When is Howard expected to be back on the court?

So I notice how a lot of people are overlooking how he suffered a season ending injury last season (back i believe) that raised some eyebrows, as back/neck injuries are always tough to predict. Does anyone know the timeline that howard is suppose to be back by? I mean I've heard as late as Feb and as early as Dec.. suppose he comes back in Feb.. will 2 short months be enough for him to fully gel with the Lakers so that they can make a legitimate push for a championship?

Good info on this question in the big Dwight thread. You can start on page 648 for Dr. Klapper's opinion.