Jonny Wilkinson could play in this season RBS Six Nations Championship according to a top London surgeon.
England fly-half could be back in time for the Six Nations
Jonny Wilkinson could play in this season RBS Six Nations Championship according to a top London surgeon.
The Newcastle and England fly-half suffered a dislocated knee cap in the Guinness Premiership defeat to Gloucester and was expected to be out for up to six months.
However Simon Moyes, one of the UK's leading orthopaedic surgeons, believes England's record points scorer could be back in action in three to four months time after successful surgery on the injury.
And although Wilkinson will miss the matches against Pacific Islanders, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand - he could be back in time for the Six Nations, with England due to face Italy on February 7.
"His knee will probably be in a splint for six weeks, followed by an intensive physiotherapy programme thereafter," said Moyes, who works out of the Wellington Hospital.
Damage
"The earliest he would be likely to get back to top-level rugby in my view would be three months, but more likely four.
"I would estimate there will be a 90 per cent chance of him doing so.
"The immediate treatment is to relocate the knee-cap, which is normally done on the field, then X-rays and MRI scans are taken to try and quantify the level of damage.
"Options then run from non-operative treatment, which is immobilisation in a splint or cast for six weeks, to the other end of the spectrum.
"This is arthroscopic assessment of the joint surface, a repair of the joint surface and repair of the muscular tendinous junction. I would expect Jonny would have had the latter."
