PAYTEN UNDERGOES STEM CELL PROGRAM FOR LIFE AFTER FOOTY
By Wayne Cousins
3/06/2011 4:06:56 PM
Todd Payten says the decision to become involved in a pilot stem cell program on his injured left knee was more to do with quality of life than playing rugby league.
Payten will retire at the end of this season after 16 years in the NRL premiership, the last eight years with the Wests Tigers. He has played 253 first grade games – 145 of those for the Wests Tigers.
An ankle injury suffered against the Gold Coast Titans in round 6 led to Payten agreeing to undergo the radical procedure.
“The operation was always on the cards. The doctor talked about it at the start of the year but I was never going to have it done because I would miss plenty of footy. But when I did my ankle, I was going to miss around three weeks anyway so we decided to go ahead with it,’’ Payten explained.
“They took a little bit of fat out and extract the stem cells and injected it into my knee and ankle at the same time. I’m probably one of 14 people to have it done.
“In theory, stem cells can form themselves into any cell in the body so the doctors are hoping it will grow cartilage and other things back that need to be grown inside the knee.
“I’m glad I got it done as the knee was irritating me towards in the middle stages of last season. I had an arthroscope when the season was over and the doctors took so much cartilage out. It is just bone on bone at the moment. It feels pretty good but I won’t know until I run again.”
Payten says an MRI scan six months after the operation will reveal whether the operation was successful. He is hoping to start running again by the end of the month.
“I’m just working really hard on my rehab so I can be ready to go for the back end of the season and help the team make the finals,'' he added.