Understanding Nikola Pekovic’s Ankle Injury and How An Improved Medical Team Factors In
- Post By: Jeff Stotts
- Date:
- Category: Break Down, NBA
The Minnesota Timberwolves have had a bounce back year in terms of health. After losing a league-worst 346 games to injury last season, the team made several changes to the sports medicine team. The team hired Koichi Sato as the Director of Sports Performance and Mark Kyger as Director of Athletic Therapy. The two report to long time head athletic trainer Gregg Farnam and are responsible for aiding with injury prevention and management. The initial feedback from the players has been positive and the numbers back up these words of praise. At the midway point of the season the Timberwolves had lost just 72 games to injury and 61 of these games belong to Chase Budinger and Ronny Turiaf. These injuries, Turiaf’s fractured elbow in particular, can be attributed to bad luck more so than improper training.
Given the success of the new medical team it was disappointing to hear center Nikola Pekovic will be sidelined for the next seven-to-10 days with bursitis in his right ankle. The injury has been an issue for a while now and the team hopes the time off will allow their bruiser to return.
Throughout the body sit fluid-filled sacs known as bursa. These bursa act similarly to ball bearings, helping reduce friction in joints, primarily between bone and muscle. Unfortunately they are vulnerable to direct blows, particularly in the elbow and knee. Bursa can also become inflamed following overuse or other neighboring trauma. Regardless of the mechanism of injury, bursitis results in pain and functional limitation. Treatment for bursitis often consists of anti-inflammatory medication, compression, and other modalities like ice and ultrasound. Rest is also recommended to allow the inflammation to subside and reduce any unnecessary friction.
Pekovic’s initial injury was described as an Achilles injury, suggesting the inflamed bursa is the one of the calcaneal bursa located where the conjoined tendon of the gastrocnemius and soleus attaches to the calacaneus (heel bone). Bursitis in this area can be nagging, particularly in basketball, so insuring any underlying factors like Achilles tendon damage or a bone spur are properly treated will be key to Pekovic’s long-term health. If the inflammation is isolated and controlled, it’s reasonable to believe the timeline established by Minnesota will be accurate. The work Pekovic has put in with Sato should also help minimize any cascade effect on other areas of the leg.
The Timberwolves remain a team on the fringe of the playoffs and will need as many healthy bodies as possible to make the postseason. The team is already drastically better than last season and appear better built to handle injuries like Pekovic’s or any others that should emerge.