By Tom Wald
May 17th 2008 @ 5:19am
Malceski may become the bee’s knee of the AFL
Nick Malceski’s rapid-fire return from radical knee surgery for Sunday’s AFL clash with Essendon is set to revolutionise medical thinking about serious knee injuries.
The damaging Sydney defender was cleared today for the ANZ Stadium clash against the Bombers just three months after reconstructive knee surgery for a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.
But not before surviving an early test with Swans defender Craig Bolton landing on his repaired knee at SCG training today.
The injury normally sidelines players for 12 months using conventional methods.
But using a progressive procedure involving the use of artificial fibre intertwined with the damaged ligament, the bionic backman has made a speedy recovery.
Malceski was initially shocked when told this week he was in line for senior selection but Swans coach Paul Roos felt he was left with little choice.
“We could not find a reason not to play him,” Roos said.
And word of Malceski running freely has set tongues wagging in professional sports.
Swans doctor Nathan Gibbs has received enormous interest in Malceski’s rehabilitation from other sports.
“It would be great if it works because it could revolutionise the way we treat ACL ruptures,” he said.
“Football codes where this injury is so prominent rugby, AFL and soccer when you have a key player who missed a whole season it affects how the club performs, so it will help everyone.”
Roos expected Malceski, the runner-up in the club’s best and fairest count last year, to play between 60 to 80 minutes this weekend.
But Gibbs warned against any premature celebrations.
“He is certainly not out of the woods,” the medico said.
Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson praised Malceski for being the guinea pig.
“Full credit to him to be a pioneer in this regard - I think for all players, we’re hoping that it is successful,” he said.
“It’s a dreaded injury, to spend 12 months out of the game with an ACL - if we can get guys back in three months rather than 12 months, it’s a great thing for our game.”
Gibbs understood the scepticism of some because of the lack of success of using artificial fibres in such operations during the 1980s.
The old fibres tended to deteriorate too rapidly.
But the new material is designed to be more resilient and to allow the ruptured ligament to repair around the synthetic fibre.
“The critics and sceptics would say there is a high re-rupture rate for this sort of procedure, that used to be the case definitely,” Gibbs said.
“But the overseas experience would say that the re-rupture rate is the same as the traditional operation which is about one in four or one in five (do) break down again.
“It certainly has an accelerated rehabilitation program and Nick Malceski has definitely shown that to come back in three months is possible from this sort of operation.”
Young Swan Ed Barlow has made way for Malceski as the low-flying Bombers continued their recent revolving door policy.
The 13th-placed Essendon side named seven new players for Sunday after bringing in six different faces for their last match.
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