Quick Recovery Possible for 49ers WR Crabtree, Report Citing Novato Doc Says

Colin Kaepernick's favorite target could be on the field sooner than expected thanks to medical advancements that weren't possible as recently as a few years ago.

That's according to a Sacramento Bee report citing a Novato orthopedic surgeon, among other medical experts who say new treatments could help injured San Francisco 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree make a quick recovery from a torn Achilles.

Crabtree, who suffered the injury in practice last month, could benefit from platelet-rich plasma treatments, according to Dr. Dan Solomon, who is among several medical experts cited in a Sacramento Bee report on advancements in the treatment on an injury that as recently as a decade ago would have ended the career of one in three NFL players.

Solomon, of Novato-based Marin Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, notes that new treatments including platelet-rich plasma and more ambitious rehabilitation programs augment surgical advancements that have improved the likelihood Crabtree will make a faster recovery and return in better shape than a player with an equivalent injury could have expected in recent years, the Bee reports.

Injured Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, who also suffered an Achilles tear earlier this year, is likely to receive similar treatments.

The controversial platelet-rich plasma treatments haven't gained widespread acceptance because of limited study samples, the Bee reports.

"My take is that it works," Solomon told the Bee. "It may not work on every single patient. But it works better than nothing."