Tendon issues have been a sore spot for NBA players. As a response, NBA and GE Healthcare promoted a $1.5 million research fund for researching and treating tendinopathy.
According to Biz Journals, the NBA and GE Healthcare are looking for research proposals on tendinopathy for a three-year period to deal with questions on diagnosis, treatment and prevention in elite NBA athletes. Their first official meeting was held on Monday, Dec. 7 as part of their collaboration.
Tendinopathy can weaken the performance, reduce playing time and possibly destroy an athletic career, and is a common condition among athletes, mainly for basketball players' patellar tendon. Some of the NBA stars who suffered from this condition are Kyrie Irving and Dwayne Wade (ruptured patella, knee tendinitis); Kobe Bryant and Wesley Matthews (Achilles ruptures) and Carmelo Anthony (patellar tendon debridement in his left knee)
Dr. John DiFiory, NBA's sports medicine director, along with a steering committee and a group of scientific peer reviewers established a strategic advisory board that will guide the call for proposals. The research proposals are expected to be submitted on Feb. 10, 2016.
"Player health and wellness is our top priority, and the NBA's research partnership with GE Healthcare is a significant step toward understanding injuries that affect NBA players," Silver said in a statement. "Both everyday athletes and elite professionals will benefit from our collaboration, and I'd like to thank Marcelo and his team for bold vision and hard work."
NBA believes that tendinopathy is a main concern and have identified bone stress and cartilage problems as possible concerns for additional rounds of funding. At the moment, it plans to choose a winning proposal in April right before the NBA Playoffs.
On the other hand, a report from the ESPN said that the talk about Dallas Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban, funding a University of Michigan study is not related to NBA/GE Healthcare project. Cuban will allot $800, 000 funds for a two-year research about the effects of a banned performance-enhancer (based on league rules) on ACL recovery.
