Former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro has turned to a new medical treatment in a bid to overcome an injury which has sidelined him from the Tour for 18 months.
It has been confirmed that the Argentine has undergone Stem Cell Treatment on his right patella (kneecap), which he has fractured twice during his career. The most recent occurred during the 2019 Fever-Tree Championships in London which resulted in Del Potro having to undergo multiple surgeries on his knee in the months that followed. The first time he broke his patella was during the 2018 Shanghai Masters.
In a bid to return back to full fitness, the 32-year-old has travelled to Brazil to undergo a procedure called BMAC (Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate). The minimally invasive process involves collecting regenerative stem cells from a person’s body which is then injected into the affected area to aid recovery. Del Potro will have to return to Brazil in a few weeks time for new sessions.
Website GZH, who first broke the news of Del Potro’s treatment, quotes Luiz Fernando García as saying that physiotherapy will be a critical element in the recovery process. Garcia is a physiotherapist for the Brazilian athletics team.
“Physiotherapy is essential for those who perform the application, as it helps reduce swelling, discomfort, as well as strengthen muscles and help restore confidence in relation to the injury. We will do some tests and see how you react to the treatment, but the goal is to start with muscle-strengthening exercises and seek to increase the range of motion of the joint,” he told GZH.
La Nacion newspaper reports that footballer Rodrigo Dourado has previously undergone BMAC which helped him return to professional football after 450 days.
Despite his various injury setbacks, Del Potro has insisted that he is not ready to retire just yet during an interview with ESPN. Prior to the stem cell treatment, he has undergone a total of seven surgeries during his career and has spent nine or more months away from the Tour on four separate occasions.
“I have been fighting with my knee. It’s hard for me to come back, it’s a reality,” Del Potro said.
“I still stand by the desire to play again that I have, and I don’t think I have to close this stage (my career) yet.’
“I want to be at the Olympic Games, that makes me continue to be excited. Because of the damn pandemic, they will go to next year. I think it would be a prize to represent Argentina once again. That is why I am going to continue fighting.”
Two-time Olympic medallist Del Potro has won 13 ATP titles so far in his career and has peaked at a ranking high of third in the world. He has earned more than $25 million in prize money which is more than any other Argentine player – male or female – in history.
