Sports Medicine Master System

Chapter 215 - 165: Calcaneal Prominence, Not a Big Problem

Pointing out problems was one thing, but today was meant for a real exchange. Chen Yu knew he had to offer something substantial.

For example, calculating energy intake based on exercise volume.

And how to assess the required nutritional intake based on factors like body fat percentage.

In the NBA, these methods had been practiced for many years. A lot of people had researched them, leading to established formulas and mathematical models.

And what Chen Yu was sharing was this mature, established expertise.

"Take notes on all of this, and study it carefully later," Yao Songping instructed, nodding to himself in approval.

China had hired its fair share of foreign coaches before, but some of them were secretive. They’d teach you how to train, but not why you trained that way.

Of course, that was their bread and butter, so Yao Songping could understand them holding something back.

But the whole reason for spending so much money to hire these foreign coaches was, in the end, to learn advanced training methods.

So, to have someone like Chen Yu teach so openly was truly rare, and it made Yao Songping’s impression of him skyrocket.

"Oh, right, and supplements."

Chen Yu remembered another thing.

No matter how standardized the dietary intake, individual constitutions differ, so the amount absorbed will also vary.

That’s why, in addition to planning nutritional meals, nutritional supplements were also necessary.

There was a huge variety. The simple ones were things like protein powder. The High Level ones included various multivitamins and amino acids. There’s a very mature industry for this in the United States.

At a more professional level, team nutritionists would even create their own custom formulas.

After training with the Suns, they were usually given nutritional supplements, which were custom-mixed by Melissa Goodwin herself.

As he spoke, Chen Yu wrote down several brand names on a piece of paper. "These are the sports supplements we commonly use in the United States. You can try to buy them, and if you can’t, you can look for alternatives."

Li Quping was the first to take the paper and look it over. They used supplements in their domestic training too, but to be honest, they were all at a Basic Level—just vitamins, protein powder, and the like.

It was nothing like what Chen Yu had written, which was full of all sorts of things like L-glutamine and creatine monohydrate. He had never even heard of many of them.

"So, Dr. Chen, how exactly are these used?" Li Quping asked further.

Chen Yu smiled. "Explaining the specifics would be too complicated. How about this: I’ll send you some materials later, and you can study them thoroughly."

Li Quping quickly thanked him.

Yao Songping cleared his throat. "It’s about that time. Dr. Chen has been talking for so long, he must be tired. Let’s not crowd around him with more questions. Dr. Chen is still hungry. Let’s eat first."

Li Yaoming nodded hurriedly and called over an acquaintance to get some liquor from Yao Songping’s office.

Chen Yu didn’t refuse. ’Everything I’ve shared is valuable experience,’ he thought. ’If it weren’t for my Chinese ancestry, did you really think I’d be this dedicated just because you, Li Yaoming, asked for an ’exchange’?’

In the crowd, Old Lin nudged Sun Haiping, who was standing beside him, and whispered, "He’s about to leave. Who knows when he’ll be back? This is a rare opportunity. Are you sure you’re not going to say anything?"

This was a lucky chance. It would be much harder to actually go all the way to the United States to have Chen Yu see a patient.

Sun Haiping steeled himself and squeezed his way to Yao Songping’s side.

"It’s about Liu Xiang, right?" Yao Songping, of course, knew of Liu Xiang. A promising talent, and in track and field, no less.

Track and field was an area where China was sorely lacking in accolades.

Thinking of this, Yao Songping immediately brought Sun Haiping over to Chen Yu, explained Liu Xiang’s situation, and then tentatively asked if it would be convenient for him to find some time to diagnose Liu Xiang.

"Of course."

Having already shared so much valuable experience, Chen Yu didn’t mind helping diagnose a patient.

"Have him come over. I’ll take a look at him," Chen Yu said. ’A calcaneal spur isn’t that uncommon,’ he thought. ’I just don’t know how severe the protrusion is.’

