Panthers’ Benewikere’s broken leg not as bad as thought

During the football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers Cornerback, Bene Benwikere, suffered a fractured left leg, which will keep him out for the rest of the season, leaving many to wonder if he will be able to return to full strength once his injury heals. According to Dr. David Helfet, the prognosis is good.

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But, wouldn’t you like to know more about the injury Bene suffered?

Well, time to be educated, as Dr. David Helfet, Orthopedic Trauma Surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery, provided information on the nature of the injury Bene suffered.

Here is some information about leg fractures that Dr. Helfet provided.

What is the treatment/recovery of leg fractures? — “Depends where in the leg, but most require surgery to reduce back to the pre injury alignment, length and rotation and hold reduced until healing—on average 8-10 weeks.”

Prevalence of leg fractures in football — “Usually from direct blow to the leg or severe rotational force—much less common than ligamentous injuries—knee/ankle/foot.”

Long-term implications of leg fractures in football players — “Generally bones heal fully—the only caveat is any concomitant soft-tissue injury.”

With Bene’s type of fracture (lower leg, but the Panthers have not released is an open, or closed fracture), is he at a greater risk, or not, to fully recover? – “If a closed injury, ie. not an open fracture, and reduced as mentioned above, and does not involve the joint above and below the prognosis for a full recovery is excellent.”

The Hospital for Special Surgery is a world leader in sports medicine performance and rehabilitation and is nationally ranked #1 in orthopedics by U.S. News & World Report (2015-2016).

*Photo Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Full article: Schafer, Chris. Panthers’ Benewikere’s broken leg not as bad as thought. (2015). Cat Crave. http://catcrave.com/2015/12/18/panthers-benewikeres-broken-leg-not-as-bad-as-thought/

Tags: David Helfet MD