Enter Sleeve's Knee:  A Visual Escapade

31 August 1998

Graph of Sleeve's "osteochondral defect of the patella"....

If I'm interpreting this correctly, Dr. Eakin (aka the MICROFX GURU), has cleared away the defective areas in the cartilage, revealing the underlying bone marrow--the earth tone colored regions that look like cookie dough cutouts....

This part is grrrreat--however, this may not be for the queasy at heart.  If such is the case, then turn around........OK.  Holes, or "microfractures," are made in the bone marrow, releasing blood to form a clot.  New fibrocartilage matured over the weeks and months following the surgery--finally allowing Sleeve to train for that 2:40-something marathon which has eluded him since this ugly, ugly problem surfaced....

More microfractures and blood.  The two guys wearing the chili pepper and martian caps are the assistant surgeon and anesthesiologist....