Stimulation and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), according to the Clippers:
Los Angeles Clippers’ rookie forward Blake Griffin suffered a non-displaced stress fracture of his left patella during the Clippers’ last preseason game vs. the New Orleans Hornets on Friday, October 23rd.
Griffin, who underwent an MRI yesterday which confirmed the diagnosis, was examined by both team physician Dr. Steven Shimoyama as well as specialist Dr. Neal ElAttrache. Based on communication between the two physicians, it has been determined that Griffin will be sidelined for approximately six weeks.
During this time Griffin will receive bone stimulation and PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) treatment.
Griffin originally suffered a bruised left patella during practice on Thursday, September 24th and was eventually cleared to resume full basketball activity.
Alan Schwarz, who’s done some excellent work for Slate, among other outlets, wrote this piece on PRP for the New York Times in February. Recent recipients of PRP treatment include Hines Ward, Troy Polamalu and Takashi Saito (ElAttrache, who’s on the Griffin team, administered PRP to Saito).
Here’s Schwarz’s basic description of PRP:
The method, which is strikingly straightforward and easy to perform, centers on injecting portions of a patient’s blood directly into the injured area, which catalyzes the body’s instincts to repair muscle, bone and other tissue. Most enticing, many doctors said, is that the technique appears to help regenerate ligament and tendon fibers, which could shorten rehabilitation time and possibly obviate surgery.
According to Schwarz’s piece, PRP is still a relatively experimental treatment, but one that’s been particularly successful with athletes. Ward, Polamalu and Saito each came back to perform extremely well, extremely quickly.
UPDATE: Below, Blake Griffin speaks to the media about the injury.
11 Responses
He’ll be back soon enough. It’s almost a blessing dressed in tragedy. At least DeAndre and Craig will get more PT. BG is a balller. Keep your chin up Clipper Nation, and still root for the Clips to lay at least a partial smack down on the lakers tonight.
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Posted on October 27th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
Did he mention he has bone stimulator to help it grow back? Awkward
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Posted on October 27th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
this is really rough. i’m kind of devastated….. even though i know i shouldnt be. but it’s ok i guess.
I figure Deandre is going to play so well, that we will be able ship Kaman and his contract out when Blake gets back. Maybe we can pocket a very good 3 like Rudy Gay, Gerald Wallace or someone like that….
hmmmmmm
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Posted on October 27th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
I’m undergoing my second knee surgery Friday. It amazes me what the doctors can do for me, a 50 year old overweight woman, and how quickly I recover when I put my mind to it. This kid truly is an amazing physical specimen, he will recover in no time and come back strong. He just needs to know it will be okay and keep his mood up.
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Posted on October 27th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Its hard not to believe theres a curse when stuff like this happens.
That being said, this frees up minutes for Craig and DeAndre, who, in my estimation, are the two bigs we need to give minutes to anyway. Craig is highly effective on a per minute basis. DeAndre could win Most Improved if hes given a solid spot in the rotation.
This is really a blessing in disguise, those minutes Blake were to get will get spread to other young guys with upside and give them a chance to perform.
This could go many different ways. We could still play .500 ball with Blake out and Dunleavy stays coach and Blake comes back and we continue our climb. Or, we could lose a bunch of games, lose Dunleavy as a coach and get someone else (im secretly hoping for this. JVG pack your bags). Finally, we could still play below .500 ball but find that DeAndre, Craig and Bassy are legit talents in this league and no longer just “projects”.
Any way it happens to shake out, we’re going to see what our young guys are all about, and thats exciting in its own way. Hope Blakes recovery is smooth and without complications.
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Posted on October 27th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Go Deandre! Make it happen so we can ship that weirdo Kaman out of here. He’s a frickin head case and a traitor. What the hell with him playing for Germany? So what if his ancestors are from there. Mine are too but I’m an AMERICAN and I play for AMERICA. Get that traitor stiff out of here. Trade him to the Wizards for Caron Butler and a first rounder.
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Stian Reply:
October 27th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
“Trade him to the Wizards for Caron Butler and a first rounder.”
You’re funny. I think we’d have throw the first rounder in that trade, not the Wiz.
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Posted on October 27th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
This is shit no matter how you guys want to spin it. It’s not a blessing or a gift or anything remotely connected to anything good. It’s crap. I only hope it doesn’t end up being closer to 30 games and we’re 10 and 20 when Blake comes back, everybody hating everybody and any hope of a winning season gone. There’s no way this can’t be part of a curse. Watch, Camby will go down tonight and then Kaman and we’ll become the Timberwolves. I’ve been muttering under my breathe all day and I felt like ripping something in half. It just makes me angry and pissed off.
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Posted on October 27th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
hey Kevin I wrote this, you can post it if you think it’s good
Requiem for Hope
As Blake Griffin met David West at the rim, ran the length of the floor, and finished with an emphatic slam, a nation became one. For an instant, the coaching was wise, the players motivated, and the fans elated. For an instant, roster spots 1-15 were not just players, they were a team. L.A. was no longer solely Laker Land. For an instant, we were one.
We let the hope and optimism penetrate our cynical walls, utterly unprepared for the cruel irony to be bestowed on us. The instant Blake Griffin hit the ground, the glue that help us together evaporated, our volatile franchise began to crumble yet again, but we had no idea. We high-fived each other and continued to rewatch the dunk on the big screen, completely unaware of the radical shift that was to come in the next 72 hours.
Then on Monday we found out it was more than day-to-day and the usual sorrow and despair that comes with supporting sports’ ultimate have-not began to set in. If anything, our history should have told us that the basketball gods had cruelly predetermined our fate years before. Those who don the red, white, and blue are not only in combat with other teams, but are also constantly in battle with the merciless forces of history.
When Blake Griffin went down, a nation went down. The hopes of all the “what ifs” gone, playoff dreams shattered.
And while the Lakers are receiving their rings on Tuesday night, the Clippers won’t be thinking of ways to crash the party. They’ll be like their foundation, fractured, brooding on what could have been.
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Posted on October 27th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
I bet he’ll be out about 3 weeks. He’s young and he’ll work hard at getting healed.
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Posted on October 27th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
[...] by sportsinjurytreatment in Uncategorized. Leave a Comment Revealed on the LA Clippers Blog yesterday, the NBA’s #1 Draft selection Blake Griffin, suffered a non-displaced stress [...]
Posted on October 28th, 2009 at 9:18 am
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