If you’ve been following the NFL or this blog, you are aware that New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon on the first drive of the season. Now just a few weeks after surgery, Rodgers has been seen throwing passes on the field during the pregame. Fans have been going crazy over these pictures and videos, and many are wondering if Rodgers has some sort of superhuman healing ability. Could he really return from an Achilles tendon tear in four months and lead to Jets during the playoffs?
Dr. Silverman already weighed in after the original injury, but given the new videos and increased speculation, he wanted to chime in with some additional thoughts on the matter.
Will Aaron Rodgers Return This Season?
Rodgers’ Achilles was repaired using the Achilles Midsubstance SpeedBridge Repair. This minimally invasive repair technique has become mainstream and is especially popular in athletes because the repair permits the transmission of forces around the torn Achilles, directly from the calf muscle to the lower bone (the calcaneus). This minimally invasive technique allows people to return to sport quicker.
However, the tendon still needs to heal as the calf muscle will rip the implants out of the bone if subjected to loads that exceed its capacity. That particular amount of tendon healing takes a minimum of three months. What you are seeing is someone who is doing gentle physical therapy with sub-maximal physiological loading. There is most likely a heel lift in his shoe to decrease the dorsiflexion forces. If he returns before four and a half months, the risk of re-rupture is high, if he returns before three months, it is all but guaranteed.
