Tennis star Nadal withdraws from Australian Open
Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from The 2013 Australian Open. One of four tennis grand slam tournaments. Nadal who has missed half of the 2012 season due to ailing knee problems, has cited the need to recover from a stomach virus diagnosed in late December.
Nadal a tennis superstar, an owner of 11 grand slam titles, is renowned for his aggressive unrelenting style, that has been attributed to his frequent knee complaints.
Nadal has been treated in the past before his 2012 knee injury successfully with Platelet-Rich-Plasma (PRP), and his camp has attributed his ongoing knee complaints to tendinitis, Hoffa’s fat pad syndrome, and a partial tear of the patellar tendon. It is unclear whether he has recently undergone PRP or other regenerative procedures, except noting ongoing therapy and rehabilitation, as well as the desire to avoid surgery.
PRP has been used as an alternative to knee surgery, and in post-surgical cases as well.
A favorite of the tennis audience and players, Nadal is now expected to return in February, however, he has delayed his return many times since exiting Wimbledon last July. Given his past knee complaints and the length of this recovery, he may well be looking forward to the softer surface of the clay court season that he has dominated in the past. Joint biomechanics and overuse have a cumulative effect on the knee, and longterm chronic injury leads to accelerated arthritis. Clay courts are more forgiving than the hard courts on the knee. Given his past treatments with PRP, it will be interesting to see if he turns towards regenerative therapy when his career is over. Regenerative medicine therapy such as PRP and Stem Cell Therapy, as well as other biologic treatments, have been advocated as alternatives to surgery and for arthritis relief due to their ability to repair tissue on the cellular level. A preventative medicine strategy can be considered when there is an elevated risk for post-traumatic arthritis development.
In the mean time, the tennis world looks forward to the return of Nadal.
Dennis M. Lox, MD, a Regenerative Medicine specialist in the Tampa Bay Florida area has incorporated regenerative medicine procedures including Platelet-Rich-Plasma (PRP) and Stem Cell Therapy in the treatment of both athletes and non-athletes with great success in his main office in Clearwater Florida. Dr. Lox views the blend of traditional sports medicine and innovative regenerative medicine treatments as a perfect marriage.
Dr. Lox has treated a variety of complex knee disorders ranging from meniscal tears, failed surgery, to avascular necrosis. Athletes typically require a different recovery and rehabilitation schedule depending on competition requirements. While non-competition athletes and general patients who do not require more rigid timetables to return to the port can be treated with a rehabilitation protocol that can be more flexible to the body’s healing response. This response is typically accelerated with regenerative procedures.
Dr. Lox’s main office in Clearwater Florida can accommodate travel schedules for out of state and international patients.
