Delicate Surgery For Cards' Swann

Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Eric Swann decided to undergo a new and relatively rare knee surgery because he thought his career would be in danger if he didn't, two newspapers reported Thursday.

Orthopedist Richard Steadman, a pioneer in the procedure, will perform the surgery Monday, Swann's agent told The Arizona Republic and The Tribune, a suburban Phoenix newspaper.

The procedure is called "microfracture," and could potentially prolong the career of an athlete with Swann's knee problems for years, The Republic reported. The procedure is not uncommon for professional athletes but is rare for a player as young as Swann, 28, who has severe arthritis in his knees.

This is the fifth procedure on Swann's right knee during his eight-year NFL career and second in six weeks.

"He was willing to go through the first procedure and try to get healthy. It has nothing to do with not playing with pain," Zucker told The Tribune. "It's killing him not to play. He gave a lot of thought to playing, but I was there when he talked to Steadman, and he had no choice. It was either do this or end his career."

The Cardinals have said the arthroscopic flush procedure performed on Swann's right knee Oct. 28 was sufficient to repair his knee. The team also has said he suffers from incurable degenerative arthritis and could play the final four weeks of the season without further damaging the joint.

Swann, who signed a five-year, $25 million deal during the off-season, was expected to miss only about four weeks, but already will have missed six games by the time the second procedure is performed Monday.

The surgery requires him to stay on crtches for six to eight weeks, and total rehabilitation takes six to seven months, Zucker said.

© 1998 SportsLine USA, Inc. All rights reserved