New 76ers center Andrew Bynum will head to Germany in early September to have the same procedure on his knee that Kobe Bryant, Grant Hill, and Alex Rodriguez have undergone, according to a West Coast source.
Bynum has had surgery on both knees. It is unknown whether the procedure will be performed on one knee or both. According to the source, Bynum's knees are fine and the procedure, which has been used to treat osteoarthritis is nonsurgical.
The procedure, known as Orthokine/Regenokine, will be performed by Peter Wehling, founder of the Center for Molecular Orthopaedics in Düsseldorf. Though it is not yet performed in the United States, it is similar to another blood-spinning treatment that has gained popularity, known as platelet-rich plasma. In that procedure, the goal is to produce a high concentration of platelet cells, which are believed to speed the healing process. Wehling's procedure differs in that he uses the patients own blood to produce a high concentration of anti-inflammatory proteins, rather than the platelets, which he injects into the troubled joint.
