IT’S FOOTBALL TIME IN TENNESSEE! Fire up your grills, spice up your favorite chili recipe, and gear up in your team’s colors! At ORTHOKnox, we are so excited to cheer on our local teams but also know that each tackle carries a risk of injury, and it is important to give injured players the best treatment from board-certified surgeons at ORTHOKnox so our favorite players, family members, and teammates can get back on the field.
Prevention
In order to prevent injuries on the field, players should drink water to hydrate, warm up, cool down and take breaks, stay conditioned in the off season, and wear protective gear, including helmets and shoulder pads, even in practice.
But even with these protective measures, injuries in a contact sport such as football are common. We all know the sinking feeling you get when you are cheering on your team and the game comes to an abrupt halt with one of the players remaining on the ground. The trainers run on the field to assist the player, and you immediately hope they are ok, try to identify the injury, and stay tuned to hear any details.
If you examine the list of college football player injuries, you will see “knee,” “shoulder,” ”foot,” and “ankle,” among others, repeatedly next to each benched player’s name. These are common areas of injury that we treat at ORTHOKnox.
Knees Injuries and Treatments
Knee injuries can occur when football players cut to one side too quickly to gain another yard or bend their knee awkwardly or land hard on one knee in a tackle. The most common knee injuries we treat at ORTHOKnox are the following:
- ACL Tears: the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) runs diagonally across your knee and maintains rotational stability. Sudden stops, changes in direction, awkward landings, and direct contact, such as a tackle, can result in an ACL tear.
- Fractures: falling or being tackled onto one knee can fracture the kneecap.
- Meniscus Tears: the meniscus is on top of the shin bone and helps stabilize the knee joint. It can be torn during twisting motions.
The board-certified surgeons at ORTHOKnox offer various options for ACL reconstruction and healing fractures and meniscus tears. The on-site physical therapists at ORTHOKnox help to restore the range of motion, flexibility, and strength of a football player’s knee to help them return to the field and score those touchdowns.
Shoulder Injuries and Treatments
- Shoulder instability: sometimes due to dislocation of the shoulder. Injured players should ideally be taken immediately to ORTHOKnox where we can reduce the shoulder back into the joint.
- SLAP tear: superior labrum anterior and posterior (SLAP) tears can develop from repetitive overhead arm movements such as throwing a football. Treatment usually involves physical therapy to strengthen and restore movement and flexibility in the shoulder. Surgery is an option if pain persists.
- Rotator cuff tear: four tendons that help your shoulder rotate can be torn due to direct contact or repetitive overhead shoulder use. Prompt attention is key to prevent the tear from getting bigger, which is now made easier with Urgent Orthpaedic Care at ORTHOKnox. Treatment varies and can involve physical therapy and arthroscopic surgery.
Ankle Fractures and Treatments
Twisting or rotating the ankle while running down the field, rolling the ankle after catching a pass, or an impact on the ankle during a tackle can result in an ankle fracture. Stress fractures are also common due to overuse, such as excessive running in football without proper rest.
With its board-certified surgeons and new Urgent Orthpaedic Care, ORTHOKnox has got you covered when one of your family members or teammates gets injured on the football field.
For more information about how ORTHOKnox can treat your football injury, call (865) 251-3030, or fill out our easy-to-use online appointment request form. We look forward to hearing from you.
