If we were talking about a patient my age or Ralph's we would be happy to progress to walking with help or with a cane over this period of time. Probably might eventually be able to get back on a golf course as our only sport to participate at all. I am hoping that here we are talking about a big strong young kid who has worked hard at rehabilitation. Some positions in hockey depend more on certain abilities than others. From my own playing days (eons ago) defensive play and success necessitates rapid acceleration, quick changes of direction, strength on one's skates and ability to hold a position against other players. With boys simply getting bigger and stronger all the time, i would suspect hip strength, mobility, and full range of motion (remembering the hip is a ball and a socket surrounded by a host of ligaments, tendons and muscle) might take many months to regain and rebuild. If the atrophy described is limited to muscles then at his younger age all muscle mass can return. If any of the atrophy however is bony in nature, that is a totally different story. The hip socket has to be deep enough, protected enough and a perfect fit for the head of the femur so that it can withstand the substantial amount of pressure put on it not just by the act of skating, but resistant enough to the trauma it will be placed under when some 225 pounder slams it into the unforgiving boards.
Also, again hopefully, any and all problems were localized to the hip area. Weight bearing is done by the entire leg from the lower back, down through the hip and then the knee and below. The longer that a hip is questionable, the more we obviously alter how we transmit and transfer our weight through the lower leg and often times develop some related problems in the knee and below. We will not know how this all stands up until he is on the ice, skating at top speed and getting hit by some big boys with bad intentions. My guess? He might start off a bit tentative as he, himself, may not know what his capabilities are. But I think as each game and each shift proceeds, he will gain confidence and we might find that we have a real prize on defense!! Something we have not had in some time and something we have sorely needed.
I am not an orthopedic surgeon, and I don't pretend to play one on TV. But all my medical training and over 50 years of medical experience helps to add a little. Having played this sport when younger and having both knees and one shoulder operated upon because of it also gives me a little insight as to what recovery can entail. One last point, never under estimate the mental aspect of returning from injury. He has apparently been out of action for quite some time and I think we all should give him the chance to take as long as necessary to reach whatever his potential might be.
