A Quarterback’s Foot Injury: Just a Sprain, or Something More?
Josh Allen, the quarterback for the Buffalo Bills football team, was sidelined in mid-December due to a foot sprain. But if you had read past the headlines and initial paragraphs, you would have learned that Allen was also suffering from turf toe.
What’s the difference?
A foot sprain is a general term for damage to one or more ligaments anywhere in the foot. Ligaments are the soft tissues that connect one bone to another.
Turf toe is a specific type of sprain – pulled or torn ligaments at the base of the big toe. It’s a very common injury in football. Picture a player running down the field, suddenly changing directions, pushing off of his toes, and stretching the big toe joint just a little too far. The ligaments surrounding the joint are damaged from overstretching. They might even tear.
Foot injuries can be complicated.
So, if Josh Allen were a patient at Clifton Foot & Ankle Center, the first thing board-certified podiatrist Dr. Kenneth R. Wilhelm might want to determine is if we’re dealing with:
- One injury – turf toe;
- Two separate injuries – turf toe and a separate sprain of the foot;
- Or, perhaps something even more complicated. For example, it wouldn’t be that unusual to find a bone fracture accompanying a sprain from a football injury. In addition, a turf toe injury might be so severe that it damages the sesamoid bones.
Expert evaluation and care
When your foot sustains a sports injury, the best course of action is to have Dr. Wilhelm evaluate it as soon as possible. He is known in Fairfax County for asking the right questions and spending quality time with a patient. Using advanced treatment methods, Dr. Wilhelm will examine your foot and ask probing questions such as when and how the injury occurred. Digital x-ray technology allows us to see the whole picture and offer the best treatment options.
For accurate diagnoses and expert treatment of all sports injuries of the feet and ankles, including surgical repair of torn ligaments, visit our office in Centreville, Virginia. Call (703) 996-3000 with your questions or concerns, or schedule an appointment online.
