Pre-Game Quotes March 27- Dr Jack McPhilemy

Dr. McPhilemy

On Wed Mar 27, Sixers Team Physician Dr Jack McPhilemy addressed the media regarding the medical status of Derrick Coleman and Allen Iverson. Here is what he had to say.

Dr. Jack McPhilemy on Allen Iverson…
“He has a fracture of his left second or index metacarpal, and he is currently in a cast. We anticipate that the cast will be on for about three weeks and then depending on what x-rays and clinical examinations show, we hope to remove the cast about that time and get him into a splint, and start him with the rehabilitation process for the hand.”

Iverson

On the benefit of putting a screw in the hand through surgery as opposed to the cast…
“The benefit of a screw is that it gives him compression and immediate fixation. The disadvantage of that, obviously, it that it is a surgical procedure and there is the risk of infection and neurovascular damage to nerves, arteries and veins.”

On the difference between a spiral fracture and an oblique fracture…
“I would not say that one is worse than the other, they are different fracture patterns. An oblique fracture is a little shorter and lends itself to a little bit more instability. A spiral fracture is probably a little more stable. Healing for the two (injuries) is about the same. The initial evaluation in Boston was that it was a spiral fracture, when (Iverson) got back the Philadelphia we looked at the x-rays … additional X-rays showed that it was more of a short oblique fracture as opposed to a spiral fracture.”

On the difference in recovery time between surgery and a cast …
“Realistically, I think the difference in recovery time for playing basketball could be as long as two weeks but probably closer to a week. One of the things that has not been addressed is when surgery would be done. Yesterday, I saw Allen and put him in a cast. Based on the exam yesterday, it is pretty unlikely that we would have been able to do surgery yesterday or perhaps even today, because he still has significant swelling in the hand. Some of the advantage that would be gained from surgery would be negated by the fact that surgery is going to be delayed a little bit because of the swelling.”

Coleman

On Derrick Coleman’s left knee injury…
“Derrick Coleman is suffering from a hyperextended left knee with a ruptured Baker’s Cyst. What some of you are aware of is that we have had multiple opinions on Derrick. Again, as mentioned earlier with Allen this is a serial process, we examined him serially, we get various diagnostic studies at certain times. Derrick has had three MRI studies of his knee. Those MRI studies have indicated that he has degenerative changes in the medial compartment of his knee. He has a degenerative meniscus, and he has a ruptured Baker’s Cyst. We’ve had him examined (by) Dr. Glenn Perry down in Charlotte examined him, Dr. (Michael) Dillingham in San Francisco and Dr. (James) Andrews in Alabama took a look at the MRIs and their interpretation of the MRIs was pretty consistent with what our interpretation was. As you know Dr. (Harlan) Selesnick in Miami also saw the MRIs and saw Derrick, and he was in agreement virtually completely with the diagnosis, however, he raised the possibility that the patient, and I’ll quote what he said to me was ‘I think he may have a partially torn meniscus.’ No one disputes that that is a consideration. It is just not something that we have been able to document with three MRI studies which have now been evaluated now by four or five physicians.”

What is a Baker’s Cyst?
"A Baker’s Cyst is a cyst that is in the back of the knee, it is commonly found in people who have meniscal tears and or degenerative arthritis. It’s a collection of fluid.”

What does he need to do to be able to play?
"Basically, rest between games. The belief is that more than anything it is going to be rest that is eventually going to cause this thing to calm down. He gets physical therapy and treatment between games, and we are restricting his practice.”