April 3, 2023
Dr. Fibel weighs in on Grizzlies’ Adams Return from Injury
Article Link: Steven Adams update. Can he return to Memphis Grizzlies for playoffs? (usatoday.com)
Adams’ injury timeline raised concerns since he was projected to return in early March. The Commercial Appeal spoke with Kenton Fidel, a primary care sports medicine specialist at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles who specializes in Platelet-Rich Plasma injections, to get more clarity on the stem cell injection and Adams’ availability for the playoffs.
Fidel pointed out how a stem cell injection helps jumpstart the healing process after the initial injury. The protocols from sports teams vary on how much a player can do immediately following the injection, but the idea is that this procedure can stimulate the injury and best position Adams for a quick return after the four-week timeline. “It’s not always 100% that these (stem cell injections) are going to benefit the patient or athletes, but it’s a pretty good number that benefit from them, and the negative impact is low,” Fidel said. “It’s always a little concerning when that timetable delayed, but at the same time I think that they felt that it was in the player’s best interest to delay his return, giving the body more time to heal the sprain if it can be augmented with any additional nonoperative tools. There’s really no downside since you’re using the bodies own natural healing cells.”
