Monday, October 10, 2011

Despite Sprained Foot, Roethlisberger Gets It Done


Earlier in the week, it looked like Steeler’s quarterback Ben Roethlisberger may have broken his foot.  He hobbled all week in practice, and was nowhere near full speed.  While the team never released details of exactly what the injury was, it looked like a sprain in his foot. 

That sprain didn’t slow him down one bit on Sunday, as he and the Steelers roled over the Tennessee Titans, with a final score of 38-17.  Roethlisberger threw for 228 yards and five touchdowns.

While there was no diagnosis released to the press, the pain was reported as being across the forefoot, and Big Ben hobbled noticeably at times during the game.  With the pain being localized around the metatarsophalangeal joints, the possibility of a plantar plate injury, tendinitis, irritation of the capsular ligaments of the MTP joints, and many other conditions become possibilities. 

Of his foot, Roethlisberger told the press “I told ya, I was just faking it, I’m a wimp.”

Over the next week, fans will have to keep an eye on Roethlisberger during practice to determine the fate of his left foot. 

Most likely, it seems as though Roethlisberger may have sprained one of the capsular ligaments of one of the lesser metatarsophalangeal joints.  These injuries are typically minor, and will resolve with rest, ice, and compression.  If that is the case, he should be fine for next week, when the Steelers face the Arizona Cardinals. 

Sprains of the foot are treated conservatively.  This involves PRICE therapy, with protection, rest, ice, compression, and elevation.  Depending on what joint is affected, various types of braces may be used.  Sprains of the rearfoot and ankle can be particularly worrisome, and will usually require various splinting and bracing techniques. 

A sprain happens when a ligament of a joint is extended past its normal range of motion.  Extra stress is placed on the ligament as it is brought through an abnormal range of motion, and this creates a painful situation that is quickly followed by inflammation around the joint.  This inflammation adds to the pain, and is the reason that a sprain can last several weeks and is slow to get over.  In order to fight the inflammation, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories are often added to the treatment protocol, as well as compression and elevation. 

Roethlisberger performed strongly on Sunday, but may not be out of the woods yet.  He is a player that performs strongly when he’s hurt, but he’ll have to practice smart over the next week.


Central Florida Foot and Ankle Center, LLC. 
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Central Florida Foot and Ankle Center