Basketball sensation and soon to be superstar of my beloved Philadelphia 76ers will miss his entire rookie campaign battling back from a foot fracture. Simmons, who suffered the dreaded Jones fracture during training camp, recently found out via CT Scan that his foot fracture has not healed as much as expected.
Jones fractures can be devastating injuries to athletes causing them to miss an extensive amount of time. A Jones fracture typically occurs with a twisting motion of the foot & ankle (just like an ankle sprain). When the foot suddenly twists inward, the sudden pull of the muscle that inserts on the 5th metatarsal bone can cause a fracture. The Jones fracture is a dreaded athletic injury because this specific area of the 5th metatarsal bone has significantly less vascularity than the rest of the bones in the foot; therefore, increasing the likelihood of delayed healing.
For a young athlete such as Ben Simmons, surgical correction is the best option to getting him back as quickly as possible (believe it or not) while helping him long term. Unfortunately because of the decreased vascularity and Simmons’ overall size, his risk of delayed healing is more likely to occur.
Following surgery, a 6-8 week non-weight-bearing period is observed. Afterwards, walking is then started in a protective boot followed by physical therapy. In Simmons’ case, or any other person for that matter with delayed healing at their fracture site, options such as a bone stimulator or prolotherapy could be beneficial to increase the healing potential allowing the bone to heal faster than normal.
Once Simmons gets back on the court for the 76ers, which is hopefully sooner than later, it would be highly recommended to place him in good custom orthotics to support his foot. Custom orthotics can provide more support and stability; therefore decreasing his risk of re-injury in the future.
As a Sixers fan, I hope to see you back on the court soon Ben, let me know if you need those orthotics!