Former Barca star lost cartilage in both knees

Gianluca Zambrotta suffers from severe bow legs due to the loss of all cartilage in both knees.

Zambrotta's leg was severely damaged after a period of peak performance.

Gianluca Zambrotta - who played for Barcelona from 2006 to 2008, shared some interesting information on Gianluca Gazzoli's Bsmt podcast. He revealed that he has genu varo, a deformity that causes his legs to curve outwards.

Zambrotta, now 48 and retired in 2014, said he had three meniscus removal surgeries during his playing career. As a result, he now has no cartilage in both knees, leading to a more pronounced bowing of his legs.

“A lot of surgeons now look at me and wonder how I can walk normally,” Zambrotta said. “The condition was exacerbated by genetics and early meniscal loss. I should have intervened earlier.”

Zambrotta never suffered any serious injuries during his career, but over time, deformities in his legs due to loss of cartilage required extensive orthopedic surgery.

Zambrotta confirmed that he had undergone an osteotomy, an orthopedic procedure that realigns the leg’s axis. During the procedure, doctors cut a section of bone above and below the knee and then reposition the bone with a metal plate.

"I consulted 3-4 top surgeons, but they couldn't understand how I could still play sports , like padel, with this knee condition," he shared.

However, Zambrotta admitted that a complete knee replacement is only a matter of time, and the upcoming surgery is a temporary solution to prolong mobility.

Zambrotta was a mainstay of the Italian national team with 98 caps, playing at the highest level for many big clubs such as Como, Bari, Juventus, Milan and Barcelona. He was known for his tenacity, speed and discipline, qualities that no one expected to hide serious bone and joint problems.

Source: https://znews.vn/cuu-sao-barca-mat-sun-chem-o-2-dau-goi-post1545987.html