UCLA basketball: Malcolm Lee has successful surgery on left knee

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UCLA basketball: Malcolm Lee has successful surgery on left knee

By Ben Bolch
The Los Angeles Times
March 22, 2011 | 2:20 pm


UCLA junior guard Malcolm Lee underwent successful surgery Tuesday morning to remove cartilage and repair a tear in the meniscus of his left knee, Coach Ben Howland said.

During an hourlong procedure at the UCLA Medical Plaza, orthopaedic surgeon David McAllister removed a two-millimeter piece of cartilage that was floating in Lee's knee, Howland said, and repaired a tear that accounted for about 2% of the meniscal cartilage in his knee.

"His prognosis should be very good," Howland said of Lee, who injured the knee during the Bruins' regular-season finale against Washington State on March 5.

Howland said Lee's recovery should take between one and two months. The coach said he expected to sit down with Lee in the next 10 days to discuss whether the Bruins' second-leading scorer should declare for the NBA draft or return for his senior season.

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UCLA's Malcolm Lee has knee surgery

By Peter Yoon
ESPNLosAngeles.com
Updated: March 22, 2011, 7:06 PM ET

UCLA Bruins guard Malcolm Lee had surgery Tuesday to repair torn cartilage and a small meniscus tear in his left knee, coach Ben Howland said.


Lee, an all-conference junior, is expected to make a full recovery in four to eight weeks, Howland said. The surgery, performed by Dr. David McAllister at the UCLA Medical Plaza, revealed that Lee had a two-millimeter piece of cartilage floating in his knee and a two percent tear in his meniscus.


Lee originally injured his knee March 5 during UCLA's regular-season finale at Washington State, but played through it after doctors assured him he wasn't risking further injury by doing so. He averaged 15 points on 10-of-21 shooting in UCLA's two NCAA tournament games.


Howland said the surgery would not have an impact on Lee's draft prospects, should Lee decide to enter the NBA draft.


"It'll just take some time for him to get back to being full strength again," Howland said. "He's going to be fine. He's going to be 100 percent fine."