Medical experts chime in...

#1
Volgrad98

Volgrad98

Give my all for the VOLS
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#1
Okay you don't have to be a medical expert to participate, but I am wondering what are the recovery times on some of these types of injuries. I know that there is an element of severity to each instance of said injury and alot has to do with rehab with the return, but on the average, how long are athletes usually out due to these types of injuries:

Torn ACL/MCL?
Fractured/Broken bone?

These are the only two that I am posting since they most directly affect players that are out. Please feel free to post any more that you have had experience with (sprains, separations, dislocations, etc.)
 
#2
#2
The bone thing all depends on the bone...

Broke my nose and it healed in a couple weeks. Had a spiral fracture on my femur, I was laid up in the hospital for months then a body cast.
 
#3
#3
Hayezb said:
The bone thing all depends on the bone...

Broke my nose and it healed in a couple weeks. Had a spiral fracture on my femur, I was laid up in the hospital for months then a body cast.
Click to expand...

Bones are tricky.

I snapped my collar bone in two places in a high school rugby practice. Can't play contact sports any more unless I got a metal plate put in. I can still feel it bend slightly at times.

Brother tore his acl mcl and pcl at the same time in the 90s and the doctors said if any damage occurred to it again he'd be lucky to walk on it.

Historically, ACL injuries end the season. Regardless of their recovery times (which are all different) they are almost always longer than the season. Even if they aren't, the knee is still weakened, so they spend the off season getting back on track. Some people end up feeling better than before the tear, some don't.
 
#4
#4
As far as Bray's thumb...if he didn't have surgery, 4-6 weeks. If surgery, probably 6-8 weeks. If torn ligaments, tendons, etc., they actually take longer to FULLY heal and be back to normal.
 
#5
#5
Hayezb said:
The bone thing all depends on the bone...

Broke my nose and it healed in a couple weeks. Had a spiral fracture on my femur, I was laid up in the hospital for months then a body cast.
Click to expand...

Obviously the bone he is concerned about is Brays thumb. 6 weeks, from my experience, is ample time to heal for a broke finger. However, I am not sure if it will affect his passing game or not.

I say keep Bray out until we are 110% certain that it is healed and no chance of re-injury.
 
#6
#6
Volgrad98 said:
Okay you don't have to be a medical expert to participate, but I am wondering what are the recovery times on some of these types of injuries. I know that there is an element of severity to each instance of said injury and alot has to do with rehab with the return, but on the average, how long are athletes usually out due to these types of injuries:

Torn ACL/MCL?
Fractured/Broken bone?

These are the only two that I am posting since they most directly affect players that are out. Please feel free to post any more that you have had experience with (sprains, separations, dislocations, etc.)
Click to expand...

Basic answer... without knowing all the details

ACL - 6-8 months depending on any setbacks post surgery. MCL is collateral damage with ACL so it does not effect recovery time.

Fracture - depends on the type and severity of fracture. The plate Bray has helps things out. I would assume that they are using a bone stimulator on him as well to accelerate the healing process. Generally 6-8 weeks is standard but I have seen 4 weeks and I have seen 12 weeks.
 
#7
#7
CABVOL said:
As far as Bray's thumb...if he didn't have surgery, 4-6 weeks. If surgery, probably 6-8 weeks. If torn ligaments, tendons, etc., they actually take longer to FULLY heal and be back to normal.
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Bray did have surgery, and it was factored in to the initial reports of likely missed time.

The issue isn't so much with healing the bone, as there are procedures and equipment for that- the issue is regaining flexibility and full use of the thumb after having it atrophy for a few weeks.
 
#8
#8
Thanks for the responses so far, I myself have never had anything more severe than a cracked bone in my foot (knocks on wood) when I played sports and that happened off the field. HAHA. I was out a couple months iirc.
 
#10
#10
Broken Thumb: Assuming it's the metacarpal he broke, with the plate, 4-8 weeks is typical. If he's a good healer and a good patient (nothing stupid), he could certainly be out of a cast in 4 weeks, but it'd be another 1-2 to be throwing in my opinion. The strength in that hand will take a while to come back, so if he is back that quickly, I'd assume his throwing would be different...a la fewer spirals, etc until the strength is 100% back.

ACL: 6-12 months. The progress on this injury has been enormous. 6 months to be considered 'healed', but another month or three to have the joint back to competitive athletics full-strength. Depends on the athlete, position played, etc. Tall, thin guys recover better than heavy set guys for obvious weight bearing/transfer reasons.
 
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#11
#11
I think 6 months on the ACL is a little early. I would say 8-10 months depending on the strength of the knee. I think Welker returned about 9 months after his ACL reconstruction.
 
#12
#12
I know a MCL tear is 5 wks maybe 6wks. I tore mine in HS and had to wear a stablizing brace and do rehab at KOC for 5 wks. As for a broken finger , I broke my ring finger on the very first play on defense and I was a Qb on offense and went on to have a great game but it was my ring finger and not my thumb. I broke my ankle and severly tore the legaments that hold my ankle together and fractured the actual ankle bone and it took 8 months or so of a cast , walking boot, rehab and i had nowhere near the amount of support as the football players have. These are just my experiences tho. It's diff. for everyone IMO.
 
