Knee Cartilage

Reserve forward Matt Barnes will miss several weeks because of torn cartilage in his right knee, meaning Kobe Bryant will probably log more minutes as the Lakers absorb yet another knee injury. An MRI exam Saturday confirmed that Barnes sustained a torn lateral meniscus, though the Lakers declined to release a timetable for his return until after he has surgery in the next few days. "We're going to lose speed and quickness at that position," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said. Former Lakers guard Jordan Farmar missed five weeks during the 2008-09 season because of a similar injury.

Reserve forward Matt Barnes will miss several weeks because of torn cartilage in his right knee, meaning Kobe Bryant will probably log more minutes as the Lakers absorb yet another knee injury. An MRI exam Saturday confirmed that Barnes sustained a torn lateral meniscus, though the Lakers declined to release a timetable for his return until after he has surgery in the next few days. "We're going to lose speed and quickness at that position," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said. Former Lakers guard Jordan Farmar missed five weeks during the 2008-09 season because of a similar injury.

vs. Arizona, 7:30 Fox Sports Net * Site--Staples Center. * Radio--KMPC (1540). * Records--Avengers 0-2, Rattlers 0-1. * Record vs. Rattlers (2000)--0-2. * Update--Looking for their first victories, both teams will try different quarterbacks tonight.

Finally, there will be a game. The Lakers haven't played since completing a sweep of Utah a week ago, but the circumstances are more considerable, the results more weighty when they begin the Western Conference finals Monday against the Phoenix Suns at Staples Center. They're four victories away from a 31st appearance in the NBA Finals, but they'll get there only if Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum shake off knee injuries that have basically kept them off the practice court the last week.

Oh, that Denver Bronco football, still keeping left guard Mark Schlereth in stitches. Midway through his 12th NFL season, Schlereth underwent his 28th surgery this week, this time to repair a left knee that had previously been operated on 13 times. Schlereth has undergone five operations on his right knee, six on his elbows, one on his eyes, one to remove a back disk and one to remove a kidney stone.

Infielder Chad Fonville, who had become a fan favorite with his hustling play, figured he would have a starting job this spring. Instead, the Dodgers signed Greg Gagne for $2.6 million to become their shortstop and re-signed Delino DeShields for $3 million as their second baseman. Just like that, Fonville was without a starting job, and really, a position. He is being cast as a super-utility player.

Coach Don Chaney received some added job security Tuesday, getting a one-year contract extension from the New York Knicks. The extension is the second for Chaney in less than a year since taking over after Jeff Van Gundy's unexpected resignation in December. It also perhaps signals that the Knicks will not make Chaney a fall guy during a likely poor season.

After giving the team Sunday off, Coach Larry Robinson Monday put the Kings through a tough 90-minute practice that emphasized conditioning and board work. "I felt that we were a little sluggish against Montreal [in a 4-1 loss on Saturday]," Robinson said. "We didn't have the same jump that we had in previous games. I wanted to make sure that we are ready to go."

Strikeout king Nolan Ryan's farewell tour was put on hold Thursday when he underwent surgery for torn knee cartilage that will sideline him three to six weeks. Dr. John Conway, orthopedic consultant for the Texas Rangers, said the arthroscopic procedure on the right knee lasted about 40 minutes. "I feel that the surgery went well," Ryan, 46, said in a statement from Harris Methodist Hospital in Ft. Worth. "I'll start my rehabilitation as soon as the doctor gives me clearance to do so.

There were no wisecracks Sunday from Denver Nugget Coach Doug Moe, who usually finds something sarcastic or funny to say about his team no matter the outcome. This time, it seemed that Moe had lost the game and his sense of humor.

Coach Don Chaney received some added job security Tuesday, getting a one-year contract extension from the New York Knicks. The extension is the second for Chaney in less than a year since taking over after Jeff Van Gundy's unexpected resignation in December. It also perhaps signals that the Knicks will not make Chaney a fall guy during a likely poor season.

vs. Arizona, 7:30 Fox Sports Net * Site--Staples Center. * Radio--KMPC (1540). * Records--Avengers 0-2, Rattlers 0-1. * Record vs. Rattlers (2000)--0-2. * Update--Looking for their first victories, both teams will try different quarterbacks tonight.

Oh, that Denver Bronco football, still keeping left guard Mark Schlereth in stitches. Midway through his 12th NFL season, Schlereth underwent his 28th surgery this week, this time to repair a left knee that had previously been operated on 13 times. Schlereth has undergone five operations on his right knee, six on his elbows, one on his eyes, one to remove a back disk and one to remove a kidney stone.

After giving the team Sunday off, Coach Larry Robinson Monday put the Kings through a tough 90-minute practice that emphasized conditioning and board work. "I felt that we were a little sluggish against Montreal [in a 4-1 loss on Saturday]," Robinson said. "We didn't have the same jump that we had in previous games. I wanted to make sure that we are ready to go."

It was with dismay that I read "Growing a New Knee" (March 6) [about repairing knee cartilage]. Just a modicum of research would have revealed that most responsible orthopedic surgeons, with an insight into this issue, would react quite negatively. At the recent meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Bert Zarins from Massachusetts General Hospital, who has done more of these procedures than anyone else in the United States, reported a very high failure rate, and recommended that the procedure not be done routinely.

Infielder Chad Fonville, who had become a fan favorite with his hustling play, figured he would have a starting job this spring. Instead, the Dodgers signed Greg Gagne for $2.6 million to become their shortstop and re-signed Delino DeShields for $3 million as their second baseman. Just like that, Fonville was without a starting job, and really, a position. He is being cast as a super-utility player.

Revolutionary surgery--involving transplanting laboratory-cloned cartilage--was performed for the first time in Southern California on Friday in a procedure that doctors say may provide relief to as many as 120,000 people who have suffered knee injuries. The breakthrough procedure, which involves harvesting a patient's own cells to repair damaged tissue, was performed on two men at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian.

It was with dismay that I read "Growing a New Knee" (March 6) [about repairing knee cartilage]. Just a modicum of research would have revealed that most responsible orthopedic surgeons, with an insight into this issue, would react quite negatively. At the recent meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Bert Zarins from Massachusetts General Hospital, who has done more of these procedures than anyone else in the United States, reported a very high failure rate, and recommended that the procedure not be done routinely.

Revolutionary surgery--involving transplanting laboratory-cloned cartilage--was performed for the first time in Southern California on Friday in a procedure that doctors say may provide relief to as many as 120,000 people who have suffered knee injuries. The breakthrough procedure, which involves harvesting a patient's own cells to repair damaged tissue, was performed on two men at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian.

Strikeout king Nolan Ryan's farewell tour was put on hold Thursday when he underwent surgery for torn knee cartilage that will sideline him three to six weeks. Dr. John Conway, orthopedic consultant for the Texas Rangers, said the arthroscopic procedure on the right knee lasted about 40 minutes. "I feel that the surgery went well," Ryan, 46, said in a statement from Harris Methodist Hospital in Ft. Worth. "I'll start my rehabilitation as soon as the doctor gives me clearance to do so.