This NFL season has been one of the more entertaining years in recent memory, but it might soon be remembered for the rash of Lisfranc injuries suffered by some of its stars.
Over the course of the season, some big names have been sidelined because of Lisfranc injuries. Santonio Holmes, Cedric Benson, and Ryan Kalil have all been lost for the season after suffering the joint injury. Lisfranc injuries can be treated in surgical and non-surgical ways, but all three players opted to go under the knife.
What is a Lisfranc injury?
Lisfranc injuries occur when the midfoot is twisted when the foot is plantar-flexed, meaning that weight is being placed on the front of the foot, like a ballerina on point. Lisfranc injuries are not very common outside of sports because of the nature of the injury.
What is the recovery time for a Lisfranc injury?
The recovery time for a Lisfranc injury varies depending on the severity of the injury. If the injury does not require surgery, a cast is issued and the patient is required to forego weight bearing on the leg for 6-8 weeks. After eight weeks a patients can begin to return to normal activates as they see fit. With that said, a large portion of Lisfranc injuries do require surgery. Following the operation the foot is placed in a cast and patients are told not to bear weight for 6-8 weeks. After 8 weeks patients can begin rehabilitation and can usually return to sporting activities 3-5 months after the initial operation.
Why are they more common in the NFL?
Lisfranc injuries occur more frequently in the NFL because football is a high impact sport. Lisfranc injuries usually happen when weight forces the foot to twist when the heel is elevated. This can happen when a defensive player makes a diving tackle at a player’s foot or in the middle of a pile-up. These injuries are different than ankle sprains, which are common in basketball, because sprains occur when the flat foot is twisted, while Lisfranc injuries occur when the foot is in a plantar-flexed state.
Lisfranc is a weird name. How did the injury get its name?
The naming of the Lisfranc joint dates back nearly 200 years to Jacques Lisfranc de St. Martin, a surgeon in Napoleon’s army. Lisfranc was renowned for his successful amputations of the foot, often saving the lives of soldiers suffering from gangrene. Lisfranc first documented the injury in 1813 after seeing the condition in soldiers who would fall off their horse with their foot caught in the stirrup. These falls created a high-impact twist, similar to what football players suffer in the NFL.
Related source: SportsMD.com