Otten, 21, underwent a traditional full-knee reconstruction, after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in a pre-season training drill last December.
A fortnight later, Port Adelaide midfielder David Rodan also injured his knee when training at an oval down the road from the Crows’ base at West Lakes.
In contrast to Otten, Rodan - 26-years-old and facing the prospect of a second knee reconstruction - elected to have the revolutionary LARS [Ligament Augmentation and Reconstruction System] procedure in a bid to get back on the field faster.
The radical surgery, which involves inserting a synthetic fibre into the knee, has so far proved successful for Rodan, as well as Sydney Swans defender Nick Malceski and Carlton utility Brad Fisher.
However, leading surgeons have expressed concern over the risks associated with the technology, including the undetermined lifespan of the artificial ligament.
There are also concerns over the implications of a LARS procedure gone wrong, as highlighted by Adelaide ruckman Brad Moran’s ill-fated experiment with a synthetic fibre to repair a damaged posterior cruciate ligament.
Moran has spent more than 12 months on the sidelines for an injury that would normally take 12 weeks to heal, after the synthetic fibre in his knee failed to take.
In June, young Carlton ruckman Matthew Kreuzer opted to have a traditional reconstruction on his damaged ACL and Otten, who is eight months into his 12-month rehabilitation, said he would not have considered the LARS procedure even if it had been available to him.
“My injury was a pretty bad, so I had to do it the traditional way and have the 12 months off, but I wouldn’t have had the LARS anyway, to be honest,” Otten said.
“I saw the massive article in the newspaper about it today and was reading through that. It just goes to show that there hasn’t been much study done in regards to what happens after the graft has been put in.
“I’m young and I don’t want to have to have another LARS surgery in five years time. I’m happy with what I’ve done and the way I’ve done it. I know it’s going to be strong when I come back.”
The timing of Rodan’s reconstruction has seen Otten follow the onballer’s progress closely.
Despite ongoing comparisons in the media between the pair’s rehabilitation progress, Otten said he was happy to see Rodan responding well to the LARS procedure.
“David’s a bit older and a bit further into his career than me, so maybe [LARS was a more viable option],” Otten said.
“He’s come back and done an amazing job. I’ve watched him pretty closely and he’s got his speed and movement back, so hats off to him the way he’s done it.”
Otten has also paid close attention to teammate Brodie Martin, who made his long-awaited comeback from a traditional reconstruction in the AFL last weekend.
“It was great to watch Brodie play last weekend. I spent a bit of time early on in my recovery, so to watch his progression and the way he went about it was really good to see,” Otten said.
