Breaking Down Bradley Beal’s Scaphoid Fracture
- Post By: Jeff Stotts
- Date:
- Category: Break Down, NBA
After an impressive 2013-14 campaign, the up-and-coming Wizards spent the offseason bolstering their frontline. The team resigned center Marcin Gortat and quickly signed veteran forward and former Finals MVP Paul Pierce when incumbent starter Trevor Ariza left for Houston. They also completed inexpensive deals for Kris Humphries and DeJuan Blair. Unfortunately early injuries have derailed these plans as Humphries and emerging star Bradley Beal are slated to miss the beginning of the regular season with injuries.
Humphries suffered a lacerated right hand in the team’s preseason opener against the Bulls. He required eight stitches after the game to close the cut between his ring and pinkie fingers. The laceration was deep enough to damage a nerve in the area, likely a smaller, distal branch of the ulnar nerve. Surgery was necessary to repair the nerve and Humphries is expected to miss three to four weeks.
The more impactful injury occurred to Beal in the first half of Friday’s preseason loss to the Hornets. The injury occurred when Charlotte’s PJ Hairston fouled the third-year guard. Beal left the court and did not return as the team initially ruled the injury a sprained left wrist. However a MRI revealed a non-displaced fracture of the scaphoid in his wrist and surgery will be required.
Between the bones of the arm and the bones of the hand sit eight tiny bones known as the carpal bones. The carpals are divided into two rows and articulate with one another as well as the radius, ulna, and the metacarpal bones of the hand. One of these carpals is the cashew-shaped scaphoid. It sits at the base of the thumb and is a major contributor to motion at the wrist, articulating with five different bones in the area. As a result, a majority of the bone is covered in articular cartilage. It serves as an attachment site for ligaments but not any muscles. One of the ligaments that anchors to the scaphoid is the radial collateral ligament (RCL), the ligament that Laker guard Nick Young recently tore.
The scaphoid is the most commonly fractured bone of the carpal bones. Unfortunately, blood flow to the area is limited, specifically at the end closest to the thumb, and can delay the healing process. This fact is likely the primary reason behind Washington’s decision to delay the announcement of an expected timetable until after Beal has undergone surgery.
During the procedure, the surgeon will be able to pinpoint the exact location of the fracture and its severity. A surgical screw or wire will then be utilized to stabilize the bone and create an environment favorable to healing. The injury has a high success rate of recovery if treated early, though complications like nonunions and avascular necrosis can occur. Beal’s long-term prognosis will be much more evident after surgery but early estimates put his return at somewhere between six to eight weeks.
While comparing players can be tricky due to multiple variables, there are other examples of scaphoid fractures in the NBA. Emanual Davis and Theo Ratliff both had seasons end in January and February respectively following scaphoid fractures of their own. However a better comparison may be Timberwolves guard Kevin Martin who underwent surgery for a non-displaced scaphoid fracture during the 2009-10 season while a member of the Kings. Like Beal, Martin’s injury occurred to his non-shooting hand and it wound up costing him 32 games over a 72-day stretch. His struggled with his shot upon his return, shooting 37 percent for the field in his first 20 games back from the injury. However Martin would rebound following his trade to the Rockets and shoot 45.2 percent in the next 20 games.
Regardless of the final findings the Wizards know they will be without Beal’s services for the start of the regular season. The team will still have a chance at home court in the Eastern Conference if Beal’s recovery goes smoothly. However if any setback or complication arises, Washington may not be able to build on last year’s success.