Sun Haiping was overjoyed, but he swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue. He didn’t want to interfere with Chen Yu and Yao Songping’s dinner plans.

Yao Songping noticed Sun Haiping’s predicament. After a moment’s thought, he said, "How about this: have Liu Xiang come over and join us for dinner. And Yao Ming, you come along too."

He then looked toward Li Yaoming.

The man had sincerely shared so much valuable experience; Yao Songping couldn’t just offer nothing in return. He knew Chen Yu was representing the Suns and was here for Yao Ming, so he had to create an opportunity to talk.

And when Chinese people talk business, it’s best done at the dinner table.

"Thank you, Director Yao! Thank you, Dr. Chen! I’ll go get him right now." Sun Haiping hurried off.

The group set off by car and soon arrived at the restaurant.

It was called Meilong Town Restaurant. According to Li Yaoming, it had a history of over sixty years, with an antique-style, distinctive storefront.

Inside a luxurious private room, Sun Haiping arrived in a hurry with Liu Xiang.

He was tall and thin and, like Sun Haiping, wore a tracksuit with a black cotton jacket over it. He seemed very reserved, perhaps because Yao Songping was present.

Yao Ming was the same way, not daring to say a single word from start to finish.

Yao Songping, on the other hand, was very welcoming. He proactively stood up, spoke a few words with Liu Xiang, and upon learning he would participate in this year’s IAAF Grand Prix, encouraged him to do his best and bring glory to the country.

Sun Haiping was still clutching the medical records, but seeing that the food had already been served, he didn’t dare bring up the diagnosis.

However, Chen Yu had already used the Eye of All-Seeing to examine Liu Xiang’s heel.

’It really is protruding.’

The food was delicious. Chen Yu couldn’t help but think, ’If only I could eat food like this every day in the United States.’

At the dinner table, Lucas kept his head down and ate, while Yao Songping repeatedly urged Chen Yu to drink. After a few rounds, Yao Songping opened up, pointing to Yao Ming and saying, "Yao Ming is talented and a player we are focusing on developing. We certainly hope he can go abroad, to the NBA, to improve his skills. If he could go to the Phoenix Suns, that would of course be a great thing. I believe Yao Ming definitely wants to go as well."

As he spoke, he glanced at Yao Ming.

Suddenly put on the spot, Yao Ming quickly put down his chopsticks and nodded.

Beside them, Li Yaoming stared intently at Chen Yu. Yao Songping had just laid out the key point: Yao Ming was a player they had carefully cultivated. It was like marrying off a daughter; after raising her with great difficulty for so many years, you couldn’t just let her run off with someone for free.

A bride price would be expected.

But Li Yaoming was disappointed. Chen Yu acted as if he didn’t understand, simply nodding and saying, "I’m not in charge of the team’s signings. If we can sign him, that would naturally be a good thing."

Yao Songping smiled. ’How could it have nothing to do with you?’ he thought. ’The Suns sent you all the way here. Even if you’re just a messenger, you still serve a purpose.’

So, what needed to be said still had to be said.

After some thought, Yao Songping said, "Dr. Chen, we’re not actually asking for much. Ultimately, we just want to raise the level of basketball in our own country, so we will inevitably need your support."

Chen Yu didn’t think too deeply about it, assuming Yao Songping was still talking about things like training methods. He smiled and said, "That’s not a problem, of course. Even on a personal level, I’m very willing to help you."

Chen Yu didn’t know if the team would be willing, but there was no problem with him helping out personally.

Yao Songping’s smile brightened. He raised his glass and offered another toast.

The meal was a great success, with both hosts and guests thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Only after they finished eating did Chen Yu bring up Liu Xiang’s matter.

"Let me see his medical records." Chen Yu took the file.

The others all watched Chen Yu with curiosity.

They knew Chen Yu was an expert when it came to training, but they also knew he was a doctor. Training was just a side gig; being a doctor was his main profession.

