Ucla Receiver Recovers Quickly

Injured UCLA receiver Freddie Mitchell has made a breathtaking recovery and might play in the Bruins’ bowl game, a team source said.

“His healing has been remarkable,” said the source, a member of UCLA’s training medical staff. “No one has ever seen anything like it.”

Mitchell broke his left femur Sept. 19 at Houston and had emergency surgery to implant a stabilizing rod and two interlocking screws, one on each side of the fracture.

The initial prognosis called for a six- to eighth-month recovery, allowing Mitchell, a redshirt freshman, to return for spring practice.

But last month, he had one of the screws removed, enabling the separated bone to compress and strengthen. Mitchell undergoes strenuous therapy each day and just as lifting weights builds muscle, the stress of his workouts creates new bone.

“Apparently, removing the screw really helped,” the source said. “And Freddie’s working hard.”

Dr. Gerald Finerman, UCLA’s team physician, declined to comment.