When Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees had troubles with their knees and getting them into athletic shape, they had theirs treated in Germany with platelet-rich plasma therapy. Bryant had another remarkable MVP-caliber season. Rodriguez has also sought such treatment in the past.
Now it's a man who has struggled with knee injuries his whole life. Former Laker turned Philadelphia 76er Andrew Bynum is giving it a go. Matt Moore of CBS Sports filed this report from John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Enquirer that discusses Bynum making the off-season pilgrimage to Philadelphia.
The procedure, known as Orthokine/Regenokine, will be performed by Dr. Peter Wehling. Bryant initially underwent the procedure to prevent the inevitable wearing down of his knee cartilage. The procedure is a derivation of platelet-rich plasma therapy, or PRP. The procedure, which is not yet performed in the United States, is less invasive than many, if not all, other forms of knee surgeries presently used.
According to the source, Bynum is not feeling any pain in his knees. However, the center wants to explore any options that will help to prolong the healthy status of his knees. According to the source, Bynum was so impressed with the results that Bryant experienced last season that he agreed that exploring the procedure was a viable option.
Bynum has struggled through most of his career with knee issues. In his rookie year, he had arthroscopic surgery on his kneecap and missed his team's run to the Finals. In his third season in the league he had some breakout performances but tore his MCL in his right knee and missed 8-12 weeks. Bynum then injured his knee during his team's second championship run and had delayed surgery in the off-season that forced him to miss the start of the upcoming season. He then hyper-extended his right knee during the course of last year before finally having a fairly healthy 2011-12 campaign.
Talk about Bynum with Sixers fans at Liberty Ballers and with Lakers fans at Silver Screen and Roll.