The Falcons entered the 2013 season with Super Bowl aspirations, but a Week 1 loss to the division rival Saints leaves them one step farther from reaching their goal.
Roddy White, one of the leaders of the offense, was limited in Sunday’s loss to New Orleans as he battled an ankle injury. It was later revealed that White was nursing a high-ankle sprain, which means the wide receiver could be limited for many more weeks to come.
Although he later said he wouldn’t tell fantasy owners how his ankle feels before the game, as it could tip off his opponents, he did send a pretty clear message about his health when talking about his practice habits.
As far as fantasy if I don't participate in practice than don't start me it's a red flag
— Roddy White (@roddywhiteTV) September 9, 2013
Why are High-Ankle Sprain so Bothersome?
We discuss high-ankle sprains at greater length on our main site, but we’ll provide an abridged version on the blog.
In order to understand ankle sprains, one must first be aware of the ligaments that make up your ankle. There are two groups of ligaments inside your ankle:
- The lateral ligaments, which are located on the outside of your ankle; and
- The medial ligaments, which are located on the inside of your ankle.
Now, during a common ankle sprain, your ankle rolls outward. As your ankle rolls in this direction, the lateral ligaments on the outside of your ankle begin to stretch. During a high-ankle sprain, your ankle turns in the opposite direction. When your ankle turns inwards, the medial ligaments begin to stretch. As you can imagine, the ligaments on the inside of your ankle are less flexible because they provide more support and stabilization than the lateral ligaments.
Also, during a high-ankle sprain the joint above the ankle becomes injured. When an ankle turns in this direction, the syndesmosis, which is a tight tissue that stabilizes bones in the leg, stretches out. Until the tissue recovers, movement of the area can be painful.
High-Ankle Sprain Treatment
Another reason why high-ankle sprains are so troublesome is because if they aren’t addressed correctly, they can heal incorrectly. When dealing with severe high-ankle sprains, the medial ligaments heal incorrectly more than 50% of the time! If a patient doesn’t account for this, they can develop chronic ankle instability, which not only makes them more susceptible to injury, but also opens the door to the possibility of developing arthritis in the ankle and the loss of push-off power in the foot.
Going forward, Falcons fans and fantasy owners will want to track White’s progress in practice. Since he was able to play Sunday, albeit in a limited fashion, he’s likely only dealing with a Grade I high-ankle sprain, which is categorized as a “mild partial disruption” of one of the medial ligaments. These types of sprains usually heal within a few weeks, but symptoms could linger as he’s likely going to be putting more strain on his foot than the average patient who would simply stay off the foot for a week or two.
White has a high tolerance for pain, as he’s played through injuries in the past, but a high threshold for pain doesn’t mean he’ll be as productive as he would without an injury. A look at the Falcons schedule reveals that the team has a bye in Week 6. If he’s still battling symptoms into October, he should benefit immensely from the bye week.
We’ll keep an eye on White as he continues to recover from his high-ankle sprain, and we hope it is nothing more than a Grade I sprain. If it turns out to be more severe, surgery might be his best option.
Related source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution