 |
Kobe Bryant is heading overseas to have a medical procedure unrelated to the torn Achilles tendon he sustained in April.
The Los Angeles Lakers said Thursday that Bryant is expected to return early next week.
He went to Germany twice in 2011 for a procedure on his sore right knee and a sore left ankle that bothered him at the time.
The Los Angeles Times on Thursday cited people with knowledge of the situation as saying that Bryant was going to Germany this time. He was having a knee procedure that involves removing blood from the affected area and spinning it in a centrifuge. Molecules that cause inflammatory responses are then removed to create a serum that is injected back into the affected area.
Reported by the Associated Press
Recovery from Orthokine or Regenokine is typically quick compared to more severe knee procedures and does not add to Bryant’s recovery time from a torn Achilles’ tendon, which remains the larger issue. His availability for the Lakers’ Oct. 29 season opener against the Clippers is still unclear.
Bryant plans to have only his knee treated but will get other areas examined as well. His Achilles’ will not be part of the treatment, a Lakers spokesman said.
Orthokine targets proteins or molecules called interleukin that cause inflammatory responses. Blood is taken from a patient’s affected area and spun in a centrifuge to create a serum that is injected back into the targeted area.
Reported by Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times
