Russell Westbrook will miss the first four to six weeks of the NBA regular season after having arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Tuesday morning. The surgery, the second one Westbrook has had on the problematic right knee (he suffered a torn meniscus in the playoffs last spring), was meant to clear out a source of swelling, according to the team.
“Russell has been incredible in his work and rehabilitation. He has been pain-free and has performed at a high level during practice, but has experienced recent swelling that had not subsided,” said Thunder general manager Sam Presti in a release. “After careful consideration and recommendations from the medical team, we elected to do the procedure today based on our consulting physician’s belief that the swelling would be alleviated, and in turn give Russell the best chance for sustained performance throughout the season and beyond. During the procedure it was determined that the source of swelling was due to a loose stitch, and fortunately we were also able to confirm that the meniscus has healed properly.”
Westbrook’s original April surgery came about after a collision with Houston’s Patrick Beverley during a first-round playoff game, and his availability for the start of this year had been up in the air. Now there’s no question — he will miss at least the first month of the Thunder’s season.
As bad as this sounds at first glance, arthroscopic surgery is relatively common, and as long as the initial tear has healed — which appears to be the case — Westbrook should be back without any long-lasting problems.
via USA Today
What do you think?
Follow Sean on Twitter at @SEANesweeney.
Follow Dime on Twitter at @DimeMag.
Become a fan of Dime Magazine on Facebook HERE.
