low, sincerely. But it could be better like that. We have seen that when people come back early, He does it with a high risk of relapse. That would be devastating, something you don't want to happen. Anyway in a couple of months we will see how it is progressing. “
Besides Soslowsky Remember that it is not only the repair of the tendon, but about the physical conditions of the player to return to the high competition. “An Achilles tendon injury prevents you from doing any cardiovascular work for a long space of time. You can't run, you can't go by bicycle, you can't do aerobic work for months. And once the tendon is recovered, the following is to recover the athlete's aerobic work capacity, at least to acquire its level. “
Soslowsky concludes: “In the case of Tatum, the speed of the operation will give you two advantages, The possibility of returning before other players who suffered the same injury, and the fact of returning in better conditions for recovery. “
