Anthony Davis will not have surgery to fix a partially torn labrum in his left shoulder after all, but the New Orleans Pelicans star did undergo a left knee procedure that will keep him from basketball activities for three to four months, the Pelicans announced Thursday.
Davis revealed Sunday that he has been playing through the shoulder injury since his rookie season. Davis anticipated having surgery to his shoulder in addition to a procedure to correct tendinosis in his left knee when he addressed the media in New Orleans on Sunday.
But after evaluation and consultation with Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles, it was determined Davis' shoulder did not require surgery.
"[Davis] reports only mild soreness in his shoulder which occurs very infrequently after games," ElAttrache wrote in a medical report released by the Pelicans. "Anthony has not missed any playing time due to his shoulder. He denies recurrent instability, feels that his shoulder is strong, he has no apprehension and feels that he is able to perform at 100% of his capacity regarding his shoulder.
"We would recommend surgery for recurrent instability or pain that limits training, performance or playing time. Currently, Anthony is doing a good job of maintaining his shoulder without surgery and it is safe to play in his current condition. We would recommend a conservative approach for players like this. If he develops problems which affect his performance, we would repair his labrum at that point."
However, it was discovered that Davis had a stress reaction and tendinopathy -- the tendon was diseased and thus causing pain -- in his left kneecap.
As a result, Davis underwent an "ultrasonic debridement of the degenerative area of the patellar tendon," according to ElAttrache's report. The area around Davis' knee was also treated with a "concentrated injection of his own bone marrow which is rich in cells and proteins that can reduce pain and trigger a healing response."
The 23-year-old All-Star is set to begin rehabbing immediately and is expected to be ready by the start of next season, according to ElAttrache.
Davis played in a career-low 61 games this season, finishing with averages of 24.3 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks. He has missed a combined 68 games in his four NBA seasons.