The puzzling case of Greg Oden and his broken kneecap
By John Canzano, The Oregonian
December 12, 2009
There are unanswered questions and unfinished business when it comes to the strange case of Greg Oden and his fractured left patella.
The Trail Blazers center underwent successful surgery one week ago today to repair the injury. And the front office underwent a successful procedure to readjust public expectations. And when you sift through the troubling wreckage that is Oden's recent medical history you are left with an undeniable truth.
Something is wrong.
Is Oden's body flawed? Did the Blazers push too hard, too soon after his prior injuries to get him back on the court? Was there a pre-existing condition? Is Oden's 7-foot frame just not made for basketball? Is he too strong or too weak? Or just unlucky? And is there anything that can be done in the wake of his latest injury to keep this from happening again?
Discuss in your household.
But first, understand that before Oden's rookie season he went in for an exploratory procedure on his right knee but ended up having mircofracture surgery. This came after an injury Oden said he first noticed getting up off the couch one day. Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard said the team did an MRI on Oden's knees pre-draft and they were "absolutely pristine" at the time.
The player sat out his rookie season, lifting weights and rehabilitating the injury.
In Year 2, Oden missed six games to start the 2008-09 season with what was diagnosed as a mid-lateral foot sprain. There were unanswered questions then about whether Oden's increase in weight (he'd returned from his knee surgery noticeably heavier and stronger) was a contributing factor. He looked sluggish and mechanical on the court. And then, the Blazers center was hurt in a midseason collision with Corey Maggette at Golden State where Oden suffered a bone chip in his left knee. The team announced Oden was "day to day." That soon changed to "out for two games." That diagnosis turned into a week, and beyond, with whispers growing inside the franchise about Oden's toughness and desire.
Eventually, Don Roberts, the team physician, drained Oden's left knee with a syringe. It filled with blood. And Oden's MRI results were shipped to James Andrews, a renowned joint specialist in Alabama, who concurred with Roberts that surgery wasn't necessary.
The team, which is ultra-conscious of public perception of their No. 1 draft pick, admitted it had publicly "misplayed" Oden's diagnosis on the bone chip because trainers and doctors had known from the start they were dealing with an injury that was potentially longterm. Why the urge to declare him mostly healthy when he obviously wasn't? Nobody ever said. The center ended up missing 14 games with what we came to understand was a significant injury to his left patella.
Now, the same patella fractures without contact?
The Blazers will tell you that Oden will be back and they're giving him the best medical care available. But outside medical professionals and conspiracy theorists will tell you that all of Oden's injuries could be related, and that his young career would make a fascinating case study.
Orthopedic experts will tell you that they're unqualified to give a medical diagnosis on Oden without examining him or seeing his MRIs. But one offered this much on Saturday, "It's not unusual that a serious pre-existing contact injury to the patella could have left a hairline fracture or an area of weakness in the patella that eventually fractured." And another who works with professional sports teams said Saturday: "I know the Blazers have the best trainers and doctors looking at him, but if I were Oden I would want to seek an outside opinion on why this keeps happening."
It's his career, after all.
Are the Blazers interested in real answers on Oden? Are they willing to explain to their ticket-buying fan base what they think is happening with their center? Beyond that, is Oden himself getting an accurate picture? You certainly hope the answers are yes, but we've passed through the threshold of waving things off as just a "freak injury" long ago when it comes to Oden. You now have to wonder if the franchise's desire to justify Oden's as the No.1 pick three years ago is what's driving some of this.
The human body is a curious thing. I once had my right eye dilate for no apparent reason, which sent me to the emergency room, which sent me through a battery of machines and tests, and an overnight stay in the hospital. They feared it was a stroke, maybe, and maybe some of my columns justify that. A series of doctors examined me, and each left puzzled. Ultimately, a renowned neurologist reviewed my MRI, CT scan, and my eye, closed the door and announced, "Sometimes weird (bleep) just happens."
Is that Oden's diagnosis, too?