#13
#13
Both vary on degree of injury like you mentioned. I have had both from sports related injury.

I broke a bone in my hand and could have casted it and been out 6-8 weeks. I opted for surgery and had a pin inserted in my hand. It was removed after 3 weeks, and I was back to playing baseball in 4. It was on my throwing hand and I was in the starting pitcher rotation in hs. I couldn't pitch till about week 6, but was able to play 3rd and throw the ball just fine.

Tore my ACL, MCL, and PCL playing ball in college and took nearly a full year to recover fully after having a pattela tendon graft from my opposite knee. Granted, this was without top notch rehab and therapy.

It all just depends on the person and the injury.
 
#14
#14
VolsFan05 said:
I think 6 months on the ACL is a little early. I would say 8-10 months depending on the strength of the knee. I think Welker returned about 9 months after his ACL reconstruction.
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Orthopedic PA here. I assist on 4-5 of these a week and am in charge of the week in/week out rehab along with a PT. 6 months is medically healed. Just like a fracture is healed way before the strength is back.
 
#15
#15
Outdors21 said:
Broken Thumb: Assuming it's the metacarpal he broke, with the plate, 4-8 weeks is typical. If he's a good healer and a good patient (nothing stupid), he could certainly be out of a cast in 4 weeks, but it'd be another 1-2 to be throwing in my opinion. The strength in that hand will take a while to come back, so if he is back that quickly, I'd assume his throwing would be different...a la fewer spirals, etc until the strength is 100% back.
Click to expand...

And the cold weather won't do Bray any favors.
 
#16
#16
Outdors21 said:
Orthopedic PA here. I assist on 4-5 of these a week and am in charge of the week in/week out rehab along with a PT. 6 months is medically healed. Just like a fracture is healed way before the strength is back.
Click to expand...

As a PT, I thank you for shedding the correct light on this. You've had the best/most accurate answers on here. My biggest concern where I work is that a lot of the insurance companies that the athletes I have aren't willing to pay for anything usually beyond 3 months of therapy, and sadly, several of our area schools don't have ATC's to take on the case after the student returns to school and practices with his/her respective team.
 
#17
#17
Outdors21 said:
Orthopedic PA here. I assist on 4-5 of these a week and am in charge of the week in/week out rehab along with a PT. 6 months is medically healed. Just like a fracture is healed way before the strength is back.
Click to expand...

Also, what type of grafts are you doing/seeing more of? I've seen mostly hamstring autografts, but every now and then I get a patient with an allograft. Provided the allograft takes well, I've heard patients have excellent results with them.
 
#18
#18
supersmo18 said:
Also, what type of grafts are you doing/seeing more of? I've seen mostly hamstring autografts, but every now and then I get a patient with an allograft. Provided the allograft takes well, I've heard patients have excellent results with them.
Click to expand...

I have not seen many hamstring grafts. Mostly patella tendon around Memphis area.
 
#21
#21
supersmo18 said:
Also, what type of grafts are you doing/seeing more of? I've seen mostly hamstring autografts, but every now and then I get a patient with an allograft. Provided the allograft takes well, I've heard patients have excellent results with them.
Click to expand...

I work with a high end ($$$, not necessarily talent) surgeon who almost exclusively does allografts. The difference has been amazing. I worked with two surgeons previously who mostly did autografts and the joint strength/motion schedule is 1-2 months faster with the allograft. Our PT raves about the differences he sees one year post surgery (I don't see the patients after the 8 month mark, usually).
 
#22
#22
supersmo18 said:
As a PT, I thank you for shedding the correct light on this. You've had the best/most accurate answers on here. My biggest concern where I work is that a lot of the insurance companies that the athletes I have aren't willing to pay for anything usually beyond 3 months of therapy, and sadly, several of our area schools don't have ATC's to take on the case after the student returns to school and practices with his/her respective team.
Click to expand...

This is one thing I've realized is a huge benefit in Colorado versus Illinois, the pit of hell that was my prior residence. The state requires public schools to have on staff or provide access to an ATC during the school year. There is at least one large private school that even has a PT/PTA duo on part-time paid staff for football and hockey seasons.
 
#23
#23
as a pt student, and a acl tear victim, i can say the medical clearance for an acl is 4-6 months (i was cleared to return at 4 months) but being back to 100% is longer. im about 9 months out of surgery, and ive just recently felt that im back to where i was pre-op
 
#24
#24
mcashawn0304 said:
as a pt student, and a acl tear victim, i can say the medical clearance for an acl is 4-6 months (i was cleared to return at 4 months) but being back to 100% is longer. im about 9 months out of surgery, and ive just recently felt that im back to where i was pre-op
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Four months?? Really? The earliest we've EVER cleared a patient 100% is 5 months...so a full month earlier blows my mind.
 
#25
#25
Outdors21 said:
Four months?? Really? The earliest we've EVER cleared a patient 100% is 5 months...so a full month earlier blows my mind.
Click to expand...

surgery was last december, i was fully cleared in april.
i think part of what helped me was being a pt student i know the importance of proper rehab
 
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