The team announced that Rodney Covington, Derrick Rose and Jeff Teague would all miss the rest of the season. Dr. Silverman recently sat down to address the injuries plaguing these three players.

Rodney Covington

Covington has missed the last 34 games while recovering from a bone bruise in his right knee that he suffered back on December 31. He later suffered a setback, and the team felt it was in everyone’s best interests to shut him down for the year.

“Bone bruises usually heal much faster than this. There is something that is aggravating it. Either there is a biomechanical problem – meaning there is something unstable or out of alignment or mechanically dysfunctional with his gait/knee mechanics. There’s also the possibility that he’s not getting enough Vitamin D. This is a common problem in Minnesota where we don’t receive as much direct sunlight. Vitamin D is an essential factore in bone development and remodeling.”

Derrick Rose

Derrick Rose has missed the last four games due soreness and swelling in his right elbow. An MRI later revealed a chip fracture and a loose fragment in his elbow.

“A chip fracture in the elbow most certainly comes from a previous injury. Generally speaking, the elbow may have become unstable and he may have developed posterior lateral rotatory instability. It’s a form of arthritis, and it makes extension of the elbow difficult. Rose is also suffering from chronic ankle instability, and it wouldn’t be surprising to me if this condition was also present.”

Jeff Teague

Teague missed the past four games after aggravating a left foot injury. He received a cortisone injection last week, and he’ll be re-evaluated in about three weeks.

“Everyone knows that cortisone simply diminishes symptoms, it doesn’t fix anything. It only allows you to live with something longer. Whatever is bothering Teague needs to be directly addressed and not masked with cortisone. Hopefully he gets the treatment he needs.

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Pekovic has really shined this season, averaging 17.4 points throughout March. But pain stemming from an old ankle injury has caused him to struggle.

Bone spurs, also called osteophytes, are bony projections that form on the edges of bones and in joints. They are the result of long periods of pressure on the bones. In many cases, they can go undetected for years, and some don’t require any treatment at all. Other times, as in Pekovic’s case, they can cause pain.

“It’s something that will help me to be healthy next season,” Pekovic said. “It will help me and my team and everything. I know without that trouble, I’ll be more calm, not thinking about it. And hopefully, not miss any games.”

Pekovic hopes that this surgery will allow him to return to the court next season without any hinderances.

“Pekovic has blossomed this year and I have enjoyed watching him, but I fear from this article that he will follow in a long line of incompletely treated professional athletes,” says Orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Lance Silverman. “If all that is done is spur removal, his symptoms will improve temporarily but, it will not fix the problem. Treating the underlying cause of the spurs through reconstruction of the lateral ankle ligaments is essential for the best results.”

Related Sources:

StarTribune.com

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Thankfully, an MRI showed no broken bones or ligament damage, but Beasley will miss a number of games due to the injury.

Dr. Silverman Comments

A midfoot sprain can vary from a minor problem to a complete disaster. Mild midfoot sprains usually result from twisting-inward injuries, as seen in figure 1 below.

Bad midfoot injuries result from twisting out the ankle or plantar flexion (see figure 2). Plantar flexion stress often results in a Lisfranc injury – a common football injury.

If Beasley is only likely to miss 3 games, this is a minor midfoot sprain and he will probably be better in a week.

However, these minor foot sprains are often indicative of a different problem. Beasley has been suffering from ankle sprains for years. He, like Brett Favre, doesn’t seem to get them fixed. It’s just treated non-surgically. He recovers from the injury, only to have another injury in the future.

Beasley can’t stop himself from rolling on the outside of his foot and turning his ankle as well as he should. He will have more of these ankle sprains, mild midfoot sprains, and other fractures to that outside of the foot over his career.

In my practice, I see many people who have similar troubles, they just don’t have to go out and play basketball every day. They break bones, tendons, and other joints because they have bad ankle ligaments. Fixing loose ankle ligaments is the best solution to these issues.

Related Sources:

StarTribune

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