Dani Pedrosa's recovery update

Dani Pedrosa was operated on by Doctors Bartolomé Ferreira, specialist in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and Dr. Xavier Mir, Head of the Hand Surgery Microsurgery Unit at the USP Institut Universitari Dexeus yesterday evening to place a titanium screw in Pedrosa’s left wrist and skin graft on his left knee. The two doctors carried out the three-hour operation at the same time, with the left knee skin graft taking the most time.

At the press conference the doctors spoke about each procedure and the likely recovery time.

“Dani Pedrosa received a graft on the open wound using a rotation graft, a graft of skin and fat taken from the inside of his left thigh to cover the affected area,” stated Dr. Ferreira. “We must now wait for scar tissue to form; the patient will be able to start moving a little within three weeks and within a minimum of four he can begin to bend the leg.”

“The fracture on the left distal radius, which was affecting the joint, has been repaired, it was then fixed with a titanium screw. The functioning of the affected zone will begin within ten days, in the meantime Dani Pedrosa will stay in hospital for the next 72 hours” said Dr. Mir.

With doctors saying that it will be four weeks before Pedrosa can even bend his knee, it is very likely that he will not be able to take part at the IRTA test at Jerez in three weeks time.

Source | motogp.com

Pedrosa injured in Losail test crash

Dani Pedrosa’s Qatar test came to an abrupt end on Monday evening under the floodlights at Losail, as he suffered further leg and arm injuries when he crashed at 10.00pm local time.

He crashed heavily on turn ten of the Losail International Circuit, sustaining blows to his already injured left knee and the left hand which he hurt at Sachsenring last season.

Pedrosa was stretchered away from the scene of the crash and transferred to the circuit hospital where initial scans showed no immediate signs of broken bones but revealed a possible crack to a bone in his left hand. He has also reopened an injury in his left knee which he hurt at Phillip Island late last season and had surgery on in December 2008.

The rider will need to wait 24 hours for another scan to confirm 100% whether or not he has sustained any fractures. Those checks will take place in Barcelona, as Pedrosa will fly home from Qatar on Tuesday.

The former 125cc and 250cc World Champion did not complete the first preseason test of 2009 at Malaysia due to his knee trouble and today’s crash will further hamper his preparations for the season.