Star quarterback Peyton Manning travelled to Europe for controversial stem-cell therapy on ailing neck



As Peyton Manning recovers from what may be a season-ending surgery, more details are coming to light about how far he went to stay on the field.

Fox Sports reported Sunday that the four-time NFL MVP had boarded a private jet for Europe to receive stem-cell therapy, a procedure not approved in the U.S.

Reporter Jay Glazer said the procedure involved taking fat cells from Manning’s body and growing them in a culture.

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Desperate: Peyton Manning was so eager to stay on the field that he travelled to Europe for stem-cell therapy that's not approved in the U.S.

The cells were then injected into his neck with the hope of regenerating the nerves, but the therapy was apparently not successful.



Mr Manning underwent neck surgery on September 8, his third in 19 months, and could possibly miss the entire season as he recovers.



The possibility of losing Manning, who earns about $18m a year, is a huge blow to the Colts and throws the race for the AFC South wide open.

Until last week's season opener, Manning had not missed a game in 14 NFL seasons, with 227 consecutive starts, including postseason.



'Rehabilitation from such surgery is typically an involved process,' the team said in a statement, calling the procedure 'uneventful.'

Star athlete: Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning calls out a play during a playoff game against the New York Jets on January 8

The Colts said there would be 'no estimation of a return date at this time.

'We will keep Peyton on the active roster until we have a clear picture of his recovery process.'



Team owner Jim Irsay tweeted that the 35-year-old Manning would be out 'a while.'

Manning underwent an anterior fusion procedure to treat a nerve problem that still bothered him after his previous surgery, on May 23.



Recovery typically takes at least eight to 10 weeks, said Dr. Victor Khabie, co-chief of the Orthopedics and Spine Institute at Northern Westchester Hospital in New York.

Dr Khabie He did not treat Manning, but is familiar with the procedure and how athletes recover from it.

Tense: Manning talks with head coach Jim Caldwell during the second quarter of a preseason football game against the Green Bay Packers on August 26

'It could be season-ending, seeing the piggybacking off of another surgery,' Khabie said. 'But the athletes I've known over the years, I never count out because they are such great competitors and such great healers.'



If Manning recovered in 10 weeks, he could be back for a November 13 game against Jacksonville, the week before the Colts have a bye.



Dr Andrew Hecht, director of spine surgery at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, doesn't believe the injury will prematurely end Manning's career.



Dr Hecht, who works with the New York Jets and New York Islanders, said the biggest risk is healing.

He said it typically takes three months for the fusion to occur, though some people heal faster.



'The odds are that he'll end his career when he wants to end his career,' he said.



Mr Manning, who signed a five-year, $90 million contract in July, also had neck surgery in February 2010.

This, however, has been one of the most frustrating offseasons of his career.



The four-and-a-half-month lockout prevented him from working out with team trainers and he couldn't negotiate a new contract with the Colts during that time.



He started training camp on the physically unable to perform list, which prevented him from working out with teammates until August 29.



With Manning, the Colts have been a perennial Super Bowl contender.



Without him, the most dominant team in the AFC South since its creation faces a daunting challenge: trying to become the first team to play a Super Bowl in its home stadium without having Manning behind centre for possibly the entire season.



Since being taken with the number one overall pick in 1998, Manning has led the Colts to 11 playoff appearances, 11 double-digit winning seasons, eight division crowns, two AFC titles and a Super Bowl championship.



The biggest question is when he will return.



'None of us know,' coach Jim Caldwell. 'It is a little bit in flux at this point.'

