Understanding the Injuries of Darius Garland and Evan Mobley
- Post By: Jeff Stotts
- Date:
- Category: NBA, Understanding...
The Cleveland Cavaliers lost two starters on Friday announcing that Darius Garland and Evan Mobley are both staring at lengthy absences after surgery to address various injuries.
Garland’s issue is a fractured jaw, sustained when he collided with Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis. He will undergo surgery next week and is expected to miss at least four weeks.
The jaw is comprised of the two bones of the face that contain the teeth. The upper jaw is made up the paired maxilla bone, each containing half of the upper row of teeth. The lower jaw is a single bone, the mandible. The mandible is the only freely moveable bone of the skull and holds the bottom set of teeth.
Fractures to the jaw bones are relatively uncommon in the NBA. Players like Jaylen Brown and Kyrie Irving have sustained fractures to the maxilla area though these are often referred to as facial fractures. True jaw fractures usually involve the mandible and, given how he was holding his mouth following the collision, likely what bone is involved with Garland’s injury. Mandible fractures are even more rare than maxilla fractures, but multiple players have sustained the injury including Shareef Abdur-Rahim and JaMychal Green. Since the 2005-06 season, the average time lost for in-season jaw fractures that require surgery is 11 games (27 days). This establishes a precedent in line with the four-week recovery window provided by the Cavs.
Mobley’s case is a bit more complex and comes with a higher degree of variability. After missing four games with knee soreness, the big man is undergoing arthroscopic surgery to remove a “loose body” in the joint. Mobley will likely have a knee debridement. In the minimally invasive procedure, the irritant within the joint or tendon is removed. Loose bodies can be small bits of bone or cartilage that result in symptoms like pain or effusion. With the root of the problem removed, the patient often reports a decrease in pain and an improvement in function.
While jaw fractures are unusual, knee debridement procedures are not. Most cases are carried out in the offseason, though there have been plenty of examples of players going under the knife during the season, including D’Angelo Russell, Blake Griffin, and former Cavalier Kevin Love. Love underwent a debridement for a loose body during the 2016-17 season and missed 13 games (34 days). However, Love’s return came on the early end of the spectrum with the average time lost for all comparable cases sitting at 22 games (48 days).
For now, the Cavaliers will look to navigate the second quarter of the season without Garland and Mobley. Cleveland remains in the playoff picture for the moment but are currently riding a three-game losing streak. The Cavs first game without the duo comes Saturday against Atlanta, the first of four straight contests at home.