Boston Red Sox outfielder Blake Swihart injured his left ankle during a collision with the left field wall at Fenway Park during the Red Sox’ 6-4 win over the Orioles on Saturday.
Podiatry in Sports: Blake Swihart
“He’s going to be immobilized for two weeks, and we’ll re-evaluate at that point to see what the next steps are,” Red Sox manager John Farrell told reporters Sunday. “He sustained a pretty severe ankle sprain here yesterday.”
Ankle sprains are graded on a scale of 1–3 based on their severity:
Grade 1 (Mild): In mild cases, the ligaments are somewhat stretched, resulting in joint stiffness, muscle weakness or tightness with reduced balance and joint awareness.
Grade 2 (Moderate): In moderate cases, there is significant ligament stretching and sometimes partial tearing. It is far more painful than a mild sprain and can make it difficult to walk.
Grade 3 (Severe): In severe cases, the ligament can completely rupture. There is severe swelling, extensive bruising, and immense pain felt with a Grade 3 sprain. In most cases, a patient will need a screw inserted into their ankle to stabilize the area while it heals.
Based on Farrell’s initial timetable for Swihart’s recovery, it’s more than likely that the 24-year-old is suffering from a Grade 2 sprain. Earlier this season, Detroit Tigers catcher James McCann suffered a sprain of similar severity and was out of the lineup for approximately three weeks.
A Podiatrist’s Opinion
At Delray Beach Podiatry, Dr. Ian S. Goldbaum, a podiatric physician and surgeon with over 30 years of experience, has seen numerous ankle sprains throughout his tenure in medicine and can offer some insight into Swihart’s situation based on the information currently available.
At this point, it’s more than likely that Swihart suffered an injury to his anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL). The ligaments on the outside of the ankle, particularly the ATFL, are the most important stabilisers of the ankle joint because of their ability to try and limit you to point your toes and rotate your foot inward.
Lateral ankle sprains such as Swihart’s occur as a result of landing with your ankle in a position that your toes are pointed and your foot is turned in, which in turn overstretches the ATFL.
“That’s the most common ligament that is injured during ankle sprains,” said Dr. Goldbaum, who has offices in Delray Beach and Boynton Beach, Fla. “They’re really not very thick bands of tissue, which makes them prone to injuries such as this. These types of injuries are usually acute, which means they happen very suddenly.”
As for treatment, R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression and elevation) will play a large role in Swihart’s recovery. Additionally, ultrasound technology, injections, laser therapy and PRP could be used to expedite the recovery process.
In recent years, platlet-rich plasma (PRP) has also been used far more frequently because of its effectiveness in the treatment of injuries such as ankle fractures and sprains. PRP is plasma that contains more platelets than what is typically found in blood. These platelets contain hundreds of proteins called growth factors, which are very important in the healing of injuries.
“We take the patients blood and we spin it,” Dr. Goldbaum said of the PRP process. “We take out the plasma part, which has all of the growth factors, so we can get it to heal faster. I’m not sure if they used that with (Swihart), but that’s a big deal today.”
As for how long he’ll be out of the lineup, Dr. Goldbaum is optimistic that if Swihart is suffering from merely a Grade 1 or Grade 2 sprain, he won’t be out of the lineup too long after his current stint on the DL comes to an end.
“He should heal pretty quickly,” he said. “If, however, they decide he will need surgery upon their second evaluation, that changes everything. But, based on the information currently available, it looks as if he’ll be fine.”
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The content on this website is for informational purposes only. Do not rely or act upon information from www.DelrayBeachPodiatry.com without seeking professional medical advice. If you live in South Florida and would like a consultation with Dr. Ian Goldbaum, a podiatric physician and surgeon with over 30 years of experience, please see our contact information below:
BOCA/DELRAY
16244 S. Military Trail #290, Delray Beach, FL 33445
561-499-0033
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8198 Jog Road #100
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