If the Alabama Crimson Tide win the national championship tonight, they may have a foot and ankle surgeon to thank for it.
Both starter Tua Tagovailoa and backup Jalen Hurts played a crucial role in helping Alabama win the national title last year, and the same can be said so far this year, although Tagovailoa has played a much bigger role in 2018 en route to a runner up finish in the Heisman Trophy voting. But both quarterbacks also share another similarity – they both suffered high ankle sprains this year.
High ankle sprains can keep athletes out of the game for months or longer depending on the severity of the sprain, but both Tua and Hurts were able to return from their injuries in four weeks to help their teams. Hurts was able to lead a game-winning drive against Georgia in the SEC championship after Tua went down, and Tua was able to come back after four weeks to knock off Oklahoma in the college football playoff national semifinal game. So how were these athletes able to get back on the field so quickly? The answer lies in a new ankle surgery.
The Tightrope Procedure
Both quarterbacks underwent what’s known as the Knotless Syndesmosis TightRope procedure. The tightrope procedure is a new twist on the old methods of treating a high ankle sprain, which is usually with rest and physical therapy, or with surgery and the insertion of screws to address the unstable ankle ligaments. With the tightrope procedure, an ankle surgeon slips a high-strength suture through small holes in the bone before fastening it with small metal buttons. The suture is then tightened like you would a zip tie, and the ankle regains stability. The whole procedure can be performed in about 25 minutes.
The procedure has become a hit among football teams at all levels. Dr. Norman Waldrop, the team surgeon for Alabama, said he’s performed about 30 tightrope procedures for Division 1 football players this fall, including some surgeries for rivals of Alabama.
One of the keys with the procedure is how fast players can begin their rehabilitation. With the minimally invasive operation, swelling is usually gone within 3-4 days after surgery, and players can begin running on anti-gravity treadmills a few days later. Players are back to cutting while running within 12 days, and many return to the field full time in less than a month.
Tagovailoa suffered his high ankle sprain on December 2nd, and he returned to the field less than a month later to dispatch Oklahoma, a feat that likely would have been impossible without the new tightrope procedure. The fact that he’s able to play in tonight’s game is still a miracle based on traditional treatment timelines. So if you’re watching the game tonight and you see Tagovailoa make a great play, you can thank ankle surgery innovations for his ability to get back on the field.