Julio Jones underwent surgery to remove a bunion on his foot on Monday, with the Atlanta Falcons star wide receiver announcing that “surgery was a success” in a photo posted on Instagram.
The injury had been nagging Jones throughout the 2016 season and caused him to miss two games. His game and practice reps were also limited late in the regular season, but the 28-year-old wideout still managed to finish with 1,409 receiving yards, second behind T.Y. Hilton of Indianapolis (1,448).
Julio Jones (Wikimedia Commons / Thomson200)
Jones faces a 4-5 month recovery to fully heal, according to the team.
At Delray Beach Podiatry, Dr. Ian S. Goldbaum, a podiatrist with over 30 years of experience, has performed numerous bunion removal surgeries and can offer further insight into Jones’ situation.
“The only way to fully alleviate the issues caused by a bunion is to remove it,” said Dr. Goldbaum, who has offices in Delray Beach and Boynton Beach, Fla. “For someone like Julio Jones, whose profession requires him to pivot and change direction quickly, a bunion can cause serious pain and discomfort.”
A bunion is a bony bump that forms on the join at the base of your big toe. This condition occurs when your big toes pushes against your next toe, forcing the join of your big toe to get bigger and stick out.
The underlying cause of bunions is a deformity of the joint at the base of the big toe known as he hallux valgus. In this deformity, the join develops a prominent sideways angle, which pushes the bones of the big toe towards the smaller toes.
As a bunion develops, swelling, redness and pain is typically felt at the base of the big toe and in the ball of the foot. Eventually, the area becomes shiny and warm to the touch.
Like Dr. Goldbaum said, all bunions are permanent unless surgically corrected, but there are some measures you can take to be more comfortable or to slow a bunion’s progression.
“Once a person starts feeling pain in their first metatarsophalangeal joint (big toe join) or the toe looks like it’s not staying straight and veering over, then it’s time to see a doctor,” Dr. Goldbaum said.
Bunion removal surgery typically involves breaking the toe bone (metatarsal) to correct the alignment problem that caused the bunion to form; this part of the procedure is called an osteotomy.
The surgery also involves tightening the ligaments on the outside of the toe, and loosening of the ligaments on the inside, so the tension on the ligaments holds the toe pointing in the proper direction. Some surgeons opt to use pins, plates, or screws to hold the broken bone while it is healing. Others opt to allow the bone to heal without metal holding the position.
“These surgeries are highly successful,” Dr. Goldbaum said. “Jones should feel no aftereffects and his play should not be adversely affected by the injury once it has healed. This is actually much better than if he were to tear a ligament or a tendon, as those never truly return to 100 percent after surgery.”
While recovery from bunion surgery takes about six to eight weeks, full recovery from bunion removal surgery can take an average of four to six months.
“For the first two weeks following surgery, Jones will likely be fairly immobile and wearing a surgical boot or cast to protect his foot,” Dr. Goldbaum said. “After removing that, he should wear a brace to support the foot while it continues to heal. He won’t be able to bear weight on the foot at first, so he’ll also likely need crutches for assistance. Over time, he’ll be able to put more and more weight on the foot until he is able to return to full health.”
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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 33484
561-499-0033
BOYNTON BEACH
8198 Jog Road #100, Boynton Beach, FL 33472
561-499-0033
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