Victor Wembanyama Diagnosed With Deep Vein Thrombosis In ...

The San Antonio Spurs star player Victor Wembanyama has been diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis and a blood clot in his right shoulder, causing his NBA season to be cut short, the team announced. The condition can be life-threatening if the clot breaks off and makes its way to the lungs.

On Thursday, Feb. 20, the team released a statement revealing the French player’s injury and confirmed he will be sidelined for the rest of the regular season. 

“The San Antonio Spurs today announced that Victor Wembanyama has been diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder,” the team said in a post shared on X. “The condition was discovered when Wembanyama returned to San Antonio following the All-Star Game in San Francisco. Wembanyama is expected to miss the remainder of the 2024-45 regular season. The team will provide updates as appropriate.”

The 21-year-old French phenom, who was selected No. 1 in the 2023 draft, was having an impressive sophomore season that led to him being named an NBA All-Star for the first time. He competed in the All-Star game Feb. 16, leading his squad with 11 points. 

Following the All-Star break, Wembanyama was expected to take the court with the rest of his Spurs teammates for a matchup against the Phoenix Suns Feb. 20 before the team revealed his diagnosis.

Deep vein thrombosis refers to the formation of a blood clot in a deep vein, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. DVT usually is discovered in the lower leg, thigh or pelvis, but for Wembanyama, who is 7-foot-3-in, the blood clot was found in the upper part of his body, specifically his right shoulder.

Other NBA stars have also been diagnosed with DVT. In March 2019, the Associated Press reported that Brandon Ingram, who now plays for the Toronto Raptors, needed to sit out the rest of the season due to DVT in his right arm. NBA legend Chris Bosh also struggled with his DVT diagnosis toward the end of his career and had to miss the 2016 playoffs, according to Sports Illustrated. 

The condition can lead to pain or swelling, but sometimes there are not any obvious symptoms. Also, DVT in the shoulder may present differently from the more common DVT in the leg. Here's what to know about each condition.

What to know about deep vein thrombosis, "the silent killer"

DVT impacts up to 900,000 people in the United States every year, the CDC reports. But it sometimes goes undetected, as about half of people with DVT do not experience symptoms, according to the National Institutes of Health. Due to the lack of signs, the condition has been referred to as a “silent killer.”

But the National Institutes of Health caution that DVT in the leg can cause noticeable symptoms in some cases, such as:

• Swelling
• Pain, cramping or soreness
• Red or purple discoloration
• A feeling of warmth from the affected body part

There are also some factors that can increase the risk of developing DVT in the leg. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, these are:

• Increasing age
• Blood-clotting disorders
• Family history of DVT or pulmonary embolism
• Having cancer or a vein disease
• Smoking
• Taking birth control pills or hormone therapy
• Pregnancy
• Obesity

The effects of DVT can be serious. “If a blood clot breaks free, it may travel through the bloodstream and block blood flow to the lungs,” the AAOS notes. That blockage could cause a pulmonary embolism, which could be fatal as in the case of late NBC war correspondent David Bloom. He died from a DVT complication on April 6, 2003. 

Even if the blood clot does not travel, DVT can lead to permanent damage in the valves in the vein.

According to the Mayo Clinic, some prevention strategies for DVT in the leg include moving your legs often, especially if you're having surgery, on bed rest or traveling; not smoking and managing your weight.

How does DVT happen in the shoulder?

Deep vein thrombosis and blood clots are most common in the lower leg. But when the condition occurs in the upper arm or shoulder it's know as Axillo-subclavian vein thrombosis (ASVT), according to the Cleveland Clinic. It's uncommon, affecting one or two out of every 100,000 people, but represents 10-20% of upper body DVT.

Usually, the blood vessel in the upper arm becomes compressed by a rib or muscle, leading to blood clots. The clots usually form in the shoulder or upper armpit. Similar to leg DVT, the condition can become life-threatening if the clot travels to the lung.

The most common cause of ASVT is "injury or repeated stress to one or both of your upper arms," per Cleveland Clinic. It's also known as "effort-induced thrombosis."

"Repetitive arm movements can cause inflamed muscles around your shoulder or armpit to put pressure on and injure vein. This may cause scar tissue to form, narrowing your blood vessels and reducing blood flow. This type of thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) might not cause problems initially. But over time, clots can form in the subclavian or axillary veins and lead to serious problems."

As Dr. Jonathan Reiner, professor of medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, told NBA.com: “There might be mechanical reasons, particularly in the shoulder of an NBA athlete. Someone who’s jamming the basketball violently. There’s obviously a lot of contact and collision. Those are the kinds of things that might damage a vein.”

Symptoms of DVT in the arm include:

• Arm pain
• Bulging arm veins
• The skin of the arm taking on a bluish tint
• Tiredness in the arm
• Swelling in the arm that is sudden

The primary treatment is receiving a medication that will dissolve the clot directly into the affected vein. Some people also undergo procedures to remove the clot and take blood-thinning drugs.

Elevating the arm, limiting use, physical therapy and wearing a compression sleeve can also help alleviate symptoms.