In a procedure completely unrelated to his torn left Achilles, Lakers star Kobe Bryant has returned to Germany for the same procedure he had done on his right knee in 2011. The Lakers announced Thursday that Bryant had left training camp and will be absent for several days after he left the country for an “unspecified procedure.”
Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski put a name to the procedure, though, citing the Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy as the reason for Bryant’s absence.
Bryant originally had the surgery done following a 2010 surgery to remove bone spurs from his arthritic right knee. Now, while recovering from a torn left Achilles tendon, Bryant apparently decided it was time to get his right knee worked on again.
Bryant has previously stated that the PRP surgery rejuvenated his career, and the results on the court were a more effective and athletic Bryant than the NBA had seen in a few years.
According to the South Carolina Orthopedic Institute, the PRP surgery helps regenerate tissues that need healing by flooding the blood in the targeted area with “platelets and growth factors.”
Oakland Athletics pitcher Bartolo Colon has also used the procedure in part of his shoulder rehab in 2010 and returned to win 36 games over the past three seasons, including 18 wins and a 2.65 ERA this season.
Bryant was seen Wednesday at training camp for the first time, participating in stationary shooting drills and light jogging.
