southsider2k5 Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2011/jun/17...-peavy-arthrex/ NAPLES — When asked to describe how it felt when his right latissimus dorsi tendon tore completely off the bone during a game last summer, Chicago White Sox pitcher Jake Peavy likened the injury to a gunshot wound. Little did Peavy know that a gunshot wound would have been easier to explain, and perhaps treat, than the incredibly rare injury that sidelined the White Sox ace. Peavy’s injury was the first documented case of a professional pitcher completely tearing the latissimus dorsi tendon off the bone. The tendon connects the latissimus dorsi muscle to the humerus bone (upper arm) and helps transfer the force of pitching from the legs to the arm. Typical treatments for tears, which are usually in the 30-40 percent range, not the complete tear that Peavy suffered, require rest and rehabilitation, never surgery. But due to the severity of Peavy’s injury, drastic measures were required to save the $16 million-a-year pitcher. That’s when he turned to White Sox team doctor Tony Romeo for help. “He felt like his career was probably over at that point,” said Romeo, who was in attendance at the second annual Arthrex Sports Medicine Symposium in Naples last week. “He came to me and he wanted to have it fixed, and I thought that was the right thing to do.” Both doctor and patient knew the procedure would be a risky proposition, but with retirement seemingly the only other option, the decision to move forward with the ground-breaking surgery received the go-ahead. Because such a surgery had never been performed before, Romeo was forced to alter some of his surgical tools just to make it possible to fix the tear. “We found that the ability to repair the tendon from a surgeon’s point of view was actually possible, but the tools we were using weren’t designed to work in that area,” Romeo said. “I had to modify some of the tools that I had, and it worked just fine, but because of some of the challenges I saw, I knew the tools could be changed to make it easier for people in the future.” That’s when Romeo approached Naples-based Arthrex about designing new surgical tools for the surgical procedure that was performed on Peavy. Romeo is one of many doctors across the country who works with Arthrex to develop new tools and procedures for orthopedic surgeons. “I came to the people at Arthrex that I know and told them that we need to develop a special device for people that tear their latissimus or more commonly their chest muscle because they’re shaped about the same,” Romeo said. “I worked with the engineers, and we developed these buttons that you drill a small hole into the bone, and stick the button into that and it spins, and then you have sutures stuck in the bone, and you just have to sew it down and it’s repaired.” Peavy made a complete recovery and returned to the White Sox lineup last month, winning two games before a groin injury landed him back on the disabled list. Now Romeo, along with the help of Arthrex, is preparing a presentation for Major League Baseball about the procedure and its benefits. “The paper for how we completed the operation and the devices we’ve developed has been submitted for publication,” Romeo said. “We’re planning on presenting at the MLB physicians meeting in December.” Because Peavy was the first Major League player to receive the surgery, the long-term prognosis is unknown. However, Romeo said if all goes well and the techniques and tools he developed with Arthrex are proven effective, future treatment of both full and partial latissimus dorsi tendon tears could be changed forever. “The idea isn’t going to help a lot of people unless I can make it come to fruition,” Romeo said. “That’s where Arthrex has been invaluable. They’ve helped me through this process, and now we have something that other surgeons can look to and use in the future.” Connect with Woody Wommack at www.naplesnews.com/staff/Woody_Wommack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 So, if this ever happens again, do we say that the pitcher is having "Jake Peavy" surgery? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chw42 Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 17, 2011 -> 05:07 PM) So, if this ever happens again, do we say that the pitcher is having "Jake Peavy" surgery? He'll have his name in the history books for something other than the 07 Cy Young then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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