To be fit and match-ready is critical to the careers of all professional sportsmen and -women. Any injury sustained is a danger to their livelihood, and the time spent whilst fully recovering should be kept to a minimum.
It is exactly because of these reasons that the Centre for Sports Medicine and Orthopaedics at Netcare’s Rosebank Hospital has become first choice for many top South African and international sport stars.
Two professional sportsmen who recently sought the expertise of the medical specialists at this Centre is Indian bowler Zaheer Khan and Springbok centre Jaque Fourie.
Khan, India’s left arm seamer, was proclaimed a doubtful starter for the upcoming test series between South Africa and India because of an injury to his left heel, sustained during the Sydney test in early January this year. After being told that he would probably have to wait six to ten months before being able to play again, he sought treatment from the Centre for Sports Medicine and Orthopaedics at Netcare Rosebank Hospital. The specialist team at the Centre helped him to heal faster than anyone anticipated.
“In the past the Centre has been very helpful with injuries sustained by the Indian cricket team. The differentiating factor is the multidisciplinary approach used that even include rehabilitation and conditioning after treatment. They have given me hope and early indications are that I will be able to play again within two month’s instead of the projected six to ten months,” says Khan.
Although he needs to take it slow at first he is already running and bowling again. Khan believes that he will be able to start playing domestic games in India within three to four weeks, with the hope of being drafted back into the Indian side soon after.
Netcare Rosebank Hospital’s Centre for Sport Medicine and Orthopaedics has also recently treated Springbok and Golden Lions centre Jaque Fourie. He suffered a sports hernia injury, also referred to as a Gilmore’s Groin.
“In the past a player would be out of action for at least ten weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a Gilmore’s Groin. With the latest technology used by the Centre however, I will be able to start practicing again by next week, only six weeks after the surgery,” says Fourie.
He describes the Centre as being the best place in Johannesburg for treatment of any kind of sports injury. “I have been using the Centre since 2004 and have only ever received the best treatment from the specialists and staff there. All the doctors and physiotherapists are extremely knowledgeable. If, for instance, your usual physio is not available to help you, any of the others in the team can help you immediately with professional, friendly treatment. They’re a great bunch of people.
”Lucas Radebe, former captain of Bafana Bafana and Leeds Football Club, previously praised the sophisticated orthopaedic surgery practiced at this Centre as being responsible for extending his soccer career by several years. He was a long-time patron of the Centre.
All surgery takes place at Netcare Rosebank Hospital whose facilities include a Digital Operating Room (DOR) and a CAS enabled operating room. The hospital was the first in the country to use this groundbreaking technology.
Surgery in the DOR involves the use of fiber optic lenses and digital video cameras in certain orthopaedic procedures. The CAS system enables physicians to perform knee, artificial joint and hip replacement surgeries with great precision, resulting in improved prognoses in terms of longer lasting results for patients.
The Centre also offers a multi-disciplinary sports centre recovery clinic with expertise in the treatment and non-surgical management of sports injuries, treatment of exercise-related medical conditions and advice for athletes. Other services include physiotherapy, podiatry, biokinetics, clinical and sports dietician, radiology, and a pathology laboratory.
First established in 1996 by Drs Mark Ferguson, Clive Noble and Evan Speechley, the centre catered primarily for elite athletes but it soon became evident that there was a need for a wider range of orthopaedic specialists. Today the centre is in a unique position to meet the medical needs of both professional and leisure sportsmen and women.
“We realised that the ‘weekend warriors’, or non-professional, sports people in South Africa were very much in need of orthopaedic care and began to develop the centre into a full spectrum treatment facility,” says Dr Ferguson. “Anyone can utilise the expertise of our large team of orthopaedic surgeons who can handle anything from general to specialised procedures. Patient care, facilitated by means of a coordinated healthcare team, state-of-the-art facilities, as well as co-operation and information sharing between patient and doctor, is our primary concern.”
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