After the retirement of Jason Witten, the Dallas Cowboy’s all time leader in receptions and yards, Geoff Swaim became the Cowboy’s starting tight end. Coming back at the start of the year from a medial collateral ligament sprain in his right knee , Geoff Swain was ready to get back into practice. He returned to play in the Cowboys’ 22-19 win over the Atlanta Falcons Sunday November, 2018. Unfortunately he injured his wrist on the final game winning drive. Media reports indicate that this is an injury to his wrist and it will be treated with surgery, but don’t say what is injured or give any details about the injury. He is unlikely to return to play this season.
Category Archives: Football
Earl Thomas’ Lower Leg Fracture
On September 30, 2018, Seattle Seahawks star safety Earl Thomas injured his left leg during the fourth quarter against the Arizona Cardinals. The injury occurred as Thomas dove across the end zone in an attempt to break up a 22-yard touchdown pass. His leg collided with another player as both players dove for the ball. Thomas was noticeably in pain as he tried to put weight on the leg. Thomas was carted off the field and straight to the locker room for x-rays. He was later diagnosed with a lower left leg fracture. Reports state that Thomas is expected to undergo surgery, but that he has not decided between surgery and another cast.
Thomas previously fractured his left tibia in 2016. It healed with a cast. Thomas will miss the rest of the season, but reports indicate that he is expected to be healthy in time for free agency.
Many tibia shaft fractures can heal without surgery, particularly if they are just a crack or are aligned well. Internal fixation–usually with an intramedullary rod–can speed weight bearing, improve healing in fractures that are more out of place, and improve alignment for deformed fractures. But surgery has risks and can be associated with knee pain. With or without surgery 100% strength of the bone takes 1 year. It’s reasonable to return to risky activities sooner, but it involves some risk.
Carson Wentz ACL Recovery
Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterback Carson Wentz remains on the injured list 9 months after surgery to reconstruct his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and repair his lateral collateral ligament (LCL). Wentz tore both ligaments jumping into the end zone with opposing players hitting both sides of the leg.
The ACL is a ligament that connects the femur to the tibia at the center of the knee joint. It helps stabilize the joint when planting the foot and changing directions (pivoting). ACL tear is one of the most common injury in sports that feature a lot of pivoting. The LCL stabilizes the outside of the knee. It helps stabilize the side to side motion of the knee. This ligament is different because it is one of the few in the body that do not heal on its own. People that play pivot sports may choose to have it reconstructed for more effective pivoting when they return.
ACL reconstructions heal in 1 year. Most of the healing is completed by about 6 months. If motion, strength, and agility are regained at 9 months, some people will return at that time. It was reported that Wentz plans to return for the start of the season, 9 months after the injury. .
Wentz has started to participate in drills and exercises in the team’s training camp. He remains sidelined in team scrimmages as the team wants him in “controlled environments” limiting the possibility of reinjury. It is reported that he may sit him out for the duration of the preseason.