Understanding Zion Williamson’s Foot Fracture
- Post By: Jeff Stotts
- Date:
- Category: NBA, Understanding...
It didn’t take long for injury news to break for the 2021-22 NBA season. On Monday, Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin announced forward Zion Williamson will be limited during training camp after suffering a foot fracture in the offseason. The injury required surgery though the team does not anticipate he will miss the start of the regular season.
Williamson suffered a broken fifth metatarsal, an injury that has become increasingly common in the NBA and among NFL wide receivers. InStreetClothes.com has profiled the injury multiple times over the years, including in 2014 when Kevin Durant broke his fifth metatarsal.
The metatarsals are the long bones that make up the bulk of the foot, bridging the tarsal bones of the midfoot to the bones of the toes. The fifth metatarsal is located on the outside of the foot, at the base of the fifth (pinkie) toe, where it acts as an attachment site for multiple muscles. Unfortunately, this positioning makes the fifth metatarsal vulnerable to breaking when the ankle is forced inward in a direction known as inversion.
Fractures of the fifth metatarsal can occur in a variety of ways and in multiple spots along the bone. Avulsion fractures of the bone happen when one of the attached muscles pulls away a fragment of the metatarsal. Stress fractures in the fifth metatarsal are possible and often involved the diaphysis or mid-shaft of the bone. A fifth metatarsal fracture can be classified as a Jones fracture if the bone breaks at or near the base of the bone. Jones fractures are often slow to heal as the blood supplied to the area is limited. As a result, Jones fractures often require surgical intervention to help reduce the chances of a delayed union or nonunion.
Recovery following surgery can occur in six-to-eight weeks though an 8-to-10-week window is likely a safer estimate. According to the InStreetClothes.com injury database, the average time lost for in-season fifth metatarsal fractures is about 42 games (roughly 10 to 11 weeks). However, the number is considerably smaller for fifth metatarsal fractures sustained in the offseason. These cases missed an average of 15 games with several players active on Opening Night. However, it’s worth mentioning that these individuals were operating under the constraints of a normal offseason, something Williamson will not receive.
Furthermore, the odds of a re-fracture in fifth metatarsal fractures are high, especially if the shape of the individual’s foot contributed to the fracture. Additional complications following surgery are also possible and are often linked to surgical hardware issues. Screws and other implants can bend, fail, or even break though advancements in technique and equipment have helped in recent years.
However, there may be multiple reasons for optimism surrounding Zion. To start, a 2016 study revealed NBA players to suffer Jones fractures did not display a decrease in performance when they returned to play. Furthermore, Aaron Nelson and the Pelicans medical staff have had a positive impact on player health since joining New Orleans, including last season when they finished in the top 10 for fewest games lost to injury or illness. Nelson also has prior success managing fifth metatarsal fractures. In 2009 while leading the well-respected Suns medical team, Nelson and his team worked Robin Lopez back from surgery to fix a fifth metatarsal fracture in just 52 days. Lopez never exhibited any associated setbacks or complications. The variables in the two cases may vary but Williamson is in proven hands.