NBA Injuries
Role Player Meyers Leonard Out 4-6 Weeks With Ankle Sprain
Role Player Meyers Leonard Out 4-6 Weeks With Ankle Sprain
Meyers Leonard, the role playing forward for the Portland Trailblazers will be out for the foreseeable future.
The Trail Blazers announced on Friday that Leonard will miss four to six weeks because of a right ankle sprain. Leonard was averaging 5.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per game in two 2017-18 contests thus far.
Leonard is mainly a role player for Portland, and he appeared in a career-high 74 games last season. His average last season was 5.4 points and 3.2 rebounds a night in 2016-17 after posting career-best totals of 8.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game two seasons ago in 2015-16.
The University of Illinois product really helps to stretch the floor as a matchup problem in the frontcourt and has a career 37.1 percent shooting clip from three-point range.
The Injury
Normal ankle sprains, especially on high level athletes, getting treatment at all hours of the day, can generally heal in 2-4 weeks at most. When an “ankle sprain” is being forecasted to put a player out 4-6 weeks, we as clinicians start thinking that perhaps it was a high ankle sprain. A high ankle sprain is also known as a “syndesmotic sprain”. It is labeled such because it involves the syndesmotic ligaments that connect the two lower leg bones (the tibia and the fibula), and it is located up high (above) the ankle joint.
Return To Play
Early on (or acutely as they say), treatment will consist of controlling the swelling with your typical rest, ice, compression, and elevation (R.I.C.E.). Clinicians will then determine the stability of the ankle, and if it is stable, the rehabilitation will begin. There will be gentle range of motion and strengthening with elastic bands or light ankle weights early on in the process. It is not uncommon to see the use of crutches or a walking boot in the first phase trying to limit external rotation (or turning outward) of the joint and ligaments . The next phase will consist of weight bearing and more aggressive strengthening with heavier weights and machines from the knee (and even the hip) down due to the chain like presentation of hip to knee to ankle. Finally, more strengthening and plyometrics (or jumping and landing) for full return to jumping sports. The slow healing and strengthening progression while the pain subsides with why this injury can take anywhere from 4-6 weeks or beyond.
High Ankle Sprain
NBA Injury Alert
Reports are stating that Damian Lillard suffered a groin strain Wednesday night vs the Grizzlies. He will not participate in the All Star game and maybe miss a couple games following the all stargame depending on the severity. We expect CJ McCollum to handle most of the scoring until Lillard gets back. In this article we will go over what exactly is a groin strain and the severity of it.
What is injured in a groin strain?
The groin muscles or the hip adductors are responsible for adducting/bringing the legs together. The groin muscles can be separated into two groups. The first group is the pectineus, adductor longus, and adductor brevis muscles which attach from the pelvis to the femur. The gracilis and adductor magnus attach from the pelvis to the knee. Any injury to these muscles are referred to as a groin strain.
How is it injured?
Groin Strain occur in sports that involve quick acceleration and sudden changes in direction as well as powerful overstretching of the leg and thigh in abduction and external rotation.
A groin strain is a stretching or tearing of the muscle group as a result of overloading the muscles beyond their normal range.
Am I at risk for injury?
Previous groin injury and adductor weakness have been linked to the incidence of adductor muscle strains. Core weakness or delayed onset of transverse abdominus recruitment increases risk of groin injury.
Are all groin sprains the same?
All groin injuries are different and are classified by their severity. They all either are defined as pain during palpation of the adductor tendons or the insertion on the pubic bone or groin pain during adduction against resistance
Grade 1: there is pain but minimal loss of strength and minimal restriction of motion
Grade 2: Tissue damage that compromises the strength of the muscle but not including complete loss of strength and function
Grade 3: Complete disruption of the muscle tendon unity including complete loss of function of the muscle.
How long am I out for?
1st degree: 2-4 weeks
2nd degree: 4-6 weeks
3rd degree: 6-10 weeks
Source
Nicholas, Stephen and Tyler, Timothy. Adductor Muscle Strains in sport. 2002.
