Last summer, the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez had trouble with the meniscus in his right knee. In July, he underwent surgery on that knee and missed 38 games; he wound up with the fewest games played, HR and RBI since his rookie season in 1995 and his lowest OPS (.823) since he burst on the scene with his .358/.414/.631 season the following year.
Alex Rodriguez Has ‘Experimental’ Knee Procedure
“Orthokine”, an experimental medical procedure recently used by the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, has now been performed on the Yankee third baseman.
Recently, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post, A-Rod underwent an “experimental” knee treatment in Europe:
The innovative procedure was performed on Rodriguez — with the Yankees’ blessing — within the last month, according to one source. The Yankees first cleared the procedure with the commissioner’s office to avoid the appearance that Rodriguez might be receiving impermissible treatment.
The article further indicates that A-Rod did this after getting advice from the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant, who had a similar treatment called "Orthokine" done in Germany:
Orthokine involves taking blood from the patient’s arm and spinning it in a centrifuge, a machine used in laboratories to spin objects around a fixed axis. The serum is then injected into the affected area — in this case, Rodriguez’s knee.No one really knows the long-term effects of this procedure, according to the article, but it shouldn’t affect A-Rod’s availability for spring training; Bryant, who had this done to an ankle, was playing in the Lakers’ season opener on Sunday just “weeks” after doing it.
It’s no wonder the Yankees gave their “blessing” to this. They owe A-Rod at least $150 million for the next six seasons. They’re probably looking at it as a way to get their money’s worth.
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