Hayden Home After Surgery To Repair Damaged Shoulder

Nicky Hayden has returned home after successful surgery on his shoulder. The Ducati rider had damaged his shoulder in a training accident - on his first time back on a motorcycle after recovering from a broken wrist, sustained in the final race of 2011 at Valencia - and though the initial diagnosis only showed up a cracked shoulder blade, further examination after the Sepang test showed damage to his glenoid labrum, the cartilage which holds the upper arm in place in the shoulder socket. Dr Ting, the famous motorcycle racing surgeon based in California, carried out surgery to repair the tear, sending Hayden home to recover.

In a press release, Ducati were confident that Hayden should be able to participate in the next MotoGP test at Sepang at the end of February. That may be a little optimistic - the normal immobilization period after surgery on the glenoid labrum is 3-4 weeks, with full recovery after 3-4 months - but though Hayden's shoulder could remain weak for some time to come, he could be able to perform basic testing duties sooner rather than later. In a stroke of rather bitter irony, the damage which Hayden suffered is very similar to the problem that Valentino Rossi suffered in 2010, and from which he took nearly 5 months to recover from after surgery in November 2010. Hayden's injury is much less severe, and his recuperation period should be a good deal shorter.

Below is the press release issued by Ducati after Hayden's surgery:

Nicky Hayden back home following successful surgery

On Monday, February 5, Nicky Hayden underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on the right shoulder that he had injured in late December. During the procedure, which was carried out in Fremont, California, and which lasted approximately 40 minutes, Dr Arthur Ting discovered and repaired a tear in the labrum. Yesterday’s post-operation appointment confirmed that the surgery was successful, and the Ducati Team rider returned home to begin his recovery. If the convalescence proceeds as hoped, Hayden should be able to take part in the next winter test at Sepang, February 28-March 1.

“It’s a setback, but all things considered, I’m pretty happy with how things went,” Hayden said. “It’s good that it was possible to do everything by ’scope, and the pain’s not too bad. The problem should be fixed now, and I look forward to being able to help out the team as soon as possible.”