Benedict Nwachukwu, MD, MBA, sports medicine surgeon at HSS, shares insights on Detroit Tigers pitcher Joe Jimenez, who is expected to miss 8-12 months after undergoing knee surgery to repair cartilage damage.

“There are multiple different ways to treat cartilage injuries athletes have,” Dr. Nwachukwu said. “In some cases, surgeons will do a cleanup and cartilage debridement.  This typically results in a faster return to the sport and athletes can sometimes return to the sport within 6 to 8 weeks." 

“Based on the expected timeline for the return to the sport, it is probable that a cartilage restoration or repair procedure is being performed. In these cases, the goal is for a more definitive and long-lasting solution to cartilage issues by restoring viable cartilage to areas where there is a cartilage defect.  In these cases, the initial part of the recovery requires for the cartilage to be incorporated into the patient’s own tissue.  This process itself can take several months.  Once there has been good cartilage incorporation, then physical therapy is required to restore good functional and kinematic strength in order to prevent any future cartilage damage,” Dr. Nwachukwu continued.

Read the full article at sportstalkatl.com.