Doctor: My treatment saved Colon's career

BOCA RATON, Fla., May 12 (UPI) -- A Florida doctor says he used a treatment he developed to save the pitching career of 37-year-old Bartolo Colon, whose career appeared to be finished.

Joseph R. Purita, a Boca Raton orthopedic surgeon, said he and doctors in the Dominican Republic injected fat and bone marrow into Colon's elbow and shoulder to repair ligament damage and a torn rotator cuff, The New York Times reported Thursday.

Colon's career appeared to be coming to a close a year ago. He had struggled with injuries since 2005 and elbow surgery kept him out of the game for the entire 2010 season.

The New York Yankees signed Colon in January after he pitched during the off-season in the Dominican Republic, where his fastball, often registering at 93 mph or faster, appeared to be back. Since signing with the Yankees and becoming part of their starting rotation, Colon has gone 2-1, with an earned run average of 3.81.

Purita said he treated Colon without charging a fee. He said he did not use human growth hormone, banned by professional baseball, in the treatments.

"This is not hocus-pocus," Purita said. "This is the future of sports medicine, in particular. Here it is that I got a guy back playing baseball and throwing pitches at 95 miles an hour."

Purita, 61, said his clinic offers stem cells and platelet-rich plasma therapy as an alternative, or in addition to, surgery to treat a variety of medical conditions.