Blazers fans may have to wait a little longer to see Greg Oden in action.
According to a release on the team's web site, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft is likely to miss the 2007-08 season after exploratory arthroscopic surgery revealed cartilage damage to the Ohio State star's right knee.
"Greg had an arthroscopy and a micro fracture surgery today," said team physician Dr. Don Roberts, who performed the surgery. "He was found to have articular cartilage damage in his right knee. The area of injury was not large and we were able to treat it with micro fracture, which stimulates the growth of cartilage. There are things about this that are positive for Greg. First of all he is young. The area where the damage was is small and the rest of his knee looked normal. All those are good signs for a complete recovery from micro fracture surgery."
According to the release, Oden is expected to be on crutches for up to eight weeks. Recovery for micro fracture surgery generally takes between six and 12 months for full recovery. "Certainly this is a setback, but our future is still incredibly bright," said Trail Blazers General Manager Kevin Pritchard. "Is it disappointing? Yes. However, this is a great core of talent and players of strong character and will continue to be."
Continued.
