When FC Bayern Basketball (FCBB) forward Oscar da Silva stepped on the court against Paris Basketball in February 2025, it seemed like a routine regular-season game — until it wasn’t.
“I was setting a screen [blocking a defender] to free a teammate when he clipped my leg,” he said. “The contact hit the outside of my thigh and pushed my knee inward.”
The Munich-born German national team player was diagnosed with a medial collateral ligament (MCL) tear in his right knee, sidelining him.
“I knew right away something wasn’t right and that this wasn’t just a minor injury. The doctors confirmed that pretty quickly,” Oscar said.
The FCBB medical team, led by Dr. med. Sebastian Torka (Munich, Germany), chose Prof. Dr. med. Mirco Herbort (Munich, Germany), to operate on Oscar. Dr. Herbort specializes in sports-related knee injuries at the Orthopaedic Surgery Center Munich.
“The doctors walked me through everything: what happened, the damage, my options and explained why surgery would be the best long-term solution,” Oscar said.
An MCL tear affects the ligament on the inner side of the knee and is often caused by a force that pushes the knee inward or by twisting during sports. For professional athletes, restoring stability, function and confidence is essential for returning to peak performance.
“Everything was explained clearly, and my team doctors were involved throughout,” Oscar said. “I went into surgery feeling confident.”
Dr. Herbort performed an MCL repair using Knotless FiberTak® soft anchors. This procedure involves reattaching the torn ligament to the bone using minimally invasive all-suture anchors.
For Oscar, the path back to the court required structured rehabilitation, progressive loading and a disciplined return-to-play approach.
“My goal was to make the European Championship,” Oscar said. “That kept me motivated during rehab. The first two to three weeks were the hardest. I could barely put weight on my leg and was mostly at home. Once rehab started and I could actively work on getting stronger, I found my rhythm again.”
By August 2025, just five months after surgery, Oscar had returned to competition on the basketball court.
“Looking back at where I was five months earlier and getting back to the top level of European basketball — that felt great,” he said.
Oscar’s comeback culminated in a major milestone: In September 2025, Germany won the EuroBasket championship for the second time since 1993, with Oscar as part of the official 12-player roster.
From an injury setback to international success in the same year, Oscar's journey proves that returning to the sport you love with confidence can be the greatest victory of all.
“This year, I hardly thought about my knee,” he said.