They wanted to see for themselves just how skilled one of the world’s top orthopedic specialists really was.

Sun Haiping sighed. "Over the past two years, I’ve consulted many doctors, but they all said there’s nothing to be done. It’s congenital, difficult to fix. We can only manage it and be careful to protect it."

Chen Yu put down the medical records, had Liu Xiang take off his shoes, and asked the restaurant for a pair of Gloves before examining him.

’It’s part of the process. It has to be done.’

"His condition is like this," Chen Yu said, making a fist with his left hand to demonstrate. "The Achilles tendon connects to the calcaneus, or heel bone. If the calcaneus protrudes too much, it presses against the tendon, keeping that section of the tendon constantly pushed up. Over time, this will change the tendon’s elasticity."

"At the same time, because of the excessive friction, it can easily lead to insertional Achilles tendinitis. And chronic inflammation will likewise make the tendon brittle. The end result is that when he exerts force too suddenly, the Achilles tendon is very likely to rupture."

The words "Achilles tendon rupture" made Sun Haiping and Liu Xiang’s faces turn pale.

"Dr. Chen, is there a way to solve it completely?" Sun Haiping asked anxiously.

Chen Yu nodded. "Of course. This problem can be solved with surgery."

Chen Yu asked for a pen and paper again. He began to draw as he explained, "The specific surgical procedure is like this: you split the Achilles tendon down the middle, then pull it apart to expose the protruding calcaneus underneath. You use an osteotome to shave off the protruding bone, and then you suture the Achilles tendon back together, completely resolving the issue."

"This type of surgery is performed quite often in the United States. It’s done relatively less on athletes, though, because their training intensity is high. After suturing the Achilles, the recovery might not go well, which could affect their athletic ability."

At the mention of affecting athletic ability, Sun Haiping couldn’t help but shiver.

For an athlete like Liu Xiang, who was aiming for a world championship, even the slightest decline in athletic ability would be fatal.

"But that’s with other doctors. With me, I can guarantee that his athletic ability won’t decrease at all. You all know Ronaldo, right? He had a ruptured patellar tendon. His situation was far more severe than an Achilles tendon issue. After my treatment, his athletic ability didn’t decline in the slightest. In fact, he returned to his peak form. So you don’t need to worry about that."

This wasn’t even a full rupture, just a repair and fixation at the end of the tendon. For Chen Yu, who had his system, it was no problem at all.

Everyone present obviously knew the name of Ronaldo, the "Alien."

"Ronaldo’s form since his comeback has been frighteningly hot," Li Yaoming said quietly. He was a soccer fan and knew all too well how phenomenal Ronaldo had been this season in Serie A.

Sun Haiping also breathed a sigh of relief. As long as his athletic ability wouldn’t decline, that was all that mattered.

"Dr. Chen, thank you." Sun Haiping gratefully shook Chen Yu’s hand, his voice full of emotion.

In all of China, he hadn’t been able to find a single doctor who dared to perform surgery to solve Liu Xiang’s problem. He never expected that for Chen Yu, it would be such a simple issue.

No wonder world-class players like Ronaldo sought out Chen Yu for treatment.

Chen Yu smiled and said it was nothing. He then looked at Liu Xiang and said, "Although this isn’t a major problem, it will still require a three-to-four-month recovery period after the surgery. And you’re only nineteen. To be honest, the problem isn’t that severe yet. We can treat it sooner rather than later, but it also depends on your schedule. Whenever you have a break from competitions, you can find some time to come to the United States for treatment with me."

It wasn’t an urgent condition, and he was young. Even if he waited a couple of years to have the surgery, it would be fine.

"Okay." Sun Haiping nodded repeatedly. He really wanted to ask how much the surgery would cost, but he swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue.

’It’ll probably cost several hundred thousand,’ he thought. ’After all, it’s surgery, and Chen Yu is a world-class orthopedic specialist. It won’t be cheap.’