On Monday October 15, 2012 in the first game against the Detroit Tigers for the ALDS (American League Division Series) New York Yankees short stop, Derek Jeter broke his ankle fielding a ground ball.
Jeter had a history of problems with the ankle dating back to Labor Day when he suffered an undisclosed ankle injury. Then in mid-September he hit a foul ball off the ankle. After that, in the last game of the regular season, he suffered what was termed a “bone bruise”.
The straw that finally broke his ankle was probably the cortisone injection he received in the affected ankle prior to the match up with the Tigers. The effect of cortisone is to reduce inflammation and relieve pain.
Pain is our body’s natural defense against injury. Pain tells us when we should not perform an activity that could continue to harm the body.
An unfortunate side effect of cortisone is that it weakens soft tissue. If Derek Jeter had an undiagnosed hairline fracture in the ankle and then masked the pain and weakened the soft tissue around it with cortisone, it is no wonder it finally snapped.
Surgical correction for a fractured ankle can require screws and pins and possibly plates depending where and how bad the fracture is. It usually takes approximately 3-4 months to heal and rehab the ankle.
Here is what an x-ray of an ankle fracture looks like.
If you have an ankle injury, make sure you go to a qualified foot and ankle specialist that can correctly diagnose and treat your specific injury. If not you could possible make the condition worse like Derek did.
Are you suffering from an ankle injury, or do you have pain in your ankle? The foot doctors of the Beltsville Foot and Ankle Center specialize in treating ankle injuries.
Here is another view from a different angle, of an x-ray of an ankle fracture.
Give us a call today to schedule an appointment or fill out our online form above. Our doctors are not alarmists and will always try every option available before resorting to surgery.
Photo by: Searching4Photography
