MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez has undergone surgery on the injury he sustained at the Indonesian Grand Prix – a course of action it appears his medical team initially hoped to avoid.
The intention had been a “conservative treatment plan, involving rest and immobilisation of the affected shoulder” according to Ducati, before deciding what further action might be required.
A check-up on his right shoulder blade a week on from being taken out at Mandalika by Marco Bezzecchi revealed that stabilising it alone wasn’t achieving the hoped-for progress so surgery went ahead.
“The same medical team who had examined him seven days earlier found that the coracoid fracture and ligament damage were not showing sufficient signs of stabilisation after a week of being immobilised,” said an update from Ducati.
“Therefore, given the risk of residual instability, it was decided to go ahead with surgical stabilisation and repair the acromioclavicular ligaments.”
The initial medical examination did at least confirm that the crash had not caused any fresh damage in the areas of his right arm that were so badly damaged in the 2020 injury that prompted so many years of absences and further corrective surgery.
Marquez has been ruled out of at least the next two rounds of the MotoGP season in Australia and Malaysia. Test rider Michele Pirro will replace him for Phillip Island this weekend but Ducati has left the door open to an alternative solution for Sepang.
It has not yet committed to any timeline for his return to racing, with a two-week gap after Malaysia before the concluding double-header in Portugal and Valencia plus the post-season test.
“Marc Marquez, who is already at home, will continue his recovery process, and his progress will determine the timing of his return to racing competition,” said the statement.