There is more than just a kidney, liver, heart or spinal cord that one can receive from a donor. The proof with Lonzo Ball who underwent a meniscus transplant on his left knee, which has prevented him from playing for two and a half years. At the sound microphone podcastthe leader of the Bulls explains that his problems started in 2018, when he was with the Lakers, and the transplant was the only solution to hope of playing again.
“There was no more meniscus and there was bone against bone friction”recalls Ball. “The cartilage was gone and the bone was damaged. So I had to have a new meniscus transplanted via a donor. I had to have a bone allograft and I also had to have a cartilage graft. »
A rare and complex procedure that DNA of Sports detailed a year ago, with Professor Matthieu Ollivier, from the Institute of Movement and Musculoskeletal Devices (IML) in Marseille. It's'one of the leading French specialists in knee surgery. The fresh allograft is “the solution of the future for major knee cartilage problems for players”this specialist explained to us, before qualifying. “Are we going to save knees? Yes. But careers? I don't know… These are heavy operations for the players. It's almost like putting on a natural knee prosthesis. The femur and sometimes the tibia are often grafted with it. We then make a three-centimeter hole in the knee, to put cartilage from a deceased person. »
A knee recovered to 70%
Fifteen months after the operation, Lonzo Ball has still not returned to the field, but there is optimism. For him, his knee is at 70% of its possibilities. “It’s enough to play, but I feel like I can still improve,” announces the Chicago leader. “I still have a long summer ahead of me, but I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
After missing two full seasons, LaMelo's big brother even sees himself on the field for the restart. He obviously activated his clause to validate his last year of contract, and he will always be part of the squad. “I firmly believe in it!” This is the planned plan, and I have not experienced any relapse. I plan to play the first match » he announces.
Last March, Billy Donovan confirmed that his leader was on the right track. “There are training sessions that have been very, very positive and he has progressed. He reacted well. The doctors showed me that he seemed to be moving well. I'm really happy for him personally, for his progress. He worked hard to put himself in this position. And I hope he can continue to improve.”
