What to know about LaMarcus Aldridge’s season-ending shoulder injury

The San Antonio Spurs announced that center LaMarcus Aldridge will miss the remainder of the 2019-20 season after undergoing shoulder surgery in April.

The San Antonio Spurs were dealt a significant blow to their playoff odds Monday afternoon as the team announced that center LaMarcus Aldridge will miss the remainder of the 2019-20 season following “arthroscopic subacromial decompression and rotator cuff debridement” surgery on his right shoulder. The Spurs also announced that they expect the seven-time All-Star to be ready to go by the team the team starts training camp for the 2020-21 season.

In the press release, the Spurs state that Aldridge initially injured his shoulder in a late February win against the Utah Jazz; he then proceeded to miss six of San Antonio’s final eight games before the season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He underwent surgery on April 24.

What to know about LaMarcus Aldridge’s shoulder injury:

To simplify the surgical terminology, Aldridge’s procedure is utilized to address subacromial impingement syndrome, not unlike Brooklyn Net’s guard Kyrie Irving. Arthroscopic subacromial decompression utilizes a small surgical entry site and focuses on removing anatomical structures — often boney overgrowths and/or built up scar tissue — to relieve the pressure being placed on the rotator cuff musculature. Rotator cuff debridement may be indicated to removed portions of the damaged tendon if it becomes calcified or diseased due to repeated trauma.

Aldridge’s injury is fairly common amongst athletes who spend quite a bit of time with their arms extended over their heads, such as is the case with basketball. The repeated lifting of the arms overhead can lead to repetitive trauma of the rotator cuff musculature and tendons, particularly if portions of the shoulder blade or collar bone are overgrown — whether that be due to arthritis or genetics.

Recovery after subacromial decompression and rotator cuff debridement ranges from 3-6 months with nine months typically being the ceiling. This lines up with the Spurs statement saying they expect Aldridge to be healthy by training camp next season. Rehabilitation focuses on strengthing the muscles of the rotator cuff and other supporting muscles while also further opening the subacromial space via stretching.

The San Antonio Spurs where one of the 22 teams invited to resume the 2019-20 season in Orlando, Florida starting in July. The Spurs are currently 4.5 games back of the Memphis Grizzlies for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. Aldridge was second on the team in scoring with 18.9 points per game and led the team in rebounding with 7.4 per game. The Spurs will likely turn to backup center Jakob Poeltl to help fill the void left by Aldridge.