SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Three surgeons who spoke to the Post say OG Anunoby’s right elbow is sore and sore, which is surprising given the limited amount of time he has after surgery. It is said that it is not.
And without rest, this problem, while manageable, can be long-lasting. That sentiment appears to be supported by the Knicks, who listed Anunoby as vulnerable for Saturday night’s game against the Kings due to “injury management.”
“He needs to shoot and practice, but he also needs to rest,” Dr. Leon Popowitz, co-founder of New York Bone & Joint in New York, told the Post. “But he’s a professional athlete, so he needs to go out. This is probably something he’ll feel over the next few weeks.”
Anunoby’s joint tenderness showed up Thursday night in Portland, and after sticking his arm out for a steal, the forward held his joint, wincing in pain.
Anunoby continued to play, but intermittently touched and bent his elbow, as if suffering from discomfort.
It was his second game back since undergoing elbow surgery to “remove a loose bone fragment” in early February, and his faltering appearance was concerning given his recent surgery.
Anunoby downplayed his pain after the win, saying “he was fine” and guaranteeing he would be available for Saturday’s game against the Kings.
Tom Thibodeau dismissed the idea that Anunoby’s pain was alarming. Despite this, less than 24 hours later, the Knicks downgraded Anunoby to questionable.
It’s been just two games since Anunoby’s return, and it’s been an eye-opening update.
The former Raptor became a free agent this summer and quickly became one of the most important pieces to the Knicks’ success.
“If it happens here and there or happens a few times by chance, there’s no need to worry too much,” Dr. Salil Gupta, a clinical assistant professor at New York University, told the Post. “And you would expect that to happen in the first few weeks or months after surgery. I think it’s more of a question of whether it happens more and more consistently. Non-contact activities, moving, shooting. If it happens in. If he gets swollen after the game (which will happen gradually), and if it’s really dramatic and makes it difficult to move the elbow, something like that will happen. …but in the 6th week [after the surgery]If you experience pain a few times during a high-intensity match, there’s no need to worry too much. ”
As the surgeon pointed out, there are several important conditions for evaluation.
No one has examined Anunoby or looked at his medical records, and we can only assume that the player did not undergo any reconstruction or repair during arthroscopic surgery.
Additionally, it is unknown how Anunoby physically responded to the pain from Thursday.
“I’d be concerned if his elbow was swollen, but maybe it is. If he couldn’t maintain full range of motion in his elbow, I’d be concerned,” New York University Langone Orthopedic Surgeon said Dr. Andrew S. Lokito, Chief of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery. “And I would be concerned about how much he is suffering. All those things factor into my level of concern. And if all these conditions are met, I would be concerned about how much he is suffering. will be needed.”
Even if there is no inflammation, Rokito, who was a Mets surgeon in the early 2000s, said he might recommend that Anunoby rest.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we were able to let him rest a few games and try again. Or, if he felt good in practice and wasn’t in pain, we could let him practice again,” Dr. Lokito said. said. “I’m not afraid to let him play in terms of causing irreparable structural damage to the elbow. I’d rather that if he’s playing and his elbow becomes inflamed, that inflammation You’re going to worry about not being given the chance to disappear.”
The consensus is that rest is the best way to “relieve symptoms,” as Dr. Popowitz says, and may not be necessary depending on your pain tolerance.
But without it, the problem could become even more persistent.
“Maybe. If he continues to have discomfort and continues to try to play through it, he may have to shut down again at some point,” Dr. Gupta said. “It’s unpredictable, but that’s your fear.”
