The Egg Bowl. The annual rivalry game between Ole Miss Rebels and Mississippi State Bulldogs. Quarterback Nick Fitzgerald was injured early in the first quarter. He dislocated his ankle.
When I saw it. It brought me back to Boston Celtic Gordon Hayward’s ankle.
He was carted off the field and he had successful surgery on Friday.
Lets recall the anatomy quickly. The ankle is made up of the Tibia, Fibula, Talus, and any muscles and ligaments that cross those bones to hold the joint in place.
While there was no mention of an associated fibula or tibia fracture, that is always a possibility when an ankle dislocation occurs. Also it is very important to make sure blood vessels and nerves are intact, since they also can be damaged when the ankle is dislocated.
What Can I Do?
Similar to Gordon Hayward’s injury there isn’t too much for me to do initially. He’ll be in a boot and working extensively with the physical therapist to begin building strength in his ankle, learning how to bear weight on his surgically repaired leg, and relearning how to walk. But when he’s cleared to begin partial range of motion (following a clean x-ray), I can begin to help with soft tissue treatments to help with ankle range of motion and knee range of motion. Soft tissue treatments will be an important piece to helping in the rehabilitation process. Also, joint mobilizations will be in play to fully help optimize joint range of motion.
Once he’s completely cleared in ideally 4-5 months, introducing general physical preparation followed by sports-specific training will begin. And once again we’ll reintroduce squats, deadlifts, running, jumping, and getting him ready for the start of the 2018 College Football Season. Happy Healings.