BOSTON (WHDH) - It quickly became a sports injury seen around the world that left Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum hobbling off the court in agony Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
Dr. Michael Sganga is a foot and ankle specialist at Orthopedics New England, and while he is not part of the Celtics medical team, he has treated his share of athletes with injuries similar to Tatum’s. He says this one looks like a tough one.
“A lot of my athletes, the repair that I do is called the PARS repair, similar to what Aaron Rogers had done. I’ve been doing that for many years now,” said Dr. Sganga. “Usually a smaller incision, less recovery and faster return to play.”
No matter what it is, Dr. Sganga says Tatum’s road to recovery will be long, meaning weeks, realistically months.
“These players are getting back, I think they have every advantage with rehab and advanced therapies,” said Dr. Sganga.
A former professional sports team physician also weighed in after predicting the injury while watching the game. He says Tatum will likely be on crutches for weeks.
“The good news is Jayson Tatum can return to full go, full himself, but the bad news is it won’t be for the early part of the 2025-2026 season. Next season or most of next season might be a wash in terms of his recovery,” said Dr. David Chao, of Sports Injury Central.
Dr. Sganga says this is a tough pill to swallow for the team and fans alike, however long-term, the prognosis is encouraging especially for an elite athlete like Tatum.
“I think he’ll be back,” said Dr. Sganga. “I just don’t know if it’ll be until next year or maybe delayed into the beginning of the season. That sort of depends on the extent of the injury and how quickly he rehabs in the first couple months.”
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)