Jayson Tatum, the 27-year-old forward for the Boston Celtics, recently had successful surgery to repair his Achilles tendon. The operation took place under a day after receiving the injury. The operation Dr. Martin O’Malley of the Brooklyn Nets medical staff performed. The timing couldn’t be more perfect, allowing for a full recovery. That’s because with quick intervention, athletes with the same type of injury usually come back stronger than ever.
After the procedure, Tatum will be put in a short arm cast for about three weeks to allow the repair to heal. This first step is an important one in making sure that tendon has time to heal correctly. Once his initial cast is removed, Tatum will start with controlled early motion exercises to help speed his rehab process.
Tatum’s injury history has been minuscule at best, which is certainly an encouraging sign moving forward with his recovery. Athletes that have undergone an Achilles injury usually need about six months to a year to get back onto the field. Research indicates that NBA players typically take at least ten months on average from their injury before they return to court competitively. Considering Tatum’s youth and the absence of any major past injuries, it is certainly within the realm of possibility that he enjoys a favorable recovery trajectory.
Elasticity proves to be crucial to the overall function of the Achilles tendon. Excessive lengthening of the repair site during healing may result in secondary events that render the tendon functionally useless. As Tatum continues his rehabilitation from the injury, careful monitoring and rehabilitation will be crucial to return him to full strength.
As this 2020 study found, the greatest benefits in acute repair, like Tatum’s injury, come from speedy repair. It focused on the idea that recovery is largely dependent on the timely surgical intervention. As Tatum continues on this path, he should continue to draw inspiration from other NBA stars who have successfully worked through these same challenges.
Kevin Durant’s exceptional comeback to superstar status after his own Achilles tear will be a hopeful point of reference for Tatum. The second lesson taken from Durant’s experience is another hard truth — it takes time to recover. The good news is that professional athletes can indeed come back—and re-discover their explosiveness and court skills—following major injuries.
The good news is that Tatum is 100 percent committed to rehabilitation and a slow return to play. While full explosiveness may not return until his second year post-recovery, this strategy could allow him to regain the explosiveness that he once possessed. The Celtics and their fans will be keeping fingers crossed that Tatum proved more right than wrong, and he’s back in short order.
Leave a Reply