Cortisone in Kouta's knee

[injuryupdate]

Interesting that there has been a fair bit written about Kouta's knee degenerative problems that he has, and how they have used cortisone to get him back training with a view to playing in the Wizard Cup finals.

Of course for our clinic patients we would now be telling them exactly the opposite - cortisone and then playing football on your knee will just make it worse in the long run, so don't do it.

I actually think it is sensible sports medicine management (what Carlton are doing) but I would shudder to hear of a club that was doing the same with an 18 year old rookie, for example.

The fact that Kouta has a back-ended contract and is supposedly getting $1 million a year when he is no longer the player he was when that contract was written - it has to make a difference. Both the club and the player and the doctor would all be feeling the need to juice the knee up and get him butt back out on the field rather than sitting on a nice comfortable seat in the stand. If he has bad knee arthritis at the age of 40, he will still be able to pay servants to run errands for him.

[thebookie]

Kouta is gone and the only reason he is still playing is for the money...

[injuryupdate]

It would take a lot to offer to retire when you are getting $1million per year. The fact that he is still on the list on this money must irritate some of the players who are putting out far more in terms of results on a fraction of the Kouta money.

The latest update on Kouta: (i.e. we'll operate if we can't think of what else to do if his knee is still no good......)


Final or surgery for Koutoufides
11 March 2005 Herald Sun
Mark Stevens

IF IT blows up, he's out. If it doesn't, he's in. That is Carlton coach Denis Pagan's simple take on Anthony Koutoufides' million-dollar knee ahead of tomorrow night's Wizard Cup final.

Koutoufides trained at Optus Oval yesterday, but he will be ruled out today if there is any evidence of swelling in his right knee.

The Blues skipper left the track early, admitting he had his "fingers crossed" as he headed for the rooms.

Pagan remains hopeful, but is fully aware of the unpredictable nature of Koutoufides' problem.

"We think we've got the irritation in there with the anti-inflammatory injection, and we just hope it's cleared up and it doesn't surface again," Pagan said.

"We think he's OK. We'll certainly play him at this stage. You've got to be patient. If you ring me at half past four tomorrow and my phone's turned on, I'll tell you if it's blown up or not." If Koutoufides' knee does swell again, he is likely to be booked in for minor arthroscopic surgery.

That would surely be enough to rule him out of at least Round 1 of the home-and-away season.

"If it does (blow up), we'd have to consider a flush-out. It's very minor whatever the irritation is," Pagan said.

"There's plenty of players who have had this sort of thing who have had surgery. As you get a bit older, you just don't know how it's going to react.

"Sometimes it clears up, sometimes it might need a flush-out."

The injury flared in the days following the Blues' first-round Wizard Cup win against Essendon.

Koutoufides has missed the past two games against Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs.

The Blues yesterday announced a new sponsorship deal, with liquor giant Dan Murphy's becoming a joint major sponsor with Optus.

The club will alternate the logo on the front of its jumper on a home-and-away basis.

[hhh]

It seems Carlton have used up the first two options of the 3 golden rules of sports medicine:
1. Inject it
2. Cut it out
3. Replace it
Not looking good for Kouta. When does informed consent become a major issue in this case. Is what they are doing best for the player or for the club and its asset?

On the Lekkas case. If Hawthorn admits it was caused due to playing, which I understand there is no possible way of proving, does this open the flood gates if there are future complications down the track, potentially more serious and even life threatening?

[injuryupdate]

My view on Kouta is that I would probably manage him in exactly the same way. I know it sounds callous, but when the bloke is copping $1 million per year, you have to accept the possibility of worsening the subsequent knee arthritis he is going to have anyway, in order to get the guy out on the park contributing.

The point you make on the Lekkas case is very interesting. I understand that if he retires from football due to the stroke, if it is deemed football related then he gets paid an extra year's contract money (maybe in his case $150-200K) and if it is deemed non-football related then he just gets this year's money without a retirement payment. Obviously this is worth arguing over, and his manager is right to push for the football-related determination (maybe privately, debatable whether he should have gone straight to the media).

Agree that if Hawthorn concede it is a football-related injury, that this would open them up if Lekkas has an extra stroke at age 40 (hypothetically) that puts him in a wheelchair, that is deemed a follow on of the earlier injury. Maybe the outcome that will eventuate is that the club agrees without prejudice to pay the extra year of contract money in return for waiver of future liability.