Gravel911
23rd March 2009, 18:48
Very interesting information from Ben.
Looks like we will see him race in NZ this coming summer................
United States-based New Zealand motocross star Ben Townley is hopeful arthroscopic surgery on a nagging shoulder injury will see him back riding next season.
Townley told NZPA from his Tallahassee home in Florida today that he will undergo an operation by Belgian specialist Toon Claes in a fortnight to remove a bone spur impinging on a shoulder tendon which has caused him pain and impaired movement.
Claes, renowned among world motocross championship riders and professional cyclists for his work on elbows and shoulders, successfully repaired a wrist injury Townley suffered in 2003, the year before he won his world MX2 title.
However, there is some uncertainty connected with the surgery as unclear scans point to potentially another more serious problem, Townley said.
"There is something that is unclear on images that they (specialists in the United States and Europe) are worried about.
"It could be a more severe injury and the best bet is to have a look when they do the arthroscopy.
"The recovery time from that could be a long time but as far as the arthroscopy goes, it will be more carrying on from the rehabilitation I have been doing."
Townley, 24, suffered a torn rotator cuff and a tear in the labrum to the shoulder in a crash last year.
It was operated on last June and an initial three months rehabilitation stretched out to consume the rest of the year.
But when he resumed training in the US in January, a new problem revealed itself under the intensity of his programme.
Having undergone a number of tests and examinations, Townley said he was glad to have got a diagnosis to work by.
"Professional opinions in America came up with the same diagnosis and with the same information, so I am pretty happy with that right now and made the decision to go ahead and have a small arthroscopy done to see if the bone spur can be removed to take away the restriction and the pain as well."
Townley, from Taupo, said he would head home to New Zealand after the operation to rebuild for the 2010 season.
"I'm focusing on my health right now and taking it step by step -- the first is to get a clear bill of health and then regain strength and fitness.
"I aim to start riding and racing in New Zealand the coming spring and summer and if everything goes to plan, to race the 2010 US motocross series, which from right now, is a year away," the Honda rider said.
Townley said he needed racing time to regain technique and race craft and there was no better place than New Zealand to do that.
"I don't want to try and do it at the highest level as I need to rebuild the confidence and there's no better place than doing that than at home where I can get back and feel the fire again as far as racing goes.
"Hopefully it'll all be pretty straightforward with the surgery and I'll be good to go after."
Looks like we will see him race in NZ this coming summer................
United States-based New Zealand motocross star Ben Townley is hopeful arthroscopic surgery on a nagging shoulder injury will see him back riding next season.
Townley told NZPA from his Tallahassee home in Florida today that he will undergo an operation by Belgian specialist Toon Claes in a fortnight to remove a bone spur impinging on a shoulder tendon which has caused him pain and impaired movement.
Claes, renowned among world motocross championship riders and professional cyclists for his work on elbows and shoulders, successfully repaired a wrist injury Townley suffered in 2003, the year before he won his world MX2 title.
However, there is some uncertainty connected with the surgery as unclear scans point to potentially another more serious problem, Townley said.
"There is something that is unclear on images that they (specialists in the United States and Europe) are worried about.
"It could be a more severe injury and the best bet is to have a look when they do the arthroscopy.
"The recovery time from that could be a long time but as far as the arthroscopy goes, it will be more carrying on from the rehabilitation I have been doing."
Townley, 24, suffered a torn rotator cuff and a tear in the labrum to the shoulder in a crash last year.
It was operated on last June and an initial three months rehabilitation stretched out to consume the rest of the year.
But when he resumed training in the US in January, a new problem revealed itself under the intensity of his programme.
Having undergone a number of tests and examinations, Townley said he was glad to have got a diagnosis to work by.
"Professional opinions in America came up with the same diagnosis and with the same information, so I am pretty happy with that right now and made the decision to go ahead and have a small arthroscopy done to see if the bone spur can be removed to take away the restriction and the pain as well."
Townley, from Taupo, said he would head home to New Zealand after the operation to rebuild for the 2010 season.
"I'm focusing on my health right now and taking it step by step -- the first is to get a clear bill of health and then regain strength and fitness.
"I aim to start riding and racing in New Zealand the coming spring and summer and if everything goes to plan, to race the 2010 US motocross series, which from right now, is a year away," the Honda rider said.
Townley said he needed racing time to regain technique and race craft and there was no better place than New Zealand to do that.
"I don't want to try and do it at the highest level as I need to rebuild the confidence and there's no better place than doing that than at home where I can get back and feel the fire again as far as racing goes.
"Hopefully it'll all be pretty straightforward with the surgery and I'll be good to go after."