Doctor explains Alex Rodriguez hip injury and surgery that will be performed

on December 03, 2012 at 5:01 PM, updated December 03, 2012 at 5:31 PM
ARodPack.JPG Alex Rodriguez will have surgery on his left hip in 4-6 weeks

Michael Gerhardt, an orthopedic surgeon at the Santa Monica Orthopedic Group at St. John’s Health Center, and one of team doctors for US men’s national soccer team and the Los Angeles Galaxy took a few minutes today to talk about the injury that's going to force Alex Rodriguez to miss nearly half of the upcoming season.

The Star-Ledger: Rodriguez is is going to undergo a left hip arthroscopy to repair a torn labrum, bone impingement and the correction of a cyst. Is this a common sports injury?

Gerhardt: This is a fairly common injury that we see with athletes. Some of it is a function of the sport itself and being an athlete. And some of it is believed to be a congenital and developmental type of situation.

The Star-Ledger: How complicated is the surgery?

Gerhardt: I see it fairly commonly and fortunately the procedure to fix can be fairly successful. However the outcome often is based on the condition of the joint at the time of the surgery. If there is any underlying arthritis it can negatively affect the outcome. If there’s not much arthritis the results, in general, are very good.


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The Star-Ledger: Would you characterize this as an injury more common to an older athlete, like Rodriguez?

Gerhardt: Not necessarily. Some athletes who are 20-22 years of age can have symptoms in more severe cases. In other cases it can be athletes toward the end of their career. It really varies.

The Star-Ledger: The Yankees said Rodriguez will first need a 4-6 week pre-habilitation regimen. Why is that?

Gerhardt: Often because of the symptoms, the muscles around the hip, as well as the core muscles, will become atrophied or will become weak as a result of the underlying hip problem. So in an effort to optimize his condition after the surgery it is best if they can build up some of these muscles, so he recovers faster. That’s why you undergo prehab.

The Star-Ledger: What will he be doing?

Gerhardt: Low impact, cardio and core strengthening exercises. Things of that nature.

The Star-Ledger: Is this a fairly typical baseball injury?

Gerhardt: It is more common worldwide with soccer or hockey players. It can happen with baseball players, but less frequently.

The Star-Ledger: Can you explain what a hip labrum is?

Gerhardt: The labrum is almost like a small gasket or seal that’s located at the periphery of the hip socket. It's function is to almost act like a suction cup which helps the stability of the ball and socket hip joint. So, when it starts to tear or gets damaged, the hip starts to function abnormally and athletes start to have pain and eventually leads to atrophy and dysfunction

The Star-Ledger: Is it likely this injury, and the fact that he'll now have had both hips fixed, likely result in a loss or range in the field or decreased bat speed?

Gerhardt: I think the surgery probably wouldn’t be performed unless his performance was already being affected. So I think the outcome of the surgery is largely dependent on the degree of cartilage damage inside joint. If the cartilage damage is minimal, I think his chances of returning to play are high. And that he should be able to return to any of the activities required of a third baseman, including explosive lateral movements. However, if the cartilage is compromised it can make a return much more challenging.

Jeff Bradley:;