VIDEO: Kitshoff gives details of injury and pending neck surgery
Two-time World Cup-winning prop Steven Kitshoff is ‘optimistic’ that surgery will rescue him from a career-threatening neck injury.
Speaking to fellow Springboks Jean de Villiers and Schalk Burger on the latest episode of Boks Office, the 32-year-old revealed that he is going under the knife on Wednesday.
Kitshoff, with 83 Tests the second-most capped Bok prop behind Tendai Mtawarira (117), will undergo neck fusion surgery.
“It’s a bit of a stressful one because it’s such a high area of my neck – C1 and C2 – which is a bit of an issue,” he said.
“I’ve been [going] through this the last couple of weeks building up to the operation.
“Now I just want to get it done and start the rehab process and see what happens after that.”
The celebrated front row forward said he got “quite a fright” when he suffered the injury while playing for Western Province in a Currie Cup match against Griquas – which sidelined him for the entire international season.
With fears that the injury could end his career, he admitted that he got a “fright” and has put his trust in surgery.
(WATCH as two-time World Cup-winning prop Steven Kitshoff speaks about the neck surgery that will hopefully save his career…..)
“It happened in the weirdest way,” told the Boks Offices podcast, when asked about the injury.
“Just a normal scrum, [an] everyday type of thing, and then I just felt something snap at the back.”
Burger, who had a neck fusion in 2006 after suffering an injury against Scotland in Port Elizabeth, recovered to play 60 more Tests – including three World Cup, winning the Webb Ellis Cup in 2007.
“Mine was just a normal scrum,” Kitshoff said about his injury.
“The scrum didn’t even collapse.
“In the process of the scrum, I just felt something go.
“It is a contact sport the players put their bodies on the line every week.”
He added that he is ‘pain free’ and will know what the future holds once the surgery is done.
De Villiers also revealed that he will undergo neck surgery soon.
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