All posts by Shashwat Tripathi

All Blogs, Ankle/Foot, Basketball

LaMarcus Aldridge’s Ankle Sprain

San Antonio Spurs All-Star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge left the game against the New Orleans Pelicans Wednesday night after landing awkwardly while attempting to defend Rajon Rondo’s layup attempt in the first quarter of the game. He re-entered the game briefly before exiting with 7 minutes and 39 seconds left in the first half and did not return. The Spurs have announced that Aldridge has a sprained right ankle.

Ankle sprains are one of the most common sports injuries and occurs when the ligaments which support the ankle stretch beyond their limits and tear. There is a range of severity among ankle sprains, depending on how badly the ligaments are torn.

Most sprains are Grade I sprains, where just a few fibers are torn. They can heal with rest and ice. Moderate ankle sprains are known as Grade II sprains, where more of the structure is damaged, but there still some ligament structure intact and the ankle is still stable. A Grade III sprain is a complete tear of the ligament.

Ankle sprains heal naturally over time. It’s not possible to categorize a sprain precisely into one of the three groups. One can get a sense of the severity of the sprain based on the amount of tenderness, swelling and bruising. A complete tear is diagnosed based on the ankle being loose on exam.

If part of the ligament is intact, it’s safe and even healthy to put weight on it and external support such as a brace, boot or cast is mostly for comfort. Sprains are common among basketball players. With the ankle supported by taping or bracing, it is often possible to return when the ankle is still healing and still sore. Given that LaMarcus returned to the game, it must be a relatively mild sprain that they tried to support.

According to league sources, there is no timetable for Aldridge’s return. If it’s just the ligaments and they are mostly intact, he can resume play when he is comfortable and mobile enough to be effective. Since return to play risks re-injury and could delay recovery, one strategy would be to keep him out of competition until a more advanced stage of healing, in preparation for the playoffs, for instance.

This article was made by Hunter McConnie and David Ring

All Blogs, Basketball, Knee

Jimmy Butler’s Partial Meniscal Tear

Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star forward Jimmy Butler left the game against the Rockets on Friday with a right knee injury. He fell to the ground in pain after grabbing a loose ball. He needed help from trainers to get up and get off the court. An MRI later revealed a partial tear of his medial meniscus.

The meniscus is a cushion and shock absorber between the thighbone and shinbone. Changes in the meniscus are part of the normal aging process in the knee. Trauma can injure the meniscus during quick changes in direction, jumping and cutting. The meniscus is often injured when the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is torn.

Many meniscal problems feel better over time. Some large traumatic tears near the attachment to the knee capsule can be repaired, but require a prolonged recovery time — the better part of a year. Large detachments near the center of the joint are just removed, like a haircut.

Butler had surgery on Sunday and is out indefinitely. According to ESPN, Butler has shared to those close with him that he hopes to return by the time the playoffs start, suggesting that the meniscus was partially resected.

This article was made by Lainie Mabe and David Ring

All Blogs, Olympic Sports, Other

Markus Schairer’s Vertebral Fracture

Austrian snowboarder Markus Schairer had a bad fall competing in the men’s snowboard cross quarterfinals in his third Winter Olympics. He was able to finish the race, but was later diagnosed with a fracture of the fifth cervical vertebrae (broken bone in his neck).

The details of the injury are not known, but it’s notable that he was able to finish the race with a broken neck. That suggests that the injury did not harm his spinal cord, which is lucky for an injury so close to the spinal cord. It also suggests that the injury was relatively stable.

In baseball, a broken bat often looks normal and is structurally in one piece. Other times, a broken bat snaps in two. This was likely a stable type of injury, more like the bat that is still mostly intact, which is great news. An unstable neck fracture places the spinal cord and the nerves that go to the arms at risk. Spinal cord and nerve damage would cause tingling or numbness, and/or weakness or inability to make certain movements.

Schairer was transported back to Austria for additional evaluation and treatment. It sounds like he will just need to give his body time to heal (which could take 6-8 weeks), wearing a brace in the meantime for comfort and protection. He shared a picture of himself on Instagram in a neck brace and assured fans he will be fine.

This article was made by Alexa Ryder and David Ring