The Sixer Sense
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Has Sports Medicine Gotten TOO Good for Philadelphia 76ers?

By Bret Stuter

Dec 14, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) and forward Nerlens Noel (M) and forward Ben Simmons (R) during a timeout in the second half against the Toronto Raptors at Wells Fargo Center. The Toronto Raptors won 123.114. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 14, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) and forward Nerlens Noel (M) and forward Ben Simmons (R) during a timeout in the second half against the Toronto Raptors at Wells Fargo Center. The Toronto Raptors won 123.114. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 20, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown looks up against the Orlando Magic during the second quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 20, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown looks up against the Orlando Magic during the second quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

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Medical Advances Outpacing Sports Management

All professional sports are dangerous to an extent. Athletic competition, by definition, is the coordinated discipline of taking the human body to and beyond current limits. Whether that be speed, strength, agility, endurance or a combination of all, sports drives the human body to it’s limits and beyond.

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    • After all, human bodies are not machines. On one hand, they break with each exertion.  On the other hand, the entire process of training is a series of breaking the human tissues which strengthens in the healing process. In fact, that strengthening is known as hypertrophy.

    But some tissues do not get stronger. Muscles do. Bones do. Soft tissues? Not so much. In earlier times, that all fell into the category of sprains, strains, bumps, and bruises.  Simpler times really.

    Medicine Sees All, But Does It Know All?

    Now, medical imaging has improved to the point where orthopedic surgeons can road map everything in a sore knee: tendons, cartilage, and ligaments. Tears, ruptures, rips, and virtually all abnormalities care determined beforehand.  Each tear, rupture, rip, and abnormality can land a professional athlete on the bench indefinitely.

    But what is “normal wear and tear” in a professional athlete’s body?  What is the threshold distinguishing between the normal course of an athlete’s training/competition versus the need for medical intervention?