Managing Common Basketball-Related Injuries

Volume 26 - Issue 1 - January 2013
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Start Page: 32

How To Treat Navicular And Jones Fractures

Both of these injuries typically receive screw fixation, which provides both compression of the fracture site and internal stability for future stresses applied to the foot. If they are repeat injuries, they typically require bone grafting with new screw fixation. The use of a bone stimulator is always in use as well for NBA players since time needed for proper healing is very important in getting the player back on the court to play basketball again. The bone stimulator may not be available for the high school or college athlete due to insurance restraints.

This certainly brings the great caution of not letting the surgeon be talked into or pressured (usually by the athlete’s parents) into letting the athlete back into weightbearing workouts/competition before he has adequate bone maturation and healing to again withstand the stresses of the sport that the fracture site will experience.

Author(s):

Michael K. Lowe, DPM, FACFAS

Dr. Lowe is the team podiatrist for the Utah Jazz. He is a Fellow and Past President of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine. Dr. Lowe is a Diplomate of the American Board Of Podiatric Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. He was the podiatrist for the 2002 Winter Olympics and the 2002 Para-Olympics.

References
1. National Basketball Association. Available at http://www.nba.com/history/records/index.html Accessed December 3, 2012.
2. NBA Career Longevity Study, 1991.
3. NBTA Injury Reporting System, Utah Jazz Physician’s Report.
4. Biderman D. Why the hightop has one foot in the grave. Wall Street Journal. May 19, 2010.
5. Starkey C. Injuries and illnesses in the National Basketball Association: a 10-year perspective. J Athl Train. 2000;35(2):161-167.
6. Taylor PM, Gordon G, Lowe MK: Basketball injuries. In: Subotnik SI (ed): Sports Medicine of the Lower Extremity (2nd edition), Ch. 31, W.B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia, 1999, p. 695.
7. Perl DP, Daoud AI, Lieberman DE. Effects of footwear and strike type on running economy. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2012; 44(7):1335-1343.
8. Malliou P, Gioftsidou A, Pafis G, et al. Proprioceptive training (balance exercises) reduces lower extremity injuries in young soccer players. J Back Musculoskeletal Rehabil. 2004; 17(3-4):101-104.
9. Verhagen E, van der Beek A, Twisk J, et al. The effect of a proprioceptive balance training program for the prevention of ankle sprains. Am J Sports Med. 2004; 32(6):1385-1393.

Additional Reference
10. Holme E, Magnusson SP, Becher K, et al. The effect of supervised rehabilitation on strength, postural sway, position sense and re-injury risk after acute ankle ligament sprain. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 1999; 9(2):104-109.