Arenas undergoes knee surgery, could be out until December

Washington, DC - Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas underwent another surgery on his left knee on Wednesday, and told a Washington newspaper that he will not return to game action until December.

Arenas, who missed 66 games during the 2007-08 regular season before mounting an ultimately unsuccessful return for the end of the season and the playoffs, told the Washington Post on Wednesday that he plans on returning to play some time in December, meaning that he will miss at least the first month of the season.

The three-time All-Star has now undergone three surgeries in 17 months on the knee. He tore the left meniscus in the knee during a game against Charlotte on April 4, 2007, and missed the remainder of that season. He then needed additional surgery after playing the first eight games of the 2007-08 season. This latest procedure was done to remove debris from the knee.

"After Gilbert's normal course of rehabilitation was ramped up, he experienced some swelling and discomfort in his knee," said Wizards team physician Dr. Marc Connell, who performed the procedure at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, DC.

"A subsequent MRI showed that the knee is structurally sound. The decision was made to perform an arthroscopic lavage procedure, during which a moderate amount of debris was removed after saline solution was washed through the knee," said Connell. "The presence of debris is common with the nature of his previous injury. This was a proactive procedure that will enhance his rehabilitation process."

Arenas, who signed a six-year, $111 million contract this summer, averaged 19.4 points, 5.1 assists, and 3.9 rebounds in 13 games for the Wizards last season. The Arizona product has career marks of 22.8 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game in seven seasons with the Golden State Warriors and Washington.