NEIL CORDY HERALD SUN SEPTEMBER 28, 2014
Click for video:
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/adam-goodes-stemcell-treatment-likely-to-prolong-his-record-career-with-sydney-swans/story-fni5fan7-1227073208687?nk=b74495127a998b659f63414b540755cf
A revolutionary stem-cell treatment which saved Adam Goodes’ career also looks like extending it for another year.
Swans medico Dr Nathan Gibbs has revealed Goodes had the procedure on his right knee in January and has asked to do the process again in coming weeks.
It is the strongest indication yet the 351-game veteran will play on next year after Saturday’s 21.11 (137) to 11.8 (74) Grand Final loss to Hawthorn.
“He wants to do it again,” Dr Gibbs said.
“It’s saved his career. He would have retired a year ago.”
Immediately after the Swans’ shock loss to Hawthorn, Goodes said he would take his time before making a decision on his playing future.
The Swans have said the call was Goodes’ to make on whether he plays on. He was far from the worst player in Sydney’s 63-point hammering — kicking two goals, taking seven marks and generating six inside 50s, which was the equal best of any player.
The 34-year-old has not missed a game since returning from what looked like a career-ending knee injury in Round 13 last year against Port Adelaide.
“He hurt his right knee in the grand final 2012 which damaged joint surface, then he damaged the cartilage in the same knee against Port last year,” Gibbs said.
“It was terrible because it was the last thing he needed. The surface damage of his knee was extensive, the medial and lateral sides were pretty bad and he just couldn’t recover from it.
“He would build up his training and then break down, build it up and break down again and he kept doing that.”
Goodes chose the stem-cell treatment after he saw the successful results with ruckman Mike Pyke and Lewis Roberts-Thomson. Pyke had fluid drained from his knee almost every week of the 2013 season.
“He played the whole 2013 season with a big piece of his joint surface missing from the knuckle of his kneebone,” Dr Gibbs said.
“We did stem cells on him and two months later it had filled in and it was a big 2cm x 2cm area in his knee.
“He’s played every game this year and his knee doesn’t hurt or swell at all. I haven’t treated him once.”
The cutting-edge treatment involves taking stem cells from around abdominal fat and injecting it into the damaged knee. The articular cartilage then regenerates itself.
In the past damaged knee cartilage has never been able to repair or grow again.
The procedure takes about two hours under local anaesthetic and can be performed at a local clinic.
Dr Gibbs and the Swans have often used cutting edge medicine and science with their players. Nick Malceski (twice) and Rhyce Shaw have both successfully used the LARS knee reconstructions.
They have also travelled to Scandinavia to pursue the best possible treatment for tendinitis. Lance Franklin, Kurt Tippett, Rhyce Shaw and Harry Cunningham have all suffered from knee tendinitis and Sam Reid Achilles tendinitis.
Click for video:
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/adam-goodes-stemcell-treatment-likely-to-prolong-his-record-career-with-sydney-swans/story-fni5fan7-1227073208687?nk=b74495127a998b659f63414b540755cf
A revolutionary stem-cell treatment which saved Adam Goodes’ career also looks like extending it for another year.
Swans medico Dr Nathan Gibbs has revealed Goodes had the procedure on his right knee in January and has asked to do the process again in coming weeks.
It is the strongest indication yet the 351-game veteran will play on next year after Saturday’s 21.11 (137) to 11.8 (74) Grand Final loss to Hawthorn.
“He wants to do it again,” Dr Gibbs said.
“It’s saved his career. He would have retired a year ago.”
Immediately after the Swans’ shock loss to Hawthorn, Goodes said he would take his time before making a decision on his playing future.
The Swans have said the call was Goodes’ to make on whether he plays on. He was far from the worst player in Sydney’s 63-point hammering — kicking two goals, taking seven marks and generating six inside 50s, which was the equal best of any player.
The 34-year-old has not missed a game since returning from what looked like a career-ending knee injury in Round 13 last year against Port Adelaide.
“He hurt his right knee in the grand final 2012 which damaged joint surface, then he damaged the cartilage in the same knee against Port last year,” Gibbs said.
“It was terrible because it was the last thing he needed. The surface damage of his knee was extensive, the medial and lateral sides were pretty bad and he just couldn’t recover from it.
“He would build up his training and then break down, build it up and break down again and he kept doing that.”
Goodes chose the stem-cell treatment after he saw the successful results with ruckman Mike Pyke and Lewis Roberts-Thomson. Pyke had fluid drained from his knee almost every week of the 2013 season.
“He played the whole 2013 season with a big piece of his joint surface missing from the knuckle of his kneebone,” Dr Gibbs said.
“We did stem cells on him and two months later it had filled in and it was a big 2cm x 2cm area in his knee.
“He’s played every game this year and his knee doesn’t hurt or swell at all. I haven’t treated him once.”
The cutting-edge treatment involves taking stem cells from around abdominal fat and injecting it into the damaged knee. The articular cartilage then regenerates itself.
In the past damaged knee cartilage has never been able to repair or grow again.
The procedure takes about two hours under local anaesthetic and can be performed at a local clinic.
Dr Gibbs and the Swans have often used cutting edge medicine and science with their players. Nick Malceski (twice) and Rhyce Shaw have both successfully used the LARS knee reconstructions.
They have also travelled to Scandinavia to pursue the best possible treatment for tendinitis. Lance Franklin, Kurt Tippett, Rhyce Shaw and Harry Cunningham have all suffered from knee tendinitis and Sam Reid Achilles tendinitis.