march madness or injury madness
With March Madness in full swing, should the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament be called Injury Madness? Foot and Ankle injuries begin to show up more at the end of the long basketball season. These injuries are sure to blow up anyone’s bracket. One of the most common injuries to plague the basketball tournament each year are foot injuries. Many basketball athletes have foot pain, but when is it time to seek a specialist?
Prominent athletes affected this year with foot pain taking them out of the tournament include Dean Wade, PJ Washington, and Bol Bol.
For these elite college athletes or the weekend warrior, Apex Orthopedics & Sports Medicine has Dr. Matthew Kneidel to examine and treat your foot and ankle needs.
The Injuries
The local Kansas State Wildcats star senior forward’s last game of the year was over after the Big XII tournament with a right foot injury. Dean Wade was out last year with a stress fracture in the left foot. He is still in a boot and on and off crutches. He was unable to play against UC Irvine in the first round of the tournament.
The Kentucky Wildcats are missing their sophomore forward due to a foot sprain. PJ Washington was out for the first two games of the tournament as he is still in a cast. Dr. Kneidel said he agreed with the treatment and emphasized making sure there isn’t a ligament injury because that would be an indication for surgical intervention. It is unknown at this time if he will be playing in Kentucky’s Sweet 16 games.
The 7’2” Oregon star Bol Bol is out for the season due to having surgery on his foot. He is now on the sidelines cheering on his teammates for the NCAA tournament. He will not play during the first two game as he is still in a cast. Dr. Kneidel said he agreed with the treatment and emphasized making sure there isn’t a ligament injury because that would be an indication for surgical intervention.
Basketball Injuries
The fast paced and side to side movements that basketball players perform put a large amount of stress on the foot and ankle which produces common injuries like sprains, stress fractures, and tendinitis. These injuries can leave athletes on the sidelines for weeks or months depending on the location and severity.
According to a study of high school basketball players by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA):
- 60% of all injuries were to the lower extremity
- 42% of injuries were the foot and ankle
- 60% of the injuries occurred during practice
- 59% of the game-related injuries occurred during the second half of the game
Our foot and ankle team
Dr. Kneidel is a board certified and specializes in Foot & Ankle Orthopedics.
Lyndsey Augur PA-C is a board certified physician assistant
Having a foot injury can be hard on not only a college athlete but also the weekend warrior. If you have sustained a foot injury contact our office in Overland Park, KS or Belton, MO before a minor injury becomes a major problem. Call Dr. Kneidel at 913.319.7600 to make an appointment today.
