Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton sustained a mid-foot sprain in his left foot after a sack during a preseason game against the New England Patriots. According to The Athletic reporter Joe Person, Newton sprained his foot after Danny Shelton of the Patriots tackled him by his left ankle. Panthers head coach Ron Rivera informed the media that Newton was able to walk in a boot after the game and is optimistic that Newton’s injury will heal in time for the season opener on September 8th. We’ve covered sprains many times on this site, but there is a severe type of sprain of the midfoot that it sounds like Newton does not have. It’s called a Lisfranc injury and is a complete rupture of a ligament between some of the midfoot bones. That injury needs surgery to heal properly.
All posts by Neha Dronamraju
DeMarcus Cousins Torn ACL
On August 12, Los Angeles Lakers center DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins, tore his left ACL during an off-season workout in Las Vegas. According to ESPN reporter, Adrian Wojnarowski, Cousins bumped his knee against another player’s during the workout. Cousins will likely have the ACL reconstructed and be out for the year. At age 29 he has already had two potentially career-ending injuries: Achilles tendon injury in 2018 and now the ACL rupture.
Picture courtesy of Mayo Clinic
Blake Griffin Knee Injury
Detroit Pistons forward Blake Griffin sat out six of eleven Playoff games this year due to problems with his knee. He had arthroscopic surgery on April 24, but the diagnosis and procedure are unclear.
In 2010, Griffin broke his kneecap and underwent surgery. In late March of this year, he was diagnosed
with a medial collateral ligament (MCL) sprain. He returned to play a game against Oklahoma City Thunder on April 5th, after which his knee pain returned, and he did not play again.
Sprains of the MCL heal relatively quickly and do not benefit from arthroscopic surgery. Return to play is typically an issue of stability and comfort sufficient to be effective.
Griffin is expected to start the 2019-2020 season on time.