Tassie star defends LARS
August 12th 2010 13:13
Sourced: The Mercury - The Voice of Tasmania
by Adam Smith
THE first local footballer to undergo the revolutionary LARS knee reconstruction has had no second thoughts with his choice, despite suggestions the risks far outweigh those of a traditional operation.
Clarence's Matthew Geappen - who as a teenager had both knees reconstructed opted for the radical surgery last year when he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament a third time.
LARS involves using a ligament made of industrial-strength polyester fibres instead of a natural hamstring tendon to replace the torn ligament.
Geappen's decision has allowed the 31-year-old to play in 2010, whereas a traditional reconstruction would have seen him sidelined for 12 months.
Orthopaedic surgeon Cameron Norsworthy, who completed LARS surgery on Carlton forward Brad Fisher in February, said in yesterday's Mercury the procedure was " ... still not perfect. We need to be fairly careful in the way we use it and that message definitely hasn't gotten across, certainly not in the general public," Norsworthy said.
Geappen also saw Norsworthy for his surgery and couldn't be happier with the result.
"At my age, it couldn't have been better for me. I only have a couple of years left at best," Geappen said.
"It depends on what you want to do in normal life, I spoke to him [Norsworthy] about the issues if I had to have another one again.
"My thoughts were I would have another one of these if I wasn't playing footy, but he said he definitely wouldn't do it, he would do a normal reconstruction.
"I also saw one of the other doctors was quoted saying he wouldn't let someone run for 16 weeks, well I was running after six."
The synthetic graft technique is yet to be approved in the US, has been banned in France for more than a decade and questions still remain regarding the lifespan of the ligament. Geappen can understand why some elite footballers, such as Fisher and Port Adelaide's David Rodan opted for LARS, while Blues ruckman Matthew Kruezer chose the traditional method.
"The time of their careers, if they didn't have that done and got back to football quicker they are a chance to get de-listed I suppose," he said.
"The good thing is no one has re-done their knee as yet that I know of.
"I don't think [Swan Nick] Malceski has had an issue, neither has Rodan."
by Adam Smith
THE first local footballer to undergo the revolutionary LARS knee reconstruction has had no second thoughts with his choice, despite suggestions the risks far outweigh those of a traditional operation.
Clarence's Matthew Geappen - who as a teenager had both knees reconstructed opted for the radical surgery last year when he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament a third time.
LARS involves using a ligament made of industrial-strength polyester fibres instead of a natural hamstring tendon to replace the torn ligament.
Geappen's decision has allowed the 31-year-old to play in 2010, whereas a traditional reconstruction would have seen him sidelined for 12 months.
Orthopaedic surgeon Cameron Norsworthy, who completed LARS surgery on Carlton forward Brad Fisher in February, said in yesterday's Mercury the procedure was " ... still not perfect. We need to be fairly careful in the way we use it and that message definitely hasn't gotten across, certainly not in the general public," Norsworthy said.
Geappen also saw Norsworthy for his surgery and couldn't be happier with the result.
"At my age, it couldn't have been better for me. I only have a couple of years left at best," Geappen said.
"It depends on what you want to do in normal life, I spoke to him [Norsworthy] about the issues if I had to have another one again.
"My thoughts were I would have another one of these if I wasn't playing footy, but he said he definitely wouldn't do it, he would do a normal reconstruction.
"I also saw one of the other doctors was quoted saying he wouldn't let someone run for 16 weeks, well I was running after six."
The synthetic graft technique is yet to be approved in the US, has been banned in France for more than a decade and questions still remain regarding the lifespan of the ligament. Geappen can understand why some elite footballers, such as Fisher and Port Adelaide's David Rodan opted for LARS, while Blues ruckman Matthew Kruezer chose the traditional method.
"The time of their careers, if they didn't have that done and got back to football quicker they are a chance to get de-listed I suppose," he said.
"The good thing is no one has re-done their knee as yet that I know of.
"I don't think [Swan Nick] Malceski has had an issue, neither has Rodan."
